From the Information Session at Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina, Alice Town, Bimini on March 15^th, 2014.

A Marine Protected Area or MPA is an area in which human activity has been placed under some restrictions in order to protect the natural environment, the surrounding waters and the ecosystems, and any cultural or historical resources that may require preservation or management.

The first mention of an MPA for Bimini was a letter sent to the Bahamian Government back in 1982, on behalf of the Bahamas Diving Association. The BDA saw the growing popularity of the fishing and diving industry around Bimini, and recognized the need to protect some of Bimini’s waters in order to maintain these industries in the long term.

Several years later, in 1999, the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources proposed a plan to create a nationwide network of MPA’s aimed at protecting 20% of Bahamian waters. A comprehensive list of 30 proposed MPA sites was created, and then prioritized based on numerous factors and criteria.

In January of 2000, North Bimini was listed as the “HIGHEST PRIORITY” site in the entire country for an MPA. North Bimini, along with 4 other sites, were deemed as the first 5 MPA’s to be established, and the goal was to have all 5 of these sites fully protected by 2002.

From 2000-2003, numerous meetings were held in Bimini to discuss the proposed MPA with local fishermen and stakeholders. These meetings were set up to discuss rules, regulations, boundaries, etc in order to best maintain the existing fisheries and tourism products in Bimini. These meeting were well attended, and the idea of an MPA for Bimini is something that has had long-standing local support.

From 2004-2007, there was little movement towards finalizing Bimini’s MPA, despite numerous requests from locals. During this period, the Bimini Bay Resort was responsible for a devastating amount of environmental damage, in very close proximity to the areas slated for protection.

In May of 2008, the BEST (Bahamas Environment Science and Technology) Commission, Bahamas National Trust, The Nature Conservancy, and Dept of Marine Resources formally proposed the “Bahamas 2020 Declaration,” aimed at protecting 20% of the Bahamas’ waters by the year 2020.

Later that year, on December 29, 2008, the North Bimini Marine Reserve was officially declared by the Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, Larry Cartwright.

In January of 2009, a Town Meeting was held at the Bimini All Age School to discuss the MPA and the findings of the recently finished Black & Veatch report, which summarized the past and current scope of the Bimini Bay Project. During this meeting, Phillip Weech from the BEST Commission announced to the people in attendance that the NBMR had been officially declared. There were over 100 people in attendance, and the meeting was widely publicized in national and international media outlets. The declaration of the NBMR was reported in media outlets ranging from National Geographic to the Washington Post, and many, many others.

During this meeting, it was also clearly stated that the golf course would not be allowed to go forward. In discussing the golf course after the meeting, it was widely referred to as a “dead issue.”

For the next few years, not much happened, in large part because people thought that there was little left to be done, but when exact boundaries of the NBMR were inquired about, no one seemed to have an answer they were 100% confident of. So, in an attempt to finalize whatever details remained, a letter was sent to PM Ingraham in the spring of 2012. Additionally, local stakeholders spoke privately with the PM about the NBMR. He told the stakeholders that the NBMR was “already done,” and that their concerns about the area being developed or destroyed were unnecessary.

An updated version of the same letter was sent to newly re-elected PM Christie following the election. (The letter is attached) A slight expansion of the earlier boundaries of the NBMR was requested, and the scientific justification for this expansion was sent to numerous Government agencies.

In June of 2012, Bimini’s MP Obie Wilchcombe asked to meet with local stakeholders who had signed the NBMR letter. Despite the process of finalizing and formalizing the NBMR going on for 12 years, Mr Wilchcombe said to those in attendance that he had “never heard of it.”

He said he would inquire with others about what was left to be done, and that he would get back to us in 30 days. After 30 days passed, Mr Wilchcombe was contacted to see what he had found out, but he did not reply. He did not reply to numerous requests for information, until finally 5 months later he simply suggested that the people involved with this MPA campaign talk to the Minister of the Environment, Mr Kenred Dorsett.

From November, 2012 to the present, many dozens of emails and letters have been sent to Mr Wilchcombe, Mr Dorsett, and Mr V. Alfred Gray concerning this matter, yet none of them have offered any information or answers in return. During this time, the golf course also reappeared on the website for the Bimini Bay Resort on North Bimini, now called Resorts World Bimini.


The importance of the NBMR is something that has really never been doubted or in question. It will not only serve to replenish and maintain conch, lobster and fish stocks around Bimini and the Northern Bahamas, but it will also serve as the very foundation for Bimini’s entire tourism industry, which revolves around the island’s healthy waters and marine ecosystems.

The rules of the NBMR have already been announced, and will allow for Catch-and-Release Bonefishing by Bimini’s Licensed Guides, and also the harvesting of Land Crabs in and around the East Bimini area. For all other fisheries products, the NBMR will be a “no take” zone. The NBMR will also help maintain the ecological integrity of Bimini’s reefs and surrounding waterways, and protect the habitats therein.

As stated previously, the NBMR is something that is strongly supported here on Bimini. All but one of Bimini hotels and resorts have expressed their support of the NBMR, and the owners/managers of the Bimini Sands Resort & Marina, Bimini Big Game Club, Bimini Blue Water Resort, SeaCrest Hotel and Marina, Weech’s Bimini Docks, and Thirsty Turtle Yacht Club all signed the letter that was sent to the PM. Big John’s Hotel voiced their support for the NBMR on their Facebook page soon after. Only the Bimini Bay Resort has not officially stated their support.

