NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamas is now in a position to demand the proper respect and appropriate compensation for its ancestral knowledge, said Minister of the Environment and Housing Romauld Ferreira yesterday.
Ferreira made the comment during his presentation to the mid-term budget debate as he pointed to the recent passage of the Biological Resources and Traditional Knowledge Act.
“What belongs to us, the Bahamian people, will now be recognized as always belonging to the Bahamian people so that present and future generations will always benefit,” he said.
Ferreira insisted the slate of environmental legislation brought by the Minnis administration has ensured that the days of individuals failing to comply with environmental legislation are over.
Using the example of a well-known pill for erectile dysfunction, he noted it is widely believed in the Ministry of the Environment that the basis for the anecdote is a Bahamian plant.
“What was shared on the porches of our grandparents, as they would sit and speak with foreign scientists about our bush medicine, can no longer be used without clear disclosure and written permission to do so via permits,” Ferreira said.
“The traditional knowledge acquired from our forefathers regarding bush medicine took years and generations to perfect.
“This information was generated because they didn’t have the resources to seek what was called proper medical care.
“…We, as the present guardians of that knowledge, cannot and will not allow our ancestral wisdom to be stolen and plundered by others without us being compensated.
“We have always been a sharing people, but some people take advantage of that. Kindness is not a weakness and we will continue to be what we are and that is people who demand that proper respect and appropriate compensation be provided. This act opens the door to ensure the same.”
The act stipulates that all researchers are required to pay a non-refundable annual permit registration application fee of $1,500 to undertake research in The Bahamas, in addition to fees mandated by other ministries.
The act also requires that mutual agreements and prior informed consents be obtained before any commercialization of the genetic resources from The Bahamas is considered.
The environment minister explained that with a new centralized online permitting system implemented, The Bahamas will have sufficient resources to monitor research activities.
“We in The Bahamas can no longer condone or accept 21st Century piracy and plunder, nor will we allow ourselves to be robbed with our eyes wide open,” Ferreira said.
“I will not allow it. As long as I’m in the chair, it will never happen.
“With the passage of the act, the traditional knowledge of the people must now be given the respect due.”
Ferreira added that the government’s efforts to date are in keeping in line with the Free National Movement’s manifesto and promises.
“The development and enactment of legislation that [governs] the environmental affairs of The Bahamas is a dream realized,” Ferreira said.
“It is a target met and it is a charge to keep.”
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