The Bahamas Protected Areas Fund (BPAF) has announced that Glenn Bannister has stepped down as its chairman to be succeeded by Marcus Cheetham with effect from July 1.

The Fund, which was created in 2014 by Parliament and provides sustainable financing for conservation efforts across The Bahamas, said in a statement that Mr Bannister has supported initiatives that strengthened the protection of the country’s natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations.

It added that, under his leadership, BPAF advanced its ‘Protecting the Gold of our natural resources’ campaign, reinforcing the critical role healthy ecosystems play in supporting the Bahamian economy, communities and way of life.

Mr Bannister also guided the Bahamas debt conversion project for marine conservation, which is the largest marine conservation financing initiative in this nation’s history. The programme established a sustainable $124m funding mechanism that will strengthen marine protection and support local conservation efforts over 15 years.

The Fund said its outgoing chairman was a strong advocate for ensuring the first marine conservation grants reached Bahamians working closest to the country’s marine and coastal ecosystems. He believes that local communities, conservation practitioners and environmental organisations are at the forefront of protecting Bahamian natural ecosystems and should be empowered to lead that work.

Beyond BPAF, Mr Bannister served six terms as president of the Bahamas National Trust (BNT); was the founding chairman of the Inagua Development Association; and serves on the Board of the Bahamas Reef Environmental Educational Foundation (BREEF).