NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A proposed aggregate mining and land reclamation project became a hot button issue and the subject of a heated exchange at a recent North Andros Town meeting.
The meeting which was hosted by North Andros and Berry Island MP Leonardo Lightbourne was also attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell and two other Cabinet ministers who addressed a number of public policy concerns.
The meeting reportedly became heated when Prescott Smith, a vocal opponent of the project and Bahamas Fly Fishing Industry Association president and his attorney ex-PLP MP Keod Smith spoke out against it amid a crowd that voiced strong support for the project.
When contacted, Prescott Smith acknowledged that the meeting was “hot” and “very well attended” but offered no further comment.
In a recent voice note, Mitchell said the aggregate mining proposal by Cameron Symonette, the Symonette Group’s chief executive and his partners became the topical issue. He noted that the proposal is for mining of aggregate on North Andros on a combination of public and private land.
Mitchell said: “The proposal is similar to one Grand Bahama where aggregate is mined and shipped out of the country. A group of young men sought to present the case that this proposal will provide $53 million in monies over 10 years for employment and 150 jobs.”
Mitchell said that as the proposal is before the government they could offer no comment on it.
He said that the government’s position is that the Morgan’s Bluff the Port in North Andros “is to remain in public hands”. Pointing to environmental concerns, Mitchell said “it may be better to leave our forest, sand, aggregate and aragonite in the land, ground and sea”.
