New Providence
The Committee to Protect and Preserve the Bahamas for Future Generations on recent beach erosion
By Jerome Fitzgerald, Committee to Protect and Preserve the Bahamas for Future Generations
Mar 2, 2010 - 5:57:59 PM

Photo taken on Saturday past

Nassau, Bahamas - 6 months ago the committee raised concern about the effect of the proposed extension of Arawak Cay on the environment and more particularly Saunders Beach. The government dismissed our concerns as alarmist, political in nature and that we were representing a special interest. Our only “special interest” has been the Bahamian people and protecting our country for future generations.

Even though we warned that the beach would slowly disappear, even we are surprised at the deterioration in 6 short months. The beach has eroded 3-4 feet in certain areas and rocks are now exposed where there was sand a few months ago.

The Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) conducted by Blue Engineering stated that the beach would not disappear. We now understand that Blue Engineering was handpicked by the Minister for the Environment, Mr. Earl Deveaux, without any input from the BEST Commission. We also now understand that the principal of Blue Engineering is the sister of a senior person in one of the shipping companies who is to be part owner in the port at Arawak Cay.

We would like all of the experts to now tell the Bahamian people where the beach has gone. Where is Blue engineering? Where is the Bahamas National Trust? Where is the Mr. Earl Deveaux ? Where is the Prime Minister? They all told us the beach would not disappear. What has happened here at Saunders beach borders on criminal.

Photo taken on Saturday past

In an effort to save Saunders beach and stop the container port from going to Arawak Cay thousands of Bahamians signed a petition which we delivered to the Prime Minister on the 12 November 2009 on their behalf (see attached letter). We invited the Prime Minister to stop this project until the government and the Bahamian people could appreciate the environmental and financial impact of this project on the community. We heard nothing, but the sounds of bulldozers, dump trucks and tractors continued.

It is now clear to all Bahamians, that the greedy Arawak Cay port special interest group conspired with the Deputy Prime Minister, Brent Symonette and the Minister for the Environment Mr. Earl Deveaux, to move the container port to Arawak Cay at all cost. That cost is now obviously the complete destruction of Saunders Beach and the surrounding environment at Arawak Cay. Saunders Beach will soon be no more.

We are appalled and disgusted. Mr. Earl Deveaux is the worst Minister of the Environment the country has seen. He sat silently as the wet lands behind Vista Marina were destroyed to make way for the new road. We call for his immediate resignation as his duty to the Bahamian people obviously conflicts with the interest of his “friends” and the port special interest group. Mr. Earl Deveaux has mislead the public and betrayed the sacred trust the Prime Minister and the Bahamian people placed in him to protect our environment for future generations.  We call on him to now do the honourable thing and follow in the honourable steps of Mr. Sydney Collie.