Letter to legislation
The Right Honorable Prime Minister Philip Edward Davis, Q.C.
Dear Prime Minister Davis,
The proposal for limestone mining puts devastating pressure on the one-of-a-kind environment of Andros Island in the Bahamas. As we have seen in past projects from the Grand Bahama, these mining operations have zero positive outcomes to the environment and only carry promises of economic advancement. We are asking for your attention to shine a spotlight on the on an issue that if passed will bring severe damage to the largest freshwater storage in the Bahamas, the third largest barrier reef, and the largest flats in the Caribbean which is also known as the bone fishing capital of the world. In addition, the mangrove and seagrass habitat on Andros makes up the largest Marine nursery in the Bahamas that supports a major economic contribution of commercial fishing and seafood supply chain from the Grand Bahama Bank. These mangroves also help stabilize coastlines which help with flooding and storm surges and provide over 2.7 trillion dollars in ecosystem benefits around the world according to a study done by the Bahamas National Trust (BNT). If the freshwater lens is contaminated it will cause major damage to the precious ecosystem.
With all of this in mind we want to segway from the environmental to economic impacts on tourism if this pristine ecosystem sees a decline. From 2010 to 2019 the Bahamas saw a steady increase from over 5 million to over 7 million tourist that visited the island. In that same period, tourism revenues went from 1.5 billion to over 3.5 billion, according to a study found on world data.info. Flats fishing in the Bahamas host 23,400 anglers annually, which leads to over $133 million directly into island economies according to a study on the economic impact of flats fishing in the Bahamas done by Tony Fedler. This mining project could have the greatest and most immediate impact on Andros, which is home to 250 lodges, the most in the Bahamas, with 80% of tourism in Andros participating in flats fishing. Through personal communication with the Bahamas Sportfishing & Conservation Association (BSCA) and The Bahamas Fly Fishing Industry Association (BFFIA) as they summarized that the actual injection into the economy is higher than stated by the BTT research due to the number of anglers who were not accounted for because they stayed at privately owned properties or used pleasure yachts and not fishing lodges. Lastly, it is 1 important to mention that BSCA and the BFFIA have made a total of three presentations to the Prime Minister and Cabinet about the true value of the industry and the importance of a conservation model that truly protects the resource and empowers the locals through the process. The efforts of these two groups have been met with substantial pushback over the years, which is why we need your help as we begin to add a spotlight from the United States on these issues. We fear this may be our last chance to keep the Bahamas pristine ecosystem flourishing for our families and friends to continue to enjoy for years to come.