The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

An environmental activist is urging the government not to compound The Bahamas’ economic woes with “bad policy” by permitting Crystal Cruises to call on Spanish Wells as a home port destination.

Sam Duncombe, reEarth’s president, told Tribune Business that employing Spanish Wells as an alternative destination to Harbour Island was “a really ill-conceived concept” as she queried why The Bahamas was “still pursuing” the cruise industry given the outstanding issues regarding its economic, environmental and other impacts.

“I get that we’re in deep trouble, but this is not the time to be reactive with the kinds of projects you approve,” Mrs Duncombe charged. “That’s the equivalent of sending them to Harbour Island or Hope Town. Why not send them to Princess Cay? I just think it’s very short-sighted.”

She spoke out after a petition opposing Crystal Cruises’ plan to use Spanish Wells as a port-of-call on its summer Bahamas ‘home porting’ itinerary, which will feature a series of seven-night voyages around this nation starting on July 3 and ending in November, garnered 1,047 signatures in just three days.

The petition, featured on change.org, said: “We must stop Crystal Cruises from adding Spanish Wells, Bahamas, as a port of call and anchoring its ship at Egg Island. The Crystal Serenity ship carries between ship 900 to 1000 people.

“Spanish Wells has a population of fewer than 2,000 people, it is only two miles long by a half-mile wide and is a quaint fishing town. It’s a quiet, safe and clean island. It is unlikely the Spanish Wells’ infrastructure can handle such a sudden increase in stress.”

Continuing to make the case against Crystal, the petition added: “Over the last few years, Spanish Wells has created a strong and unique tourist brand and related products. Most who come to Spanish Wells rent houses, take excursions and make very significant contributions to the local economy. 

“Recently, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) disclosed in findings published by a local newspaper that it takes 28 cruise tourists to spend as much as a single land-based stayover tourist. Experience informs us that people choose to visit Spanish Wells exactly because it is not a mass tourist destination. A high-volume, low-spend model of tourism is adverse to the Spanish Wells brand and would pose significant economic, social and environmental risks to the small community.”

Turning to the anchoring location, the petition said: “Worse still, Crystal plans to anchor its ship at Egg Island, an uninhabited and undeveloped island near Spanish Wells. The island is an important part of Spanish Wells’ heritage and the surrounding waters are revered by locals and visitors alike.

“Egg Island’s natural beauty has been enjoyed by generations and is of great ecological significance to not only the communities of North Eleuthera and Spanish Wells but to The Bahamas as a whole. Egg Island boasts several healthy ecosystems including mangroves, coral reefs, salt ponds, rocky shoreline, and beach.

“Egg Island is known for having a sustainable grouper spawning aggregation, of which there are few left in the Bahamas. Endangered sea turtles are well known to nest on Egg Island beach, endangered shorebirds nest there, and the juvenile conch are maturing in safety,” the petition continued.

“This fragile environment would be put at unnecessary risk by the numerous undesirable impacts of cruise ship operation, including pollution and direct damage from the anchorage.

“Sadly, the community was not consulted by Crystal Cruises or by the Government. We, as concerned residents and visitors from around the world, must fight to stop this and we must act now. There is no upside to losing what has taken generations to build here. The peace, safety, sense of real community will all be in great peril if Spanish Wells becomes a cruise stop.

“This is not in the best interest of Spanish Wells. Our existing, sustainable model of tourism is far superior to what has been proposed behind our backs. Let the Bahamian government and Crystal hear our voices.”

Mrs Duncombe, in her own letter to the Prime Minister, said: “As we emerge slowly from the worst pandemic in a century, and the nation’s economic security remains in peril, I understand and appreciate government’s efforts to seize upon the fastest means to place this nation back on her feet.

“However, given the unprecedented burdens shouldered by your government, I feel compelled to emphasise what would ordinarily be self-evident. Blind haste and desperation make for bad decisions and bad policy..... As your government must know, Spanish Wells has spent decades meticulously building its own unique, enviable and sustainable model of tourism.”

Backing the concerns voiced in the petition, Mrs Duncombe wrote: “Do you understand the potential blight the Crystal deal represents to their unique brand? Many Spanish Wells residents have invested their life savings to leverage the island’s unique style of escapist tourism.

“Spanish Wells visitors come to the island over and over again exactly because it is not a cruise port of call, does not embrace mass tourism, and does not need or want a sudden increase in visitors. Within the space of a few hours, a petition opposing this scheme garnered hundreds of signatures from residents and visitors alike, and there is no end in sight.

“The vast majority of Spanish Wells people don’t need or want the pocket change that cruise passengers spend. They are fully aware that it takes 28 cruise passengers to spend as much as one of their stayover guests,” she added.

“Do you have any idea how much money the island’s second home owners spend within the community every year and that they will very likely stay away if the picturesque island’s soul bears the unmistakable taint and stink a cruise port of call will bring?”