The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

East Grand Bahama will likely deliver another “resounding rejection” should the Government seek to revive proposals for sand/aragonite mining at the envrionmentally-sensitive Bursus Cay, the area’s MP said yesterday.

K P Turnquest told Tribune Business that his constituents would likely vote the same way they did in April/May 2014, despite the purported economic benefits that aragonite would deliver to themselves and their communities.

The FNM deputy leader was speaking after Prime Minister Perry Christie, following last week’s Fishing Hole Road Causeway groundbreaking, said two companies were interested in aragonite mining in east Grand Bahama.

Mr Christie did not identify the companies involved, who were also said to be assessing whether to establish aragonite manufacturing facilities on the island, but he did confirm that proposals for mining on Bursus Cay had been submitted.

“We had Town Meetings on this subject before, and there was a resounding ‘no’ vote with respect to any kind of aragonite mining in that area because it is a sensitive marine habitat and grounds for local fishermen,” Mr Turnquest told Tribune Business.

“To the extent the local community rejected that proposal, I would expect there will be consultation if they’re considering it again, and the people’s voices would be heard. I think it would meet the same fate.”

Mr Turnquest said he had raised the east Grand Bahama aragonite mining issue again on Tuesday in the House of Assembly, pointing out that his constituents had rejected such proposals before “despite the supposed gains that were to come to them”.

This, he added, prompted Kenred Dorsett, minister of the environment, who has responsibility for natural resources, to disclose that the previous aragonite mining applications for the area had been “denied”.

Based on this, and the Prime Minister’s comments, Mr Turnquest queried whether Mr Christie was trying to “override” both his minister of the environment and the people of Grand Bahama.

The details provided by Mr Christie match the $50 million aragonite mining proposal that was by unveiled by Nassau Island Development Company in early 2014, which promised to create 800 jobs (300 in construction) and generate new export earnings and tax revenue from its mining/manufacturing operations.

Nassau Island Development Company’s proposal, too, targeted Bursus Cay as the centre for its sand and aragonite mining operations.

However, the obstacles facing any aragonite mining company in obtaining approval to operate on Bursus Cay appear to have increased significantly after the island was included in the Government’s east Grand Bahama Park in August 2015.

Eric Carey, the Bahamas National Trust’s (BNT) executive director, told Tribune Business yesterday that while Bursus Cay had been included within the park’s boundaries, the necessary leases had yet to be finalised.

Confirming that east Grand Bahama residents had rejected the Nassau Island Development Company project, Mr Carey said: “A lot of the local people fish out there [Bursus Cay], commercially or for subsistence fishing, ‘catch and release’ fly fishing.

“At that meeting they made it really clear that they would not be supportive of any sand mining in that area. They saw it as incompatible with the current uses for that area.”

Still, the Prime Minister, in his comments last week, said: “The interesting thing is that two major entities involved in the process of aragonite are both indicating that they would wish to centre activities in manufacturing on the island of Grand Bahama.

“And it is not something that will happen in our next election; I am talking now to people about giving them the hope and knowledge… that things are happening on this island and that it is the beginning of the turn that is in evidence.”

Mr Turnquest, meanwhile, said he understood that Hutchison Whampoa had not agreed to a ‘free waiver’ of its exclusivity on all cruise port ownership and construction in Freeport and Grand Bahama.

The Hong Kong-based conglomerate holds these rights through the Freeport Harbour Company, and the Christie administration discussed the possibility of it ‘waiving’ this exclusivity to facilitate Carnival Cruise Lines’ proposed east Grand Bahama port when the two sides met in London recently.

“It’s my understanding that they refused to waive it,” Mr Turnquest told Tribune Business of Hutchison Whampoa. “However, they would have allowed some kind of agreement from Carnival to do it provided there was some compensation.”

While expressing hope that the Carnival project would come to fruition, given the potential economic benefits for his constituency, Mr Turnquest said he was taking a ‘wait and see’ approach on it coming to fruition.

“Until we see something happen, a Heads of Agreement signed and a timeline set, we take it as more talk,” Mr Turnquest said.

He reiterated his call for the Government to ensure that the Carnival project provided Bahamians with entrepreneurial and ownership opportunities, including ownership of the retail and restaurants.

Calling for tours and excursions to involve “at least joint ventures with Bahamians”, Mr Turnquest added: “If we can cause that to happen, and create employment in that area, it will spur construction activity and an economy in the east that is so desperately needed.”