The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE confusion surrounding which government agency is responsible for the collection and disposal of discarded conch shells at the Montagu fishing ramp has led to mounds of decaying shells at the site and raised health fears.

There is speculation that the piles of shells encrusted with a thick layer of algae and trash could attract sharks to the ramp, which is next to the popular Montagu beach where locals swim.

Vendors at the ramp offered varying opinions to The Tribune on whether the condition of the shells should be ruled a health hazard but none could name the party responsible for collecting discarded shells.

One vendor claimed that employees from Ministry of Works would, at times, come in and haul away small loads of shells but indicated that that had not happened for months. Another suggested that the piles of shells have helped people using the ramp by shielding the stall area from large waves crashing against the dock.

That vendor pointed out that while the mounds were unsightly, they could serve a purpose by correcting the flaws that existed in the construction of the ramp.

“When they are at this height, we can stand on top of them and get fresh water. This ramp wasn’t build in the way where we could get down there and get our fresh conch, get fresh water or even access to down there,” he said. “When its like this, the waves don’t slam up against the ramp and interfere with what we up here doing. The waves have a hard time fighting through the shells.”

A third vendor explained to the Tribune that he had petitioned for months to have the situation corrected but had been given the run around. He said that while the health hazard and issue of a shark attack might be an extreme overreaction, the appearance of the shells is something that should not happen, explaining that in years past there were scheduled pick-ups through the Department of Environmental Health (DEHS).

Those pick-ups were guaranteed, he said. “Once we got our shells in the big dumpster, they would take it away. The dumpster is still here. I don’t know what is going on with the (removal) now though.”

Attempts by The Tribune to interview officials at the DEHS have been rebuffed on several occasions. Suggestions by officials at the department that the collection and disposal of shells are the responsibility of the Department of Marine Resources were rejected by officials in that ministry.

A source in the department asserted that the issue of collection and disposal has never been the responsibility of Marine Resources and has always fallen under the purview of Environmental Health.

There are also suggestions that a change in operations at Renew Bahamas, the company managing the New Providence landfill, has resulted in the DEHS having to find a new way to dispose of the discarded shells. Renew Bahamas has implemented a more stringent protocol with respect to the waste coming in to its Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) at the landfill, with bio-degradable items, medical waste and a number of other non-recyclable materials no longer being accepted.

There have been some reports suggesting that Renew Bahamas, despite being contracted to manage all forms of waste at the site, has opted only to focus on the materials it deems profitable in the recycling market.

At present, vendors that want to avoid “adding to the problem” are attempting to find a market for their discarded shells, often passing the loads off to craftsman and artisans who put the shells to use. However, that option is limited.

There are about 20 vendors at the Montagu ramp, of which less than half are considered predominately conch sellers.