The Tribune

MEGA-resorts are being allowed to threaten the culture, society and identity of small island communities around the Bahamas, a veteran social and environmental campaigner warned.

Fred Smith, QC, director of legal affairs for Save The Bays, said successive governments have shielded the developers of mammoth “Anchor Projects” from scrutiny at the expense of both the environment and local populations.

“Governments have been taken in by the glossy brochures, by the jewels and trinkets put in front of them by the foreigners,” he said.

“The result is that developments which destroy the environment, and overwhelm local society and culture, have been imposed from above on small communities in a way that shows a profound lack of respect for those who live there.”

Mr Smith said this arrangement works well for both the developers, who are granted numerous concessions to build in the Bahamas, and the politicians, who can announce that they have created jobs. It is only the country’s natural and cultural heritage that suffers, he said.

“And then, every time a grass roots group brings a judicial review of one of these projects, the government sides with the developer. They use taxpayer’s money to do this, and the result is that the details of all these projects remain secret, and nobody knows what’s going on.”

Using the example of Malaysia-based Genting’s ongoing mammoth resort construction in Bimini, Mr Smith said: “Bimini is renowned for its natural reserves and its cultural heritage. Even the environmental impact assessment done by the developer’s own consultants says that the population of 1,700 is going to be overwhelmed by the infusion – or the invasion – of nearly 600,000 people a year there.

“There will be no more Bahamian culture, society, environment, ethnicity – nothing left of the Bahamas to see when you go to Bimini.”

As Save The Bays celebrates its first anniversary, Mr Smith told listeners of Love 97 Radio on Monday that the group is fighting not just to preserve the country’s flora and fauna, but also the distinctive identity of each island.

A crucial part of that fight, he said, is the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which was passed by the former FNM government but never brought into force.

“Freedom of Information is fundamental. If you want to protect local rights, political rights, environmental rights, you must have access to information about what government and developers are secretly doing – without that, you can’t get off first base,” he said.

Other key objectives of Save The Bays include an Environmental Protection Act, the creation of a protected sea park at Clifton Bay to complement the existing land park, laws prohibiting oil pollution and holding polluters accountable, and an end to unregulated development.

“We have nothing against development,” Mr Smith said. “We want development everywhere, but it must be organic, it must be in proportion to the capacity of the environment and the local community.”

In just one short year, Mr Smith said, the group’s message is spreading like wildfire, with more than 500 members signed up and 13,000 followers on Facebook.

A Save The Bays petition calling for a Freedom of Information Act, an Environmental Protection Act and an end to unregulated development has gathered nearly 6,000 signatures. It is available at www.savethebays.bs