The Tribune

ENVIRONMENTAL watch dog reEarth has expressed its complete disgust at the government’s “closed door policy” when it comes to information on new developments.

The group published a petition on the Care2 Petition website in opposition to the Blackbeard’s Cay facility and any other new dolphin facilities in the Bahamas.

So far, it has secured 24,000 signatures.

Sam Duncombe of reEarth said: “The international visiting audience are screaming their objection to these facilities and yet we cannot get anyone to hear us.

“Having written eight letters to various members of government to seek information on the Blackbeard’s Cay facility and received no information of worth in return, we are left out in the cold to assume the worst.”

Mrs Duncombe went on to explain the highly irregular nature of the location chosen for the dolphin facility, given that it is inherently a depositional area for sand – a simple search on Google earth’s historical data for this island will demonstrate the fact that it suffers extreme shoaling (shallowing) over time, she said.

“This poses questions on the plans for the dolphins each time dredging will be required to meet the minimum pen depth of nine feet at low tide, as per the Marine Mammal Protection Act regulations, Mrs Duncombe said.

She added that existing legislation does not provide any safeguards, or protective language, for dolphins kept in ocean pens in the face of storms and hurricanes.

“Blackbeard’s Cay has taken a beating in every northerly blow that we have seen here – Hurricane Sandy almost decimated the island and completely destroyed the dock.

“Without an Environmental Impact Assessment to properly answer the questions regarding the location, what safety is there for the dolphins? We assume that any marine mammal placed at this facility will surely face its death,” she said.

“The shroud of secrecy surrounding Blackbeard’s Cay certainly demonstrates the need for the Freedom of Information Act to be enforced with speed.”