The NBMR is also supported by all of Bimini’s Bonefishing Guides, most or all of the local churches, local historians, the SharkLab researchers, and all of Bimini’s local guides. It’s also supported by the Bahamas Diving Association, the Bahamas National Trust, BREEF, The Dept of Agriculture and Marine Resources, the Dept of Fisheries, the Nature Conservancy, and THOUSANDS of people locally, nationally, and internationally.

So,, the only things left to do, to fully formalize the NBMR are:

1. Formally designate and announce exact boundaries, with GPS coordinates.
2. Establish and Enforce a Management Plan.

The members of Bimini’s MPA Campaign have submitted exact boundaries for consideration, and also proposed several methods on how the NBMR can be funded, monitored, and enforced.

So what’s the hold up? RAV Bahamas and the new Resorts World Bimini development want to create a golf course on one of North Bimini’s last remaining mangrove wetlands, despite being told back in 2009 that this would not be allowed. The current Government refuses to stand up for the stakeholders here on Bimini, and has ignored all requests for information about the NBMR in recent months. Meanwhile, RWB has unleashed additional reckless development projects on the island, which now included further dredging of Bimini’s inshore marine ecosystems, as well as extensive damage to the island’s coral reef habitats.

So that there is no confusion, this is what the Black & Veatch Report stated about the proposed Golf Course (from page 50):

A particular feature of interest and debate is the golf course proposed to be located on the northern portion of North Bimini island. The 2004 HOA currently provides for “an eighteen-hole links-style golf course,” which is a revision from the original 1997 HOA provision for “at least Nine (9) holes.”

The Bahamas Investment Authority has subsequently, by letter dated 24 September 2007, advised RAV Bahamas Ltd. That “Phase 1 approval included a nine (9) hole golf course” and that “there shall be no expansion of this component and the golf course will be limited to hard lands.”

It is very well documented that there is little to no hard land in the area in question, and this statement clearly expresses that only a 9 hole course would be considered (not 18), and only if it could be constructed on existing land, not reclaimed land.

This is IMPOSSIBLE, and thus, effectively states that the golf course is not a realistic consideration.

Bimini serves as the only mangrove habitat on the entire western edge of the Great Bahama Bank. It is widely understood and accepted that Bimini’s mangrove nurseries are crucial to the island’s tourism industry and fisheries health. The effects that Bimini Bay/RWB’s past mangrove removal have caused are now well documented, despite the developer’s erroneous claims that their project would not have detrimental environmental effects.

As an example of the importance of Bimini’s mangrove nurseries, a project examining lobster recruitment to the area should be considered. As the tide flushes in to Bimini twice each day, it brings with it larval and post-larval fish and invertebrates, including lobster. These tiny lobster need healthy mangrove, seagrass, and algae habitats to settle into. Four areas around the island were examined for their levels of lobster recruitment, based upon the fact that mangrove areas closer to high volume of water flow are likely to be very important for these animals.

The four areas that were sampled were Mosquito Point in the North Sound, Bonefish Hole, the “Pirate’s Well” lagoon on the northside of South Bimini, and the Duck Pond lagoon on the south side of South Bimini.

The Pirate’s Well lagoon had the highest numbers of lobster flushing into the area, followed closely by Mosquito Point. The Duck Pond was 3rd, and the least productive area was Bonefish Hole. In the past few years, the Pirate’s Well lagoon has been illegally dredged into by homeowners on South Bimini, Mosquito Point has been completely erased from existence, and the Duck Pond lagoon has been closed off and extensively bulldozed and filled.

Without including the Pirate’s Well lagoon and the north side of South Bimini into the expanded boundaries of the NBMR, we are essentially only protecting the worst area around the island for lobster recruitment. This is almost certainly an insufficient strategy for maintaining lobster stocks around the island.

In regards to tourism, Bimini is consistently ranked as the 4th most popular destination in the Bahamas (behind New Providence, Grand Bahama, and Abaco) The island also boasts one of the highest visitor return rates (~80%). The point is, Bimini is doing something right when it comes to attracting tourists.

Undeniably, the main tourism draw for Bimini is the water. Fishing, diving, boating, wild dolphin swims, shark dives, etc are all enormously important components of Bimini’s tourism product. And it is also obvious that every single tourist who has ever come to Bimini has come for what is already here.

While improvements and additions to Bimini’s tourism industry should always be sought after, these additions and improvements should not come at the expense of the existing, proven tourism industry.

The NBMR provides the foundation from which Bimini’s entire tourism industry grows. The area maintains and improves fisheries stocks, which are essential for both locals and in attracting sport fishermen. The NBMR also functions to keep Bimini’s waters and reefs healthy for divers, snorkelers and other tourists. These areas must be maintained and kept beautiful and healthy for both locals and visitors to enjoy.

The NBMR also provides important protection against hurricanes, storms and tsunamis, protecting both the life and the property of the people who live here.

And lastly, the NBMR has demonstrated a PROVEN value in creating and sustaining jobs for locals.

While the Government should have no hesitation or problems with supporting the will of Biminites and the numerous other people and organizations that support the NBMR, lately they seem to only serve the interests of the RWB investors. If RWB came out in support of the NBMR, it is likely that the MPA would be formalized immediately. For the Government or RWB to pretend like the NBMR does not exist is absurd, and at best, their efforts to delay protections for the area only serve as a marketing ploy to attract potential investors who have no regard, appreciation for, or understanding of the value of the pristine beauty of the Bahamas.

All Bahamians and visitors who care about the Bahamas are encouraged to contact the Bahamian Government and the local and international media to express their support of finalizing the protections for the North Bimini Marine Reserve. Please encourage people to politely urge Resorts World Bimini to express their public support of the North Bimini Marine Reserve, and to work harder towards being respectful guests on the island of Bimini.

Thank you.