Waterkeeper Alliance, the global environmental organization dedicated to defending every person’s right to clean water, today called on the Bahamian government to reject an application by Peter Nygard that would permit damaging construction and grave environmental destruction at Nygard Cay.
“Peter Nygard’s application for construction should be rejected by the government because it will recklessly ruin one of The Bahamas’ most precious marine habitats,” said Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Waterkeeper Alliance President. “The people of the Bahamas are taking action. More than five thousand have signed a petition calling on Prime Minister Christie and the Bahamian government to enforce the law and protect Crown Land and sea beds at Nygard Cay, and we add our voice of support to this cause.”
According to research by Save The Bays, a Bahamian-based member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, the area known as Simms Point/Nygard Cay’s Clifton Bay dock has been littered with wire structures of rocks, cinder blocks and debris. By dumping these manmade structures into the precious sea grass beds of Clifton Bay, they create an artificial beach around Nygard’s land. A study by the University of Miami revealed alarming news about this action: the restructuring of the shoreline “has changed the marine habitats dramatically within about 100 meters of the shore, with the most notable damage being the loss of reef areas to the west.”
For years, the Bahamian government claimed the activity was illegal and unpermitted. However, Nygard recently sought “a declaration of ownership” for the land that has accreted to Nygard’s property thanks to his dredging and artificial construction. If approved, the Bahamian government would set a precedent that other individuals and corporations can take public lands and destroy natural habitats, opponents say.
“We intend to keep a spotlight on the Bahamian government and will mobilize concerned citizens in the Bahamas and across the globe to take action until Bahamian officials are transparent with the public and demonstrate a commitment to the preservation of these precious and fragile environments,” said Kennedy. “Clean waters and healthy ecosystems are critical to quality of life and tourism in the Bahamas. Why the Bahamian government is jeopardizing their environment and largest economic driver can be explained by one thing and one thing only – recklessness – and we intend to work with our partners in the Bahamas to stop it.”
For more information and to sign STB’s petition, please visit:
https://www.change.org/petitions/prime-minister-perry-christie-help-save-the-bays-before-paradise-is-lost
About WATERKEEPER® Alliance
Waterkeeper Alliance is a global movement uniting more than 200 Waterkeeper organizations and focusing citizen advocacy on the issues that affect our waterways, from pollution to climate change. Waterkeepers patrol more than 1.5 million square miles of rivers, streams and coastlines in the Americas, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. Waterkeeper Alliance was founded in 1999 by veteran Waterkeepers and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Learn more at:
www.waterkeeper.org or follow @Waterkeeper on Twitter and Facebook.
About Save The Bays
Save The Bays has been fighting rampant and unregulated development across the Bahamas. The controversy at Nygard Cay shares similarities with a fight to save the Bahamian island of Bimini where the Malaysia-based conglomerate Genting was eager to build a resort atop delicate bays and inlets. However, after being allowed to dredge a seabed that was home to some of the most pristine and ecologically significant reefs in the region, Save The Bays fought to have the project brought to a halt. Genting was drawn into a costly court battle that twice wound up at the London-based Privy Council, the Bahamas legal system’s final court authority.
From a maritime cargo facility to sprawling residential developments to a 600-home golf course development that would have disrupted delicate ecosystems and disturbed historic sites dating back more than a thousand years, Save The Bays has thoughtfully worked to protect and preserve the Bahamian environment. Currently, it is also fighting to halt the development Blackbeard’s Cay, where permission has been granted for a dolphin attraction that falls so far below international standards that it threatens not only the lives of captive marine mammals, but also the environment for miles.
Call for Action – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., president of the 200-group strong global marine environmental movement Waterkeeper Alliance, today called on the government of The Bahamas to reject an application by Peter Nygard. Kennedy has dived the area and has long been a proponent of the protection of Clifton Bay.
