Students of public and private schools in Grand Bahama learn to swim thanks to a grant from Save the Bays, the fast growing environmental movement, donated to the YMCA Learn to Swim SOS program.

Declaring it was proud to help impart lifesaving skills to children growing up on an island surrounded by water, the fast-growing environmental movement Save The Bays today presented a substantial grant to the YMCA SOS Learn to Swim program in Grand Bahama.

“It is with tremendous joy and satisfaction that I, on behalf of Save The Bays, present this grant to the Grand Bahama YMCA,” said Darville. “As Executive Program Vice-Chairman of the YMCA, I know firsthand the outstanding and unparalleled work this organization has done over the past 20 years in teaching thousands of our school children on Grand Bahama to swim. Additionally, over the past two years, the Anglican schools in Nassau have come on board and the program benefits their students as well. This is the only training course of its kind in The Bahamas.”

The SOS program runs twice a year, September through October and April through June, and caters to preschools and primary schools in Grand Bahama, private and public. Students are bused to the YMCA from school for hour long sessions.

The program was created to address the fact that despite that fact that The Bahamas is surrounded by water, many local children are unable to swim, partly because of a traditional fear of water-related accidents and partly because of the cost of swimming lessons.

“Thanks to companies, donors and organizations like Save The Bays we have been able to offer the program free of charge to the children of Grand Bahama,” said Johnson. Costs are also contained by part of the program falling within the Physical Education curriculum in schools.

“This is the only training course of its kind in The Bahamas, and we are extremely proud to be the body responsible for imparting lifesaving skills to multitudes of our children who live in an archipelagic nation,” says Darville. “This grant is indeed in line with the goal of the Save the Bays organization as it strives to conserve and preserve the beauty of these islands, terrestrial and marine and thus enable all children now and in the future to enjoy these islands both on land and in the sea.”

Since its launch in April, Save The Bays has gained more than 5,000 signatures on a petition calling for an environmental protection act, managed an awareness campaign that has opened the eyes of thousands to the delicate nature of the environment and formed partnerships with more than a dozen organisations with environmental interests and agendas.

EARTHCARE is very concerned by the revelations in the press regarding the development plans for Bimini.  Several Environmental Organizations have been trying to find out if there is an Environmental Impact Assessment completed for the proposed development.  The most recent entity to assume control of the former “Bimini Bay Resort”, the Genting Group, a Malaysian conglomerate has renamed the project, Resorts World Bimini.EARTHCARE is a proponent of Sustainable Development.  The proposed plans for the cruise ship terminal are not sustainable by any stretch of the imagination.  EARTHCARE Founder, Gail Woon said, “Who begins operating a cruise ship without a place to dock it, in place first?  The plans are to build the 1,000 foot long jetty along with a 6 acre island for a cruise ship terminal over a very sensitive ecological oceanic habitat.  The cruise ship is operating and the developer is in a hurry to have the terminal constructed.  In my mind, it is beyond belief to think that the authorities in charge of Bahamian resources would allow for endangered coral reefs to be for all intents and purposes destroyed.  We have seen video footage of the construction of the terminal in progress.  We need to see the Permits if this  construction has been approved.  If it has been approved, was it by Central Government or the Local Government in Bimini?  From our investigations, there have been no Town Meetings in Bimini to let the stakeholders, Biminites, know what the development plans are for their islands.  If there is an Environmental Impact Assessment done, why is it not posted on the BEST (Bahamas Environment Science and Technology) Commission website for all and sundry to peruse?”“We have seen the better plan for Bimini proposed by the Bimini Blue Coalition involving using smaller vessels that can dock at the existing Government Dock.  This would allow for the cruise ship passengers to experience the culture of Bimini.  This would give ground transportation professionals to be able to share a piece of the prosperity.  This would allow the cruise ship passengers to see the straw market and Museum.”

