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Community Last Updated: Jun 27, 2019 - 11:34:05 AM


BREEF and RBDF Partner to Guard Our Marine Heritage
By Christopher Saunders
Jun 26, 2019 - 10:00:59 PM

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BREEF/RBDF 2018 Marine Conservation Workshop Participants with Commodore Tellis Bethel prepare for a snorkel excursion to Southwest Reef photo: Eddy Raphael

Coral Harbour Base - BREEF and the RBDF celebrated the ending of an impactful six-day Marine Conservation Law Enforcement Workshop today with its closing ceremony.  This was the second annual week-long training workshop held at the Coral Harbour Base, and part of a collaboration for training and capacity-building for law enforcement agencies.

“Everyone has a role to play in protecting our ocean that sustains our way of life,” stated BREEF Executive Director Casuarina McKinney-Lambert. “The RBDF and other agencies represented at the workshop play a critical role in safeguarding the over 100,000 square miles that make up the Bahamas archipelago. Protecting our waters is a massive task, supporting livelihoods of Bahamians across the country and our government’s commitment to sustainable development.  The laws of the land such as fisheries regulations that are currently in place, and the existing and proposed marine protected areas, support good management of our natural resources and the country’s commitment to the Caribbean Challenge for protected areas.”

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Workshop participant, Janario Gibson from the Ministry of Agriculture & Marine Resources snorkels at Southwest Reef photo: Eddy Raphael

Captain Adrian Chriswell, Captain Coral Harbour brought remarks at the closing ceremony.   He highlighted the importance of RBDF Officers and Marines understanding the laws they are mandated to protect and to remain highly cognizant of Marine Protected Areas and the science behind policy formation they are to enforce.   He congratulated the organizers, instructors, participants and other supporters of this timely initiative and expressed his anticipation of seeing the Workshop replicated nationwide in coming years.

Law enforcement personnel were selected across the range of the public service – Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Royal Bahamas Police Force, Department of Fisheries, Department of Customs, Immigration, and the Office of the Prime Minister. There was additional collaboration with the Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD).

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BREEF / Bahamas Environmental Stewards Scholar Jason Petty shows workshop participant, Woman Marine Jasmine Antenor, a Sea Cucumber at Bonefish Pond.

When asked to comment on her overall experience, Daniella Pratt of the Economic Development and Planning Unit in the Office or the Prime Minister said, “Overall, I thoroughly appreciated being a part of the workshop and understanding the science behind marine conservation.  Knowledge exchanged will fully support my work on implementation, monitoring and report of our country’s  progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals; inclusive of brief overview of Agenda 2030 as it relates to Marine Conservation.”

The interdisciplinary course provided participants with opportunities to study island ecosystems from a hands-on, systems perspective and within a week-long residential field-study programme at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Coral Harbour Base.  Participants took part in classroom activities, guest lectures, and field studies to nearby marine protected areas including the BREEF Sir Nicholas Nuttall Coral Reef Sculpture Garden and Coral Nursery, Bonefish Pond National Park and Southwest Reef.

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BREEF/RBDF Workshop participants learn about coral reefs at the BREEF Coral Reef Sculpture Garden in the Southwest New Providence Marine Managed Area

According to RBDF Marine Seaman Javantae Sweeting, “The workshop was wonderfully organized beyond my expectations. It not only raised my awareness of our marine ecosystems, but further fanned my passion to guard our heritage.”

Guest lecturers from the Department of Marine Resources, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Family Islands Research and Education, and the Ministry of Environment and Housing provided additional support. Workshop participants paid particular attention to information about upcoming ban on four key single-use plastics that will come into effect on 1st January 2020. Much of the discarded plastic from land ends up impacting the ocean. Workshop organisers demonstrated that eliminating plastic waste is possible by using sustainable food containers donated by Nassau Paper Company for the entirety of the workshop.

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BREEF/RBDF 2019 Marine Conservation Workshop Participants prepare for a snorkel orientation at the RBDF Bay

Desiree Corneille, a Lieutenant who currently serves as the Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s (RBDF) Environmental Conservation Officer, began facilitation of the 2018 partnership between BREEF and the RBDF. She remarked,  “Networking is extremely important to helping to eradicate the ills that are facing our wildlife locally and within the region.  This is why we continue to reach out to our interagency partners each year because we understand that working in isolation, no matter how good you are, will yield limited results.” 

BREEF is very thankful to donors, MacTaggart Third Fund, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Atlantis Blue Project Foundation,  and all BREEF members and donors who continue to support BREEF’s mission to promote the conservation of the Bahamian marine environment that sustains our way of life.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force expressed that this workshop aligns with the Commander of the Defence Force’s Operation Conservation thrust as well as the overall mantra of the Force, “Guarding Our Heritage”.  

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MCW participant Corporal Landrail Gibson of the Royal Bahamas Police Force examines a juvenile Queen Conch at Bonefish National Park.


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Workshop participants snorkel the Van Oord’s Coral Engine nursery located at Goulding Cay, managed by The Royal Bahamas Defense Force as a part of the Reef Rescue Network. Elkhorn, Acropora palmata, is a prominent Caribbean reef-building coral, and is an endangered species.


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Workshop participants and facilitators join RBDF Captain Adrian Chriswell (front centre) and BREEF’s Executive Director, Casuarina McKinney Lambert (right) and RBDF Lieutenant Desiree Corneille (left) for an official photo in front of the RBDF Flamingo Memorial.


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BREEF/RBDF Workshop participants celebrate the collection of over 70 pounds of trash and aluminum cans from the road and beach leading to the RBDF base at Coral Harbour.


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