The Bahamas National Trust has issued a fact sheet in response to what it terms “the many misconceptions that have been repeatedly aired in the media and on the Internet about development in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park”.
According to the BNT, Prince Agha Khan, the owner of 349-acre Bell Island in the Exuma Cays, applied to the government in August 2010 for permission to expand an existing service/utility area for his vacation home, excavate an inland yacht basin, and dredge a portion of the seabed to provide navigable access for his 150-foot private yacht.
Bell Island is located in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. According to the release, “One hundred and seventy-six square miles of the Exuma chain of cays was set aside in 1958 and leased by the government to the Bahamas National Trust. But about a third of the land within the park was already privately owned at that time and therefore could not be included in the lease that created the park. Those private islands include Cistern Cay, Pirate’s Cay, Little Pigeon Cay, South Halls Pond Cay, Soldier Cay, Dinna Cay, White Bay Cay, Osprey Cay, Bell Island and Little Bell Island. It should be, made clear that the sale of private land anywhere in The – Bahamas is not a matter that is within the BNT’s purview. To our knowledge, no legal restrictions have ever been placed by any government on the transfer of private land within the Exuma Park.”
The BNT said that the BEST Commission and the BNT are waiting to review and approve the plan for Bell Island, and will govern the proposed development activities under the supervision of an independent environmental manager. Some site preparation of the land has already begun, following approval by Town Planning. The total development footprint on the 349-acre island is less than five acres, and mitigation includes removal of invasive casuarina trees, restoration of natural vegetation, and development of a native plant nursery.
The BNT said that as a result of its efforts, the project’s impact has now been further reduced so that fewer than 13,000 cubic yards will now be dredged. This dredged material will be taken at the owner’s expense to either an identified area where it is needed; to an infrastructure project in one of the nearby Exuma settlements (such as Black Point), or to New Providence.
The BNT said it did not oppose the project because most of the planned work at Bell Island is on land and there will be minimal damage to the seabed.
Source: The Nassau Guardian
