By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

ENVIRONMENTAL protection cannot be assured without the presence of a National Development Plan, government and BNT officials agreed yesterday.

As stakeholders marked World Wetlands Day with a tour of Bonefish Pond National Park, Minister of 
Environment Kenred Dorsett confirmed that “destructive” development underway on land bordering the park has already been approved.

The construction of churches along the southern side of the park near Marshall Road has prompted serious concerns from residents, who fear that the further development of the land originally earmarked for agriculture will negatively impact the wetlands.

Eric Carey, BNT executive director said: “It’s going to destroy the wetland, and that’s the thing. The type of farming that they wanted to do there was to farm, but leave the wetland alone because we had been talking to them, but then all of a sudden churches just started popping up. I’m not anti-church but basically churches need to be placed at appropriate places not in a wetland that is bordering and in some cases infringing on a wetland and a national park.

“But again there is no plan so the guy who issues this lease in the department of lands and surveys, there is no reference for him to take a look at,” Mr Carey added.

Mr Dorsett, who is also the MP for the area, said the land was granted to the churches by the former administration.

“The bottom line,” said Mr Dorsett, “is in the absence of a national development plan these sort of things happen in an ad hoc manner. In 2014 the focus is the coexistence between agriculture and preservation of wet lands. Right here at Bonefish Pond we have agriculture leases that border the wetland. Both can co-exist but it has to be managed properly.

He added: “Similarly when we talk about the development of land contiguous to a wetland, we have to make sure that when we use it for development it’s done properly, but sadly the former administration gave grants to churches along the Marshall Road and those churches are now building.”

Mr Dorsett explained that the issue highlighted the importance of the Bahamas Spatial Infrastructure Bill that was passed in the House of Assembly on Wednesday. The bill enables the government to properly map and zone areas.

“I think,” he added, “that what I’ve asked agencies to do is certainly look at what (churches) are doing and how they are building, to mitigate significant impacts to the wetlands. But they have in fact been given those grants.”

In the absence of a national plan, Mr Carey said the BNT was focused on raising the environmental awareness of the country in hopes of inspiring greater accountability on an individual level.

“Minister Dorsett is a good example of someone who has to balance his decision making,” said Mr Carey. “Tomorrow he can be sitting, talking about the environment with the BNT, working with us to bring protections. Then, he can be in a major meeting of the cabinet trying to decide on a major development, and while I am sure he will ensure his portfolio elements are looked at and safeguards are put in place as the person responsible for environment, he also has to be a part of a body corporate trying to encourage investors to the country.”

“In the absence of a development plan it is every investor that comes to the table,” Mr Carey said. “South Abaco is an interesting example, we have the Bahama parrot there. Minister Khaalis Rolle just spoke recently that he met with some potential investors in Atlanta who own land in southern Abaco, that land borders the national park, we’re looking to have another protected area down there to protect bonefish habitat and bonefish spawning habitat. How do these things get balanced, it can only be balanced if there is a plan to say that this is off balance or there is a scale.”

At the protected site yesterday, Mr Dorsett explained that the Bahamas signed the Ramsar Convention - an intergovernmental treaty on the protection and preservation of wetlands – in 1997, adding Lake Rosa, as a Ramsar Site of International Importance for The Bahamas.

The Ramsar Convention has chosen the theme: “Wetlands and Agriculture – Partners of Growth for World Wetlands Day” – for this year’s World Wetlands Day, Mr Dorsett said. He added that the theme was synergistic with the United Nations’ naming of 2014 as the “International Year of Family

Farming“.

Mr Dorsett said: “The primary threat to our wetlands is a lack of awareness. Most residents are unaware of the importance and function of wetlands. Therefore, there are increased cases of indiscriminate dumping in these ecosystems.

“Developments of businesses, homes and resorts that often generate jobs can also reduce our wetland acreage. Improperly built or installed septic tanks can lead to contamination that also destroys our precious wetlands. Invasive species can also overtake wetland spots.

“Improving water management, increasing organic farming, reducing water pollution, developing more efficient irrigation systems, drought tolerant crops and methods of treatment of waste water through wetlands are all ways we can conserve and wisely use our wetlands,” he said.

Bonefish Pond National Park, Harrold and Wilson Ponds National Parks and the Andros West Side National Park have been recommended by the BNT for nomination to the Ramsar Convention to be recognized as wetlands of international importance, Mr Dorsett added.