The Tribune

THE Bahamas National Trust has spoken out against a $2.1 billion proposed agriculture and fisheries partnership with China, saying it has previously expressed its reservations for such an initiative to government officials.

Bahamas Ambassador to China Paul “Andy” Gomez told the BNT in October that government had given him the task of developing a paper exploring the possibility of Chinese investment in the agriculture and fisheries sectors, the group said.

According to the BNT, it was Mr Gomez’s intent to convince the Chinese government to commit to the investment.

The BNT released a statement yesterday about the proposal after The Tribune reported comments Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries V Alfred Gray made on the radio last week, when he said Mr Gomez had discussed the controversial initiative with the BNT and other agencies.

Mr Gray also said the idea was pitched to the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources by the government’s ambassador to China, and not the Chinese government or investors.

Since news of the proposal broke last week, officials in the Christie administration have said that the proposal is not before the government or Cabinet for consideration. However, Mr Gray has said he gave Mr Gomez the go ahead to have discussions with Chinese investors about the proposal, which would entail the incorporation of 100 companies, with the agricultural products and seafood to be used for local consumption, and exported to China and the United States for sale. The proposal also reportedly includes the option to lease 10,000 acres of Crown land in Andros.

According to the BNT, Mr Gomez spoke to the agency about the matter “unexpectedly” in October.

“Ambassador Gomez spoke briefly with Eric Carey, executive director of the BNT, and a representative of the Bahamas Reef Environment and Education Foundation (BREEF) about this matter.

“We wish to confirm that the conversation took place unexpectedly at an event in mid-October at the Melia Hotel organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The executive director of the BNT and representatives from BREEF were presenters at an event focused on the environmental impact of Hurricane Matthew.

“During a question and answer session, Ambassador Gomez asked if the Bahamian fishing sector had ‘maxed out’ or whether there were still opportunities that could be explored. We replied that our fisheries were already under pressure, especially from poachers,” the BNT said.

The BNT noted that last week the Royal Bahamas Defence Force intercepted and captured two vessels from the Dominican Republic with 50 illegal fishermen, who were poaching in the southern Bahamas, to underscore this point.

“Ambassador Gomez said he had been charged by the government to develop a paper exploring the potential for Chinese investment in both the agricultural and fisheries sectors. The ambassador stated that his intent was to seek to convince the Chinese government to commit to a $2.1 billion investment over a 10-year period,” the BNT said.

“The BNT and BREEF representatives both expressed deep concern about this proposal and immediately advised against such an idea. Later - at our insistence – the BNT’s executive director and director of science and policy met with Ambassador Gomez and Eugene Newry, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Representatives from BREEF were also present.

“At this meeting we reiterated our concerns, pointing out that the Chinese fishing fleets are considered one of the greatest threats to the sustainability of global fisheries.

“During the discussion, Ambassador Gomez suggested that with the stated intent of the government to support the creation of more marine protected areas, it might seem unreasonable for environmental groups to oppose attempts by the government to encourage more fishing in Bahamian waters, outside of designated marine protected areas.”

The BNT said it advised Mr Gomez that the country’s active fishery stocks are either at capacity or “are on the road to collapse.”

“We have scientific evidence that the Nassau Grouper and, to a lesser degree, the Spiny Lobster must be carefully managed to avoid the very real possibility of commercial extinction, as has already happened in so many of our Caribbean neighbours,” the BNT added.

“The BNT advised the ambassador that scientific assessments of our pelagic fish stocks would be necessary before any informed discussion about a possible expansion of the fishery sector can take place.

“Ambassador Gomez said he planned to meet with Bahamian fishermen to see if there was any interest in joint ventures with Chinese capital to expand into areas that are not traditionally exploited. We also advised that although we did not necessarily hold a strong opinion about possible investment in the agricultural sector on Andros, His Excellency’s proposal appeared to conflict with current government policy, which takes account of the fragile ecosystems that Andros supports.

“We referenced specifically the Andros Ecosystem-Based Master Plan funded by the Inter-American Development Bank that is currently being formulated by technical experts in the Office of the Prime Minister.”

The BNT said it has also written to Minister of Environment Kenred Dorsett about its concerns, recommending extreme care and caution in any advancement of this idea.