By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

Bahamians should have been consulted before Elon Musk's SpaceX was permitted to stage booster recovery operations in Bahamian waters, an environmental activist argued yesterday.

With SpaceX seeking to resume booster recovery operations with 19 projected landings in The Bahamas, Joseph Darville, Save the Bays chairman, said: “If something like that was to ever be considered, it should be based upon a referendum of the people of The Bahamas.

“Every iota of the ocean within The Bahamas is significant - from the deep blue tongue of the ocean to the shallows, to the banks, to whatever there is under the shallow water into the deep water. These particular aspects are of significant importance, and I cannot condone any government - whether it's going to be FNM or PLP - to sell us out to that extent without the proper permission coming from the people who live in these islands, and who can declare whether they want it subject it to devastation from debris from outer space or any type of hazards for that particular matter.

“So I stand by what I said from the very beginning," Dr Darville added. "I find it reprehensible that this discussion could have begun with SpaceX without any knowledge of the people. And, in fact, I heard about it incidentally, and then only after I put a message out there... So that's no way to deal with a sovereign nation, a sovereign people. It is reprehensible.

"It is almost demonic, because these islands belong to the people. We need to preserve them. We're losing them anyway to climate change, sea level rise, and so it is upon us... and if we're going to be led by a government, we need that our government to be sensitised to the fact that we do not own this territory. We are custodians of it to pass it on to future generations. And everything should be done within our power to safeguard the sanctity of the air, the water and the land in our territory.”

While an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was released stating that “the environmental impacts of the Falcon 9 booster recovery are minimal”, Mr Darville argued: "That is not sufficient for my well-being and for the young people, in particular, that I represent in terms of the preserving the waters and the lands for future generations.”

“Where has this decision come from?" he asked. “What exact examination has been done. I mean, I want to have confidence in the environmental department (DEPP), but I want to know whether or not they are under any pressure, whether it be the Government or SpaceX, to have this done....

“I mean, I like to trust the powers that be, but I find it very intriguing that all of the environmentalists in this country weren't called together along with the environmental department to have a convocation in this regard to know exactly what they're talking about, and what is going to be inherent in these particular bits and pieces that may land in our water, on our land," he continued.

"That should not have been done by a select committee or small group of people. I respect all the people in authority, and they know that I do, but I have serious apprehensions when we are being persuaded. And only when we made a lot of noise after the first incident were we able to find out that this thing was under discussion from way back, and we knew nothing about it.

"So you don't treat the sovereign nation, people, the inhabitants of my country, like that. And I stand by my word, because I know how significant the waters and the land are to our future generations. We got to preserve something so that our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren can live in peace and harmony on land and seas in this country.”

Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, executive director of The Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF), added: “After the February 18 landing in the Exuma Sound, The Bahamas Government suspended all SpaceX booster landings in Bahamian waters in April 2025, pending environmental assessment and investigation.

"However, there have been numerous landings within the Bahamian EEZ since then. For the May 1, 2025, Starlink 6-75 mission, the booster landed on drone ship 'Just Read the Instructions' stationed in the Atlantic Ocean within 150 miles of the east coast of Eleuthera.”

One Exuma business is also concerned about the potential negative impacts the SpaceX booster landings may have on the ocean. Lyndon Johnson, owner of Fifty Shades Excursions, said the February 18 landing did not boost sales at his business.

But Reginald Wood, management consultant for the Exuma Palms Resort, said the landing intrigued guests. In terms of the environment, he said he is not worried, placing faith in SpaceX.

“If you follow Elon Musk and his endeavours, and this counts as one of his business endeavors, he operates on a higher level than average,” Mr Wood said. “He aims for perfection. And his end products, although they may not be perfect, or I guess nothing is perfect, they may not be number one at the initial roll-out, but he doesn't quit.

"He's on a continuous drive of improvement. That being said, every product that he has produced has been world class. So when someone says, 'I think it'll be bad for the environment', then the question that I am urged to ask is 'If you don't mind, can you help me out? Can you give me an example?'”