Prime Minister Perry Christie reaffirmed the government's commitment to the protection, preservation and expansion of Bahamian underwater cultural heritage this week.
Christie, who was speaking during the opening ceremony for the UNESCO Regional Meeting on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage in Latin America and the Caribbean at SuperClubs Breezes, said the Bahamian seas hold many treasures that must be protected.
UNESCO has partnered with the Bahamas government to raise awareness on the issue.
Through the meetings, which ended on Friday, UNESCO is hoping to encourage more countries in the region to support and implement the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage and to safeguard and valorize their precious submerged heritage, Assistant Director General of Culture for UNESCO Kishore Rao said in a statement.
"The Caribbean region has a spectacular legacy of submerged archaeological sites ranging from shipwrecks to sunken cities and numerous prehistoric sites, preserved in the depths of the oceans," Rao added.
He noted the importance of curtailing the "scourge of illicit looting and commercial exploitation".
Christie said work must be done locally to establish a conservation plan to preserve the marine resources. He also noted the "pristine condition" of Bahamian waters.
"It is more than fitting that this meeting is being hosted in The Bahamas, a country that is rich in underwater cultural heritage," Christie said.
"The strategic geographic location of The Bahamas as the gateway to the Caribbean and the Americas has been shown for centuries, starting with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492 to the island of San Salvador.
"As the gateway between the Americas and Europe and the home to numerous reefs and shallow shoals, many ships ended their journey in our waters."
Christie said in addition to telling the stories of the treasures that are in the ocean, regional experts must also work toward finding ways to create opportunities.
"It is not enough for experts to study and present these stories," he said.
"But it is how the research into the Underwater Cultural Heritage can be merged into the future regional development of the Caribbean..."
Dozens of regional experts attended the meetings.
Director of UNESCO in Kingston, Jamaica, Christine Norton said such seminars are vital to raising awareness about protecting the ocean and everything in it.
Norton added that there are a number of issues threatening the oceans across the world, including treasure hunting and the increase in offshore industries.
Given those threats, Norton insisted that it will take a united effort to get results.

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