The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE 

Tribune Chief Reporter 

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

ST Anne’s MP Adrian White called on government yesterday to name the developer behind “a major development project” on Athol Island that is creating an offence and producing a “great travesty to our environment”.

Mr White said his constituents alerted him to the development and became concerned after seeing the works being done in the “marine protected area”.

“We have a major development going on right now where clear-cutting has occurred,” he said in the House of Assembly.

“Native caucus has been removed, and piles of barge sand materials have been deposited on this island.”

He asked who has a lease “for this massive parcel of Crown land that sits in a marine protected area”.

While showing an outline of the island to his parliamentary colleagues, Mr White said serious environmental infractions had been committed and could be verified if inspectors visited the area.

He said the native limestone has been demolished to create a path across much of the island.

“Here we are in our own country causing damage each and every day under this blueprint for pain PLP administration,” he said, noting the prime minister has repeatedly called on bigger countries to take responsibility for climate change.

The Davis administration has not publicly announced any projects for the island, but multiple Bahamian investors have for years been eyeing to develop the area.