I agree with you Birdie but plastic bags are a big problem for our oceans in general and the Bahamas' seas in particular. I know. I walk on the beach nearly every day and plastic bags are everywhere. SuperValue, Kentucky Fried, you name it. The number of plastic straws, cups, forks, spoons knives, pieces of plastic bottles, whole plastic bottles, plastic bags of every size and nature which I gather on my beach walks is mind numbing and depressing. Plus, I read the studies and scientific reports on plastics polluting the ocean and it is a serious global problem.

Our government should have partnered with retailers and grocery stores and helped by partially subsidizing their bringing in re-usable bags that people could buy for a dollar. Once you get into the habit of shopping with reusable bags, it becomes habitual.. After my groceries are unpacked, I put the bags by my purse so that the next time I go to my car I will take them back and put them in it to have on hand for the next time I have to go into a store. Some I keep strictly for groceries and some for non-grocery items.

A study was recently done on a worldwide basis which tested the flesh of every size of fish from the smallest to the largest (I'm not sure if included whales), but every single fish had PCBs and plastics in its flesh. Just let that sink in.

Thank you, Porcupine. I have to hope and pray to the Goddesses and Gods, Karma, the Divine Intelligence, Buddha and any other spiritual entities who will listen, that more than corruption, it is stupidity and willful ignorance. As the Minister for the Environment, ferreira is a monumental disappointment, as is the PM; on so many levels. This business about having to continue the policies of the previous administration gives me great pause.

We need women in government and there are many well-informed, well educated, empathetic, intelligent, bold women of integrity who need to step forward as candidates and get rid of these self interested, dim witted, visionless, greedy men.

It is a paradox that in this matriarchal society of the Bahamas, women are not well represented in government. We are hardly represented at all! This must change.

You're kidding; right? Otherwise, I think you've been deep into the Big Fossil
Fuel's endless propaganda machine of disinformation.

Please see my reply below.

To tribanon: And why, pray tell, should the Bahamas not be involved in growing hemp and marijuana? This gives me the idea that you may be ignorant and unaware of the innumerous scientific studies and reports of addiction as relates to marijuana. Hemp is a non-intoxicating form of cannabis and is the strongest natural fiber in the world. That's why it has been used since10,000 years ago. Perhaps you need to have a better understanding of both of these plants before you make such a pronouncement. I would be happy to enlighten you but you can go online and read all about it yourself, if you have an energetic and curious mind.

As a member of BREEF (Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation) I stand firmly against this inexcusable assault on our environment. Just the exploration phase will harm thousands of dolphins, whales and other marine life sensitive to the seismic blasting. So much so that many will even die. Oil drilling always is accompanied with leaks and spills. Always. The preposterous excuse that this Administration is only passing on the previous administration's licenses is hogwash: follow the money and it will show exactly who is going to profit and I can assure you, little, if any, will be the Bahamas Government. Our Government is using the excuse of covid19 and I do realize that we desperately need funds. First of all close down or sell Bahamasair. Take the $2M monthly losses and pay out the employees a hefty package which gives them enough time to get re-established in jobs. Secondly, immediately institute a National lottery and keep the millions of dollars that monthly flow out to America's lotteries in our own country. Next, make the Bahamas more attractive to legitimate people who want to invest here and take away some of the overwhelming red tape. We need protections/regulations but there is a way to have meaningful parameters but still encourage legitimate and profitable businesses to open here that will benefit our country. Next, legalize marijuana and let's get going with growing hemp and marijuana. We could have a medical marijuana hub, we can manufacture hempcrete which has far superior qualities of strength, it is 1/8th the weight, the environmental impact of making it is greatly less and it does not expand and contract the way concrete does. Then there is the superior to regular plywood, hemp plywood, hemp fabrics, hemp oil and bio fuels. There is an entire industry waiting for a place to park itself and the Bahamas could be it. From farm to finish, the Bahamas could be excelling with that and the marijuana industries. Our Government is still in 20th a Century mindset but we are now in the 21st Century. Why don't we have a mini Silicon Valley of tech companies developing in Grand Bahama? It could be made so attractive to many entrepreneurs looking for just what the Bahamas could offer in incentives and tax breaks. We absolutely have to get beyond the tourism only mindset as our main industry. It is never going to be the same since covid19 and we have to face that fact with version and courage and stop looking at immediate oil gratification (which is a hoax in itself) with side effects that would destroy our fishing and tourism businesses all together.

I hope this gets a lot of attention. New Providence is basically ruined re any meaningful large land areas to be preserved for future generations of Bahamians and visitors alike. For the future of the Out Islands, we must all boldly endeavour to hold Government accountable and to pressure it to make sound environmental decisions based upon independent studies and assessments. Decisions that will benefit the economy in a meaningful way but most of all, protect our fragile and disappearing natural environments must be FACT based, not a knee jerk, we-can-make-quick-big-bucks mentality.

From having been involved with BREEF (Bahamas Reef Environment educational Foundation) for 20 years and seeing the results of our teacher training programs that have been implemented each summer for these last 20 years; no doubt has been left in my mind that education is the key to basically, all problems and challenges.
The deplorable state of the Bahamas' educational system has been evident to us for years but there is a stifling stranglehold on it and that very thing needs to be broken up so that the system can be fixed.
Yes, charter schools and specialty schools are terrific additions but our country still must have a public education system that has the tools and resources to graduate those students who so desire, at a level where they can go on to higher education or into the workforce.
It is a massive and of course expensive undertaking to restructure the system and to re-educate the teachers themselves to carry out their jobs with the necessary knowledge and skills they need to impart to their students so they can attain their goals.
What would help finance this if not pay for it entirely? A national lottery dedicated only to the educational concerns of our country.