“There are also plans to revive the golf course that was taken off the table years ago due to concerns that the golf course would cause further unsustainable damage to valuable marine nursery areas.  This golf course would entail bulldozing even more acres of mangroves than the over 160 acres plus of healthy mangrove wetland nursery habitat that were already wantonly destroyed by the Bimini Bay Resort development.”  One Biminite observed, “Why don’t they play golf on the existing golf course on Cat Cay?  We don’t need a golf course on North Bimini!”

More Biminites speak

“It goes back to the fact that the island is too small to maintain such a big project, personally I’m a diver, so I know what the beauty is of the island and enjoying that aspect of it. I don’t’ see a cruise ship fitting on a port like this.” – Michael Prince

“I think it’s a destruction to the island.  We are a very tiny little island.  And they have made it into three times the size.  Thus we have all the pollution, all the trash, all the garbage which we can’t contend with in our little piece and they are making it even bigger now.” – Matt Weech

“This is the gateway to the Bahamas and we need our fish.  And it might mess up our fish industry.  We don’t really need noone to mess that up not because you bringing a couple dollars into our little island but our main industry is fishing.” – Sherry Pratt

“ Being the fact that my Father is a fisherman and he’s been a fisherman all his life, I think that will affect him and everyone else that goes out fishing.  If it comes in then it will take out all the fish and all the conch so we wouldn’t have nothing to really live off and to make money from.” – Fabrice Stuart

“ Well, as far as my livelihood goes, there is nothing is more important.  I make my living off the reefs and the fact of the matter is the construction of this pier is definitely going to damage it.  No matter how careful, or no matter how much mitigation they claim that they can do, regardless it is going to do a lot of destruction to the reefs out there.” – Neal Watson.

“We need to know what’s going on.  And we are not going to allow them to come and take over our Bimini.  This is our Bimini, OK, this is our Bimini, Bahamian, but Biminites first.  And that’s it. Alright.” – Lorick Roberts

The email contact for EARTHCARE is:  earthcare.bahamas@yahoo.com.

Save The Bays — the fast-growing organisation that is moving toward what appears to be a national environmental alliance — announced today it has gained yet another partner in its fight to protect the marine environment of The Bahamas. The Bimini Blue Coalition, formed in January 2013 to  lead the fight for the protection of Bimini’s reefs, beaches and waters, said today it is partnering with Save The Bays to ramp up its community outreach and enhance efforts as the organisations pursue similar goals.

“We are thrilled and honoured to partner with the Save The Bays team, and together we hope to protect and promote the famous reefs, beaches, and waters around our precious little ‘Islands in the Stream,’” said the Coalition that has already garnered over 1,500 signatures to stop construction of a cruise ship terminal. “Over the long term, the goals of the Bimini Blue Coalition for Bimini essentially echo the goals of the Save The Bays team throughout The Bahamas.  We’re trying to promote sensible, sustainable use of our island’s natural resources.”

Fred Smith, QC, a director of Save The Bays, believes the collaboration will prove fruitful with both organizations demonstrating passion in pushing for the preservation of marine resources.

“As Save The Bays continues to grow as an organisation and expand its mission to protect waters throughout The Bahamas, it is essential that we form strategic partnerships capable of extending our reach into already existing communities of active conservationists,” said Smith. “We were happy to partner with Bimini Blue Coalition given the level of dedication they have demonstrated in promoting the cause to protect Bimini’s natural habitat. The symbiotic relationship that we have formed will definitely bolster our intertwined objectives.”

According to Smith, Save The Bays — established in March 2013 and forming partnerships with dramatic speed — appears to be giving rise to a National Environmental Alliance.

“This is exciting and bodes well for our treasured environment,” he said.

The latest partner, Bimini Blue Coalition, is made up of Bimini residents, homeowners, community leaders and visitors working together to “keep Bimini’s waters the bluest in The Bahamas.” Its mission involves the promotion and creation of a sustainable future for the islands of Bimini, including the development of an ecologically-responsible tourism industry. Most recently, Bimini Blue Coalition’s efforts have focused on a petition drive that has garnered over 1,500 signatures in just over two weeks to stop the creation of a cruise ship terminal on North Bimini.

