By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement (FNM) leader Michael Pintard has expressed deep concern over the significant population decline in several Family Islands.

The trend was revealed in the country’s latest census, which Mr Pintard said emphasizes the urgent need to prioritise development in these communities.

The Opposition leader called for the introduction of “intentional policies and legislation” to encourage procreation and promote island growth.

He added that all Bahamians deserve access to the same basic necessities available in New Providence and Grand Bahamaand pledged to prioritize development in the Family Islands if elected to office.

His comments came in response to the official 2022 census released on Tuesday, which revealed a significant slowdown in the population growth rate over the past few decades. 

Among the islands that experienced notable declines are Grand Bahama and Abaco. Grand Bahama’s population in 2022 was recorded at 46,740, a decrease of approximately 4,600 compared to 2010. Meanwhile, Abaco's population dropped from 17,224 to 16,695.

Small Family Islands also faced population decreases, with Mayaguana leading the decline, losing 26.7 percent of its population, followed by Ragged Island with a 22.2 percent drop.

Other significant declines appeared in Crooked Island, Inagua, Long Island, San Salvador, Rum Cay, and Spanish Wells.

Mr Pintard acknowledged the challenges of governing an archipelago, noting the cost of providing resources increases as populations dwindle.

“We have sufficient land and resources that we ought to grow this population so that we are able to have persons go to the islands that they love and have only left because circumstances dictated it,” the opposition leader continued.

“Grand Bahama in the north has suffered a similar fate where there has been a decline in the number of of residents. So we have a city of Freeport designed to accommodate 250,000 persons, but an island of Grand Bahama that has 55,000 or lessso we have a task ahead of us.”

Last month, the Chief Councillor of Crooked Island, David Ferguson, spoke in detail about the issue of migration and population decline in the Family Islands.

He particularly noted concerns that younger generations tend to leave for New Providence and rarely return, leading to shrinking populations and economic decline in their home islands.

“Every year, you can see the decline as people pass on, and the young ones move to Nassau. Whether they do good or bad, they tend not to look back at the end. We need to address that,” Mr Ferguson told The Tribune, while calling on the government to address the matter.