NASSAU, BAHAMAS- More than 1,180 individuals have signed a petition calling on the Bahamas government to halt all certificates and permits for the construction of a Rosewood hotel and residential development announced for Big Sampson Cay, Exuma, until “key deficiencies” could be addressed, citing irrevocable impacts on seagrass meadows and other environmental concerns.
The number of signatures on the petition launched by leading environmental consultant Eric Carey in early March makes it one of the most significant in the history of The Bahamas in terms of numbers of people speaking out and urging action on a time-sensitive subject.
The petition is addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister, I Chester Cooper, who is also the member of Parliament for the constituency of the planned development, Dr. Rhianna Neeley, the Acting Director of the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, and to the Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis.
The petition urges officials to act with urgency to protect the fragile marine ecosystems of the island in the Central Exumas and notes that the developer, Miami-based Yntegra, has not accounted for damage from dredging to one of the country’s most pristine marine ecosystems.
“We, the undersigned Bahamian nationals and concerned advocates for the preservation of the Exuma environment, respectfully petition you to prevent the issuance of a Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) or any permits for the Rosewood Yntegra project planned for Sampson Cay until key deficiencies and concerns with their Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) have been addressed,” it reads.
“We urge you to ensure that a thorough environmental analysis is conducted, particularly focusing on the impacts of the required seabeddredging, especially through seagrass meadows, that are necessary for access to the proposed marinas and supply dock.
The proposed project has undergone several iterations. Environmentalists and other concerned citizens say that despite a revised plan, the fourth to date, recreational boating and supply barge traffic would still pose serious threat to the safety of those who swim, snorkel and dive in the bay, to other boaters in the area and would continue to require dredging in areas where seabed meadows now flourish. Yntegra has talked of moving seabed grasses.
“The petition urges a halt to the approval process for the project until a comprehensive environmental analysis of the seabed dredging is conducted,” said Carey, former executive director of the Bahamas National Trust. “The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the recent application for site approval do not include any analysis of the seabed dredging required for the project. This oversight is critical, as the dredging will directly impact critical marine ecosystems.”
In addition to the number of signatures on the petition, the Yntegra development as proposed is facing opposition from a growing number of community members, including nearby island owners and operators, an airline that is the main source of international travel to the Central Exumas and businesspeople from Staniel Cay and Black Point, both within a 30-minute boat ride of the proposed site. The group has formed the Save Exuma Alliance, SEA.
Issues related to dredging and safety were first noted by neighbouring Turtlegrass Resort & Island Club, which halted its own $75 million development after an investment of $17 million, noting it would be unable to operate safely and securely with supply and other vessels crisscrossing the bay in front of the cottages in the eco-resort and Yntegra operating its back-of-house services including large generators against the cottages on the other side.
“We cannot afford to sit back and let this happen,” said Bob Coughlin, Turtlegrass Resort developer and long-time Exuma resident. “Dredging Sampson Cay would destroy critical marine habitats and threaten the natural beauty that makes Exuma the treasure that it is. We urge the Bahamian government to protect this land before it’s too late.”