Joe Darville is shown the possible site of the Bimini Gofast Ferry, by local resident Al Sweeting.

The terminal is part of a $100 million investment by the Malaysia-based Genting conglomerate. Genting was recently denied permission to tear down the waterfront Miami Herald building in Miami to build a mega resort and casino. It has now turned its attention to Bimini just off the Miami coast  where it opened a casino on June 28 and plans to complete construction of the 1,000 foot cruise ship dock and dredge to create a man-made island. While the cruise ship terminal is estimated to attract up to 3,000 visitors a day to the shores of North Bimini, petition signers say that it will destroy what has been called “a massive concentration of precious coral reefs,” permanently changing the island’s most important asset — its waters.

“This is a blasphemy and is completely disproportionate,” said Smith. “Once again, as with Baker’s Bay in Guana Cay, our government is sacrificing our marine environment on the altar of the almighty dollar.” The partnership between the organizations is initially aimed at addressing two key issues facing the islands of Bimini, the proposed cruise ship terminal that would heavily impact the reefs, and the second is establishing final and full implementation of the North Bimini Marine Reserve.

The rapidly-growing environmental movement, Save The Bays, gained more momentum today when a local group with 400 members and a history of grass roots activism joined the campaign.

“We are delighted to announce that yet another NGO, EARTHCARE, has joined Save The Bays,” said Fred Smith, QC, a director of Save The Bays. “When we initially proposed creating an independent non-profit organization that would be actively engaged in seeing that the coral reefs of Clifton Bay were rescued and restored to the majestic beauty that made them world famous, we got tremendous support. But the values that attracted supporters to Clifton Bay and the western bays were greater than a single body of water and the movement has been growing beyond our wildest expectations. It has mushroomed overnight, now reaching waters in Bimini, Abaco, Andros, Eleuthera and Grand Bahama.” The destruction to the Clifton Bay barrier reefs due to ongoing oil leaks and other development at Clifton’s industrial area wasn’t the only reason environmental education NGO EARTHCARE joined forces with Save The Bays in a nationwide effort to protect marine ecosystems, but it was certainly an accelerating factor, said its founder.

“We are particularly excited about the organization’s future plans for Bimini, which I have been involved with for years said Gail Woon, Founder and Executive Director of the educational organization. Woon recently received her Diploma in International Environmental Law from the United Nations Institute of Training and Research. “In joining with the Coalition, I hope to be able to utilize this new training in order to assist the group to have an Environmental Protection Act passed as well as a Freedom of Information Act.  EARTHCARE will continue our environmental education efforts on fisheries, habitat, water quality, pollution, invasive species, wetlands, and any topics that teachers need through our outreach efforts. We are excited to be a part of the team.”

EARTHCARE was formed in 1988 when Woon was asked by teachers to speak to their students on environmental issues affecting The Bahamas. Funded in part by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association Foundation for the Caribbean and The Ocean Conservancy, a quarter of a century later, more than 400 members have signed up to volunteer by visiting schools to raise awareness about issues affecting the environment.

“Having EARTHCARE join our team opens the door to a whole new set of opportunities and objectives involving environmental education,” said Save The Bays Director Smith. “Gail Woon is a veteran environmentalist and her two-and-a-half decades of activism will surely strengthen the overall plans of our collaboration.”

EARTHCARE has been actively involved with International Coastal Cleanup Day for the past 25 years, was instrumental in the Coalition to Ban Longline Fishing in 1993, and has supported the Save Bimini project to minimize the impact of a mega-resort development on North Bimini among many other projects over the years. The organization’s efforts — including school visits to raise awareness  — helped in the overall effort that led to a ban on harvesting sea turtles in The Bahamas in September 2009.

EARTHCARE Joins with Save The Bays – Save The Bays, gained more momentum today when a local group with 400 members and a history of grass roots activism joined the campaign. Joseph Darville, Save The Bays Director; Gail Woon, Founder and Executive Director, EARTHCARE and Fred Smith, QC, Save The Bays Director