By K. NANCOO-RUSSELL

Freeport News Reporter

The team fighting to save Guana Cay now has another marine expert on its side.

Thomas Goreau, president of the Global Coral Reef Alliance, is also lobbying for an end to the Bakers Bay Development, claiming that the massive destruction of the mangrove forests will eventually kill the coral reefs and fisheries of Guana Cay.

Goreau is calling for an immediate stop to the project before it destroys what is left of the underwater life existing in the region.

The bold statements were made in a press release issued by Goreau in which he called for the implementation of much stronger environmental laws to be enacted in The Bahamas.

According to Goreau, large expanses of land have already been cleared by bulldozing and burning methods to create space for a marina, golf course, hotel and housing development in an area that experienced flooding during the last hurricane.

"These developments already have, or soon will, destroy critical nursery areas for many species of reef fish, conch and lobster," explained Goreau in the release.

Goreau noted that the coral reefs at Guana Cay are ranked among the best in the Bahamas and contribute largely to the livelihood of many residents of Guana Cay.

Goreau further explained that these reefs are especially vulnerable to any nutrients that may come into contact with them. Contamination could come from, for instance, fertilizers that would be used by the golf course or improperly treated sewage that may come from the housing units proposed for the site.

According to Goreau, his assessments of the site reveal that the reefs at Guana Cay "have clearly suffered from the cumulative impacts of accelerating stress from increasing nutrients over the last decade."

Goreau maintains that if the reefs are to survive for a long time to come, there must be improved sewage management and nutrient recycling.

He believes that not only should the Bakers Bay project be discontinued, but the developers should "restore and mitigate the damage they have caused, and should be required to pay compensation to the people of Guana Cay for the destruction they are causing to local reefs and fisheries."

Expressing his alarm at the apparent complacence of The Bahamas regarding environmental matters, Goreau stated that there is an urgent need for the relevant authorities to speak up and bring attention to the problem of the destruction of the reefs.

"Given the fact that The Bahamas is the most vulnerable country in the Atlantic to global warming and global sea level rise, it is crucial that The Bahamas develop a strong leadership voice in international efforts to stop human-caused climate change," wrote Goreau.

"Given that it would be the first Atlantic country to be drowned, its silence at international climate change conferences has been astonishing, as if people would rather hide their head in the sand than face the facts confronting them and stand up for their own long term interests," he continued.

The most recent developments in the fight to save Guana Cay occurred last week when action was taken by the Save Guana Cay Reef Association (SGCRA) to oppose six permit applications before the Hope Town District Council. The SGCRA is requesting that consideration for approval of the permits be put on hold until they can be properly challenged.

Attorney Fred Smith is representing the association and has written to the Hope Town District Council requesting that the people of Guana Cay be given sufficient opportunity to present their arguments against the development.

Smith noted that the association had only recently been made aware of the applications before the council and did not have the benefit of reviewing any details concerning the matter.

According to Smith, this leaves the association in the unfair position where it is unable to rationally respond with the support of sensible and constructive arguments.

"As a general point, we are opposed to the scale, scope and extent of the proposed development," Smith said. "May we ask that in the spirit of transparency, accountability and in the interest of natural justice, and having regard to our clients' rights to be heard, that we be provided with copies so that we can take them into account when making representations."

In the meantime, Smith is requesting that the council delay its consideration of the applications until such time that the association has been provided with the information sought.

DAMAGE ALREADY DONE? — An aerial view of the Guana Cay area that has been cleared for the construction of the Bakers Bay Development Scheme.