By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A LOCAL environmental advocate has denounced the government’s approval of the $200m Rosewood Exuma development on Sampson Cay as a “catastrophic” blow to the island’s fragile ecosystem.

Joseph Darville, chairman of Save the Bays and Waterkeepers Bahamas, described the decision to permit activities such as dredging for a marina as “sacrilegious” and warned that the ecological damage could be irreversible.

Speaking to Tribune Business, Mr Darville said no level of approval can justify the environmental cost and criticised the notion that economic benefits and job creation should override environmental protection. 

“It’s really sad, really sad. As an environmentalist, it aches my heart that incredible biodiverse area could be so easily given away to be systematically destroyed. The area exemplifies everything that is so beautiful about under the water, and for them to do any harm to that area, it is catastrophic. It is sacrilegious. It should never be allowed to be done,” said Mr Darville.

“I don’t care what permission they have been given. There is no way that anything that they intend to do in that area for development is not going to be catastrophic for that beauty, and we’re going to regret it, because that’s something that we should pass on unblemished to future generations.”

While acknowledging the importance of job creation—especially in remote Family Islands—Mr. Darville argued that Bahamians should not have to choose between employment and environmental preservation.

He suggested that sustainable environmental preservation could generate significant economic benefits and criticised allowing foreign investors to be permitted to damage the environment in order to enrich themselves and provide locals a “couple little jobs”.

“Off course, it is concerning that we have to have employment for our people. But this is just some greedy people who want to make a whole lot of money and are coming in and destroying our environment in order to enrich themselves, to foreigners and, of course, passing a couple little jobs to Bahamians,” said Mr Darville.

“We could utilize that same area to create preserving of the environment, and get our people involved in all of this area. And we could make an abundance of money. 

“We’ve got to establish the fact that we are adamant about preserving the magnificent beauty and that area you cannot restore that. We’re going to pass on a damaged country by allowing foreigners come in and dictate to us what they want to do, and for a proverbial pot of porridge, we give them permission to destroy our own heritage.”

The $200m Rosewood Exuma development on Sampson Cay was granted a certificate of environmental clearance (CEC) for construction activities including land clearing, excavation, dredging, land reclamation/filing, land grading and installation of infrastructure. 

Bahamas Industries and Construction Company (BICCo), the local general contractor for the project, announced last week that it has already identified and screened 146 prospective employees—65 percent of whom are from the Exumas, with the remainder primarily from New Providence and Grand Bahama.

The project has stirred significant backlash from local businesses and environmentalists who fear the dredging and development will destroy seagrass beds, wetlands, and marine habitats, potentially altering the underwater landscape of East Sampson Cay. 

Save Exuma Alliance (SEA)—a coalition of businesses including Staniel Cay Yacht Club and the adjacent Turtlegrass Resort & Island Club—has been vocally opposed.

Bob Coughlin , principal of Turtlegrass Resort & Island Club has been outspoken about his concerns over the Rosewood development, and has threatened to halt work on his $75m project and abandon his ambitions if he is ignored

A formal petition started by Eric Carey, consultant for Turtlegrass, was submitted to the Government demanding that environmental approvals be denied until a more comprehensive study of the project’s impact is conducted.

That petition now has more than 4,900 signatures. 

The coalition has called on the government to either significantly reduce the scope of the project or relocate it to a larger island.

“We do not want a glitzy Miami-style resort with 350 guests and hundreds of employees in a fragile island community. We do not want supply ships plying the waters directly over prime tourist areas making them unsafe for swimming and snorkeling. Please, hear our plea. Just say ‘No’ to the current Yntegra plan,” said SEA. 

“Demand a do-over that is far smaller and kinder to these islands, or work with them to place it on a bigger island, because these Exuma cays that we cherish will not have a chance for a do-over if the sea grasses and the reefs are gone, the conch vanishes, any surviving turtles divert to safer habitats and if the locals and visitors who fell in love with the Exuma cays find another place to fall in love with when they no longer want to come here.”