I sincerely hope that the general public and legislators in particular will pay attention to the very sound and urgent BNT recommendations. The Tribune should consider writing an article that describes the huge debacle implemented a year ago with the new research permit policies that chased away virtually all of the academic researchers the BNT, government, and nation have benefited from over many, many decades. Some of these researchers brought in external grant money to The Bahamas - often quite sizeable sums - and many others spent personal money to conduct research on a wide range of plant and animal species and important geological and environmental processes. Their contributions to our understanding of biodiversity and environmental issues have been immeasurable.
With the new policies, the researchers were to be charged exorbitant fees and sign on to absurd legal agreements their institutions simply could not accommodate. In short, the large majority of those researchers either postponed or abandoned their projects altogether. Many researchers moved on to projects elsewhere and may never return with their expertise, labor, and external funding. Without their money and efforts, which were unappreciated and even maligned by the former government, the BNT is severely constrained in any effort to implement a rapid response protocol. The nation simply lacks the expertise available at academic and other research institutions elsewhere.
By publicizing the policy debacle and its consequences, the Tribune could jump start discussion of the very important issues that the BNT wishes to address. I urge them to do so! ---- William Hayes, Ph.D. Loma Linda University Loma Linda, California, USA
I sincerely hope that the general public and legislators in particular will pay attention to the very sound and urgent BNT recommendations. The Tribune should consider writing an article that describes the huge debacle implemented a year ago with the new research permit policies that chased away virtually all of the academic researchers the BNT, government, and nation have benefited from over many, many decades. Some of these researchers brought in external grant money to The Bahamas - often quite sizeable sums - and many others spent personal money to conduct research on a wide range of plant and animal species and important geological and environmental processes. Their contributions to our understanding of biodiversity and environmental issues have been immeasurable.
With the new policies, the researchers were to be charged exorbitant fees and sign on to absurd legal agreements their institutions simply could not accommodate. In short, the large majority of those researchers either postponed or abandoned their projects altogether. Many researchers moved on to projects elsewhere and may never return with their expertise, labor, and external funding. Without their money and efforts, which were unappreciated and even maligned by the former government, the BNT is severely constrained in any effort to implement a rapid response protocol. The nation simply lacks the expertise available at academic and other research institutions elsewhere.
By publicizing the policy debacle and its consequences, the Tribune could jump start discussion of the very important issues that the BNT wishes to address. I urge them to do so!
William Hayes, Ph.D. Loma Linda University Loma Linda, California, USA
WilliamHayes says...
I sincerely hope that the general public and legislators in particular will pay attention to the very sound and urgent BNT recommendations. The Tribune should consider writing an article that describes the huge debacle implemented a year ago with the new research permit policies that chased away virtually all of the academic researchers the BNT, government, and nation have benefited from over many, many decades. Some of these researchers brought in external grant money to The Bahamas - often quite sizeable sums - and many others spent personal money to conduct research on a wide range of plant and animal species and important geological and environmental processes. Their contributions to our understanding of biodiversity and environmental issues have been immeasurable.
With the new policies, the researchers were to be charged exorbitant fees and sign on to absurd legal agreements their institutions simply could not accommodate. In short, the large majority of those researchers either postponed or abandoned their projects altogether. Many researchers moved on to projects elsewhere and may never return with their expertise, labor, and external funding. Without their money and efforts, which were unappreciated and even maligned by the former government, the BNT is severely constrained in any effort to implement a rapid response protocol. The nation simply lacks the expertise available at academic and other research institutions elsewhere.
By publicizing the policy debacle and its consequences, the Tribune could jump start discussion of the very important issues that the BNT wishes to address. I urge them to do so!
----
William Hayes, Ph.D.
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, California, USA
On BNT: We need a rapid response protocol to deal with disasters
Posted 7 January 2022, 1:22 p.m. Suggest removal
WilliamHayes says...
I sincerely hope that the general public and legislators in particular will pay attention to the very sound and urgent BNT recommendations. The Tribune should consider writing an article that describes the huge debacle implemented a year ago with the new research permit policies that chased away virtually all of the academic researchers the BNT, government, and nation have benefited from over many, many decades. Some of these researchers brought in external grant money to The Bahamas - often quite sizeable sums - and many others spent personal money to conduct research on a wide range of plant and animal species and important geological and environmental processes. Their contributions to our understanding of biodiversity and environmental issues have been immeasurable.
With the new policies, the researchers were to be charged exorbitant fees and sign on to absurd legal agreements their institutions simply could not accommodate. In short, the large majority of those researchers either postponed or abandoned their projects altogether. Many researchers moved on to projects elsewhere and may never return with their expertise, labor, and external funding. Without their money and efforts, which were unappreciated and even maligned by the former government, the BNT is severely constrained in any effort to implement a rapid response protocol. The nation simply lacks the expertise available at academic and other research institutions elsewhere.
By publicizing the policy debacle and its consequences, the Tribune could jump start discussion of the very important issues that the BNT wishes to address. I urge them to do so!
William Hayes, Ph.D.
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, California, USA
On BNT: We need a rapid response protocol to deal with disasters
Posted 7 January 2022, 1:21 p.m. Suggest removal