By Neil Hartnell

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Environmental advocates yesterday called for fines and penalties to be levied against the parties responsible for the barge that grounded off Abaco as they voiced fears “there’s significant damage to the reef” on which it became stuck.

Oliva Patterson, executive director of Abaco-based Friends of the Environment, told Tribune Business it was “unfortunate” that last week’s looting of the Brooklyn Bridge had diverted attention away from the potential impact its grounding may have for the area’s reef ecosystems as well as the livelihoods of local fishermen and tour operators.

Emphasising that environmental advocates do not condone the removal of goods from the barge, she added that it was vital whoever was responsible for its grounding finance any reef restoration and clean-up necessary, asserting: “If we have legislation in place to do environmental fines we need to put it into action.”

Dr Rhianna Neely-Murphy, the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection’s director, in messaged replies to this newspaper’s inquiries said that an assessment team will assess the impacted reef - located in the channel between Nunjack Cay and Ambergris Cay - today to determine the extent of any damage.

“A team is heading to Abaco tomorrow to begin the reef assessment,” she said last night. “Damage to coral reefs can incur a fine of $20,000. We will know more about the damage after the assessment is completed.”

Ms Patterson said The Bahamas is “highly at risk” of suffering events such as the Brooklyn Bridge’s grounding due to its geography, location in the middle of key international shipping lanes, weather and “fragile ecosystems”. She pointed to numerous similar recent incidents, including the $5m-plus ongoing legal battle over a tug boat and barge that became stranded in an Abaco national park in late March 2024.

However, the Friends of the Environment chief argued that there are many unanswered questions over the Brooklyn Bridge’s grounding, including why it was seemingly so close to shore when its towing cable snapped and whether it is the “proper protocol” to tow an “unpowered barge” over such a long distance - from Jacksonville in north Florida to San Juan, Puerto Rico - through the Atlantic Ocean.

Tribune Business sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, raised similar questions. They said ship tracking data showed the barge and its tug were only three to four miles off Abaco’s coast when the towing cable broke, instead of the normal 17-20 miles, which meant there was little to no “buffer” to prevent it drifting in to shore.

Disclosing that the environmental group plans to conduct its own assessment of the impacted reefs, now that the barge has been removed, Ms Patterson told Tribune Business: “Based on the aerial photographs the barge was aground on the reef. We were lucky it was not really horrible weather.

“What we need right now is really to go and assess. We have people going there tomorrow so we can get some underwater photos. But, without that ground tracking, I’m almost certain there’s significant damage to the reef. There’s a lot of debris in the water, and that will either sink or drift out to the ocean or drift to the mainland depending on the current or tide.

“That has been released as a result of the looting - packaged foods, sheets of plastic, cardboard bits and boxes that were open. With the reefs already facing so many struggles from climate change, coral disease and over-fishing, having additional stress with the physical contact from the barge is not good.”

Ms Patterson said she has not dived the area where the Brooklyn Bridge grounded herself, but added: “I know it’s used a lot by local fishermen. In that respect, environmentally and socially, it’s important. It aids in coastal protection, supports fish populations and other marine life, keeping the environment healthy but also preserving livelihoods.

“There are spot fines for damaging reefs and causing pollution of various forms. I expect these various fines to be put in place. I think it’s important we’re able to mitigate this sort of situation. Yes. We definitely, once the environmental assessment happens, need a plan for restoration of the site and clean-up.

“We need to be able to support Bahamians to do the work, and recover lost livelihoods for Bahamian fishermen and eco-tour guides. And, if we have legislation in place to do environmental fines, we need to put it into action and hopefully learn from this situation and don’t have many more. We have limited procedures in place for quick action, response and assessment, and going through the whole process.”

Ms Patterson, lamenting that the looting had diverted public and media attention from the potential environmental fall-out caused by the Brooklyn Bridge’s grounding, challenged why the barge was seemingly so close to shore and the decision to tow it all the way from north Florida to Puerto Rico.

“It’s really unfortunate the turn this thing has taken in the international media, taking attention away from the environment and on to the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’,” she told Tribune Business. “It will be great to bring more attention back to these reefs and restore them after any damage that has occurred.

“Another big question I have is why was an unpowered barge being pulled by tug on an Atlantic crossing? Is that proper protocol for carrying such a heavy load, and why was it so close to the shore? If the final destination was Puerto Rico, they could have had a bigger buffer if the barge was further away and ensure something like that [the grounding] was not possible.”