The Tribune

The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) yesterday said the cruise ship industry “must get the message that poor practices that damage our environment cannot be tolerated”.

Eric Carey, its executive director, in a statement urged the government to release information on the latest episode of waste discharge in Bahamian waters “as soon as possible so that the extent of the possible damage can be assessed”.

Speaking out after that incident, which involved Norwegian Cruise Line, Mr Carey also rejected charges that the trust has been selective in tackling pollution and environmental infractions by businesses - criticising some but not others.

“The cruise line industry must get the message that poor practices that damage our environment cannot be tolerated,” he said. “It is unacceptable to carry out dumping in our waters, and that message needs to be hammered home.

“There is a saying that what you allow is what will continue. If we allow one incident we can only expect such cases to continue. We must draw a line and make clear that things must change. At the BNT, we remain committed to our goal of holding those who commit such offences accountable.

“We will continue to speak out against any and all who seek to damage the Bahamian environment, no matter who they are. However, it is not our practice to target some companies while ignoring the misdeeds of others, and we agree that it is not fair to do that.”

The Trust said it would be critical of all violators while reiterating its willingness to talk with all corporate entities in a bid to prevent any environmental infractions from occurring in the first place.

“Here at the BNT, it is not a case of taking one side over another. The only side we are on is that of the Bahamian environment, and we will always be on that side,” Mr Carey said. “New laws have just been introduced to help to clamp down on environmental offences – and just as all are equal in the eyes of the court, so, too, do we regard all equally who might have broken those laws.

“Offenders should be held to account, and the laws will hopefully discourage others from following suit. In fact, we want to work with companies to help them establish the best practices to ensure they never fall foul of the law in the first place.

“It is always better to do things right the first time rather than to pay a penalty and have to clean up the damage afterwards, and helping people to find that right way of doing things is part of what we do at the BNT.”

Geoff Andrews, the BNT’s president, added: “It is a part of BNT’s mandate to protect and preserve the environment of The Bahamas. This mandate demands that we speak out against environmental offenders when warranted.

“However, we are not biased in holding companies to task and are happy to work with companies and businesses that respect the environment and are good environmental citizens.”