Sounds like someones been benefitting from some "Dirty" business for a long time and now the cows come home to roost?

Nah. . .das rich!! The COWS come home to roost?? I do think the Bahamian has one of the most "quick" minds in the world when we get ready to be critical!! Hahahahahahahahahahaha. . .

"*This happens every week. No one makes a big deal about it, but because Joe Darville and a few activists got up in arms about it the Government feels they need to respond,”*

If only we knew this person, they need to be fined. This is is exactly the reason this happened. We have no idea of the impact of the risks we take. If every tree in this person's yard died from this beetle's foraging they might begin to get it through their dull mind. God only knows what else THEY have let pass through with their *dullardness*

"*The suspected dunnage was offloaded without the prior knowledge, consent or approval of the relevant government agencies including Bahamas Customs, the Department of Environmental Health Services and the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources,” the statement said.*"

Please, as if any rules were ever followed

"Mr Hepburn said the disposal of ship slops (oils), dunnage and other waste had long been part of Freeport’s maritime industry...And Mr Hepburn said they were dealing with materials “rejected by the United States) on every single occasion."

This is alarming to find out that materials 'rejected by the USA' are regularly dumped here. Could this be a contributing factor to the high rate of cancer on Grand Bahama?

100% of the blame here goes to Customs. The very reason for their existence is to inspect and stop illegal items from entering our country.

And of course Customs wants to conduct the investigation because they know full well that they too should be subject to investigation for having failed to enforce the laws they are mandated to enforce. This incident would not have happened had Customs done its job for the Bahamian people. Heads should roll, but instead the powers that be will be working overtime to cover up the government's gross negligence in this matter.

Meanwhile Minnis is comforted knowing the public's tizzy over this outrageous incident will quickly evaporate when the next crisis comes along to distract and divert their feeble minds.

Elbert Hepburn would be giving the same lame 'scapegoat defense' if the illegally unloaded and undeclared contraband cargo had been thousands of kilos of cocaine instead of thousands of voracious beetles.

The entire defense he puts forward for the many laws that were ignored and violated by his employer and the ships owner/operator is predicated on the very flawed maxim: "Others do it all the time, so what's wrong with us doing it too?"

In the meantime, Minnis, Pintard, Ferreira, AG Bethel, etc., are all saying to themselves: "This little tizzy by the plebes we govern will soon come to pass because thankfully their feeble memory is only as good as the crisis du jour."

Excuses, I call BS, they should know !! Ignorance is not a defence they know what was going on!!.

On top of this is the fact that the ship was rejected by the US because of the dunnage, this should have raised alot of red flags

The captain is ultimately responsible. He is supposed to know what his ship is carrying and its itinerary. He will have known his ship was rejected and turned away from US ports. the ship should have been held, the captain charged and hefty fines levied. Then those with authority both locally and elsewhere should receive similar fate. Either for collusion, dereliction of duty or both.

The Bahamas doesn't possess resources and technology superior to the USA to accept and process materials they reject. The only thing we have is less regulation and protection of our environment and people.

These are short-term economic decisions that are reckless for our future. Even if we don't care about the environmental effects what about when our ports are blacklisted because of the risk of ships becoming infested with all of the exotic bugs we've allowed in our country? What resources will we have to sterilize and restore industry confidence in our ports?

Thee appears to be a bigger issue at play here: we are the dump of last resort according to Mr. Hepburn.
With all the intelligence we have, we appear to lack the ability to be forward thinkers. We have folks with many degrees...but it appears that they lack the ability to anticipate and take steps to PREVENT disaster... not just to react.

When will this ship of fools ever grow up ....? Each day... the actions of authorities give me pause...and I cringe at the many fumbles ..bumbles...and errors we keep making!

Grand Bahama is the dumping ground. are the environmental agencies aware of this
or was it all right??

No doubt some of the beetles got away. it is my hope they will be able to control them.

What's Mr Hepburn's background and experience? I seem to remember an article not so long ago in either The Tribune, or Freeport News, where he was discussing the startup of his new business, Elnet Maritime.

Also, as John pointed out in an earlier post, the Captain of the ship must surely have known what he was carrying. Why would he risk his, or his company's reputation, license & a corresponding huge fine. Not to mention the fact that he should know all the required regulations & protocols, when docking in a foreign country. I definitely think there is a lot more of this story to unfold, although my guess is it will be swept under the table by government & customs in a couple of weeks. Hope I'm wrong.

Now that government has announced an investigation, this story is over, period. After all, we all know what comes of government announced investigations - Absolutely Nada!

I believe this was the nine-hundred and ninety-ninth (999th) investigation the failed Minnis led FNM administration has announced since assuming the reins of government in May 2017. LMAO

I think you missed a 9 !!

Reading "between the lines" indicates that Hepburn is slimmy" as a bucket of raw Aloes! For example, FP collects waste from ships all the time. . .but not highly contaminated waste. . .especially those such as the Asian beetle! That ship first said that they had on ballast. . .ballast of wood. . .wood that could be contaminated with the Asian Bettle? I know that ship ballast is normally sea water pumped into ballast tanks for just that reason. . .stability for empty bulk carriers!! So even my grammy would have asked the ship. . ."YOU GAT WOOD FOR BALLAST. . .WHAT HAPPENED TO YA BALLAST PUMPS"? "THAT CRAZY TAIL CAPTIAN DON'T KNOW BULK CARRIES USE WATER AS BALLAST WHEN THEY ARE EMPTY. . .WHAT HE MEAN BY WOOD FOR BALLAST"?

So what did they say? We are coming into GB with a load of wood for ballast and will offload for fumigation and burning? Then what "they ger use" for ballast when they left for home? Sea water? Mr. Hepburn sound full er "that thing" that come from the back end of my lil dog!! His story don't make sense. . .a ship that normally use water for ballast when empty. . .uses wood only until they reach the Bahamas. . .then fill up with water for ballast to leave GB to go home?

I don't believe that bringing contaminated Asian pine suspected to be full of the Beetle. . .which means they were receiveing that type of wood for long times!! With joe darville them right under their noses? Child please. . .they were trying to "swing" us this time with them beetles. . .for how much money. . .lets wait and see??

This man is going to jail. . .and somebody will have to pay plenty money!!! But then. . .if he is FNM. . .yinna know wha ger happen!! Don't let him be a PLP. . .he even een ger be charged!! Brave don't ever. . .I mean ever. . . hold any PLP responsible for any wrong they do. . .ever!!! Chile please!!

> Elbert Hepburn, Elnet Maritime’s chief executive, voiced optimism that “we’ll be exonerated with the right investigation” days after multiple government agencies announced a probe into how the Pan Jasmine cargo ship was able to offload infested wood without their approval.

In other words, Hepburn seems very comforted in knowing that the cabinet minister who likely has an interest in his highly profitable dunnage disposal business will give him plenty of political protection. LOL