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Center for Biological Diversity issues Statement

I am writing you today to request that you provide full protection for the coral reef at Guana Cay. Corals in the Caribbean have suffered extraordinary declines in abundance and face significant threats, including global warming, nutrient runoff, and disease. Indeed, the only Caribbean corals in the genus Acropora have declined by more than 97% in every location where systematic studies have been conducted. Unfortunately the threats the species currently face are systemic, difficult to manage, and affect every nautical mile of their habitat simultaneously.

It is critically important that development near coral reefs ensure that reef ecosystems are not perturbed. This means, among other constraints, that nutrient runoff from existing golf courses and similar developments be reduced and new sources of runoff be prevented. The proposal for development at Guana Cay by the Discovery Land Company does not provide adequate assurance that reef ecosystems in the area will be protected from harm, and would likely lead to degradation of the reef ecosystem at the Cay.

Brent Plater
Staff Attorney
Center for Biological Diversity
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org

Guana Cay Controversy - get the latest news on RSS Feed
Read up on the issue by the locals themselves
Jean Michel Cousteau
Speaks up on Bakers Bay Development
Bimini Bay Sawfish
Video on Bimini Bay

Great Guana Cay is a thin, six mile island in the Northern Bahamas.

The island's inhabitants, who settled here 200 years ago, are employed in fishing and cottage industry tourism.

The island's coral reef is of international importance as one of the most intact surviving elkhorn/staghorn coral communities in the world.

The inhabitants began fighting tooth and nail to save their island's coral reef and mangroves from destruction after hearing of plans for a golf megadevelopment on their tiny barrier reef island.

Hundreds of the world's most revered coral reef scientists and marine ecologists, as well as almost every single Bahamian environmental organization, have banded together to try to stop the Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club (Discovery Land Company) from realizing completion.

The proposed 585 unit, 180 slip marina, tennis courts, hotel, destination spa and championship golf course were pushed through the Bahamian central government with no local consent and without proper permits in a land grab (including of local public land designated for use by Bahamians) of unbelievable proportion. In one of the most amazing and unique environmental stories in history, the islanders have brought the developer, and the Bahamian government, to task. The small island is now waging a bitter legal battle with the government and the developers.

Rise Up Sweet Island compiles the viewpoints of the Bahamian and international marine conservation community and presents documents, evidence and history for all interested parties.

Notes from the Road is a travelogue which covers environmental and cultural issues around North America, the Caribbean and Europe.

National Geographic
National Geographic Magazine supports anti-Megadevelopment movements in Abaco and Bimini in new article on shark conservation.

ReEarth
SharkLab
Restrict Bimini Bay
Mangrove Action Project
Global Coral Reef Alliance
Caribbean Conservation Corps
Notes from the Sea

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Petition

75% of Bahamians on Great Guana Cay signed a petition this winter against Baker's Bay Club. Three years later, resistance is strong.

 

Rise Up Sweet Island - the Epic Struggle between the residents of Great Guana Cay and the Baker's Bay Club Golf Resort
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