For any serious bonefish angler, the East End of Grand Bahama Island is a little slice of heaven. The region is known for not only its numbers of bonefish, but also, their exceptional size. Due to its pristine habitat and healthy fishery, BTT has been working with organizations such as the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), The Nature Conservancy, area lodges and local guides to ensure that the East End stays protected for future generations.
Last week, with only one day’s notice, the Bahamas National Trust and many concerned members of the East End community attended a town hall meeting held by the Nassau Island Development Company (NID) in McLean’s Town, East Grand Bahama.
BNT GB Parks Manager Lakeshia Anderson said that the BNT was surprised to hear of the meeting. “We have been hearing about a proposed project, but had not had any contact with NID prior to this event or any official word from the Government either. . .We have been dutifully working in East End, consulting with locals, speaking to residents and hearing their desires and concerns about a proposed Marine Protected Area.”
After the NID meeting Miss Anderson said “We were very concerned to hear at the meeting, a statement claiming we had met with the team reportedly hired to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on this matter. The statement also suggested BNT had been advised of the scope of this group’s work and this meeting.” She added, “This is not the case, and BNT came to the meeting, like most of the residents, unaware of any plans and left the meeting without full knowledge of the plans and still with no proper EIA to review.”
Since June 2013 BNT has been working with the residents of East End to pinpoint important areas to be protected and to expand protection areas that are already in place. BNT’s Executive Director, Eric Carey, noted “The East End Communities, especially the fishermen have made a strong case for this proposed national park. Noting the importance of Bursus Cay as to the sustainability of their fishery, and the threat that the proposed dredging represents, they have asked BNT to expand the original proposal to include this important area.”
