Joseph Dargavage, Managing Partner of Romora Bay Resort & Marina, was elected President of the Association of Bahamas Marinas today. He succeeds Capt. Peter Maury in the role.

Mr. Dargavage, “Joe” to all who know him, is a former president of the association. He served for two years as vice president, during which he travelled extensively for speaking engagements to calm concerns in the boating market in the wake of hurricane Dorian and during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Dargavage is co-chair of the Bahamas Charter Yacht Show’s steering committee and a member of the boards of directors of the US Superyacht Association and the Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Association (BHTA). He is also a member of the International Yacht Brokers Association (IYBA).

Mr. Demaro Demeritte, General Manager at the Hurricane Hole Superyacht Marina was elected Vice President of the association. A former banker who gravitated to the recreational maritime sector after recognizing its growth potential, he was previously the marina manager at the Palm Cay Marina before moving to Hurricane Hole a year ago.

Both gentlemen thanked their fellow members for the confidence shown in them and gave their assurance of commitment to work in the best interests of all members.

The complete 2022-23 leadership team of ABM is:
· Joe Dargavage (Romora Bay Resort & Marina) - President
· Peter Maury (Bay Street Marina) - Past President
· Demaro Demeritte (Hurricane Hole Marina) - Vice President
· Stephen Kappeler (Bimini Big Game Resort & Marina – Treasurer
· Justin Dubowitz (Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina)- Secretary Tyrone Anderson (Valentines Residences, Resort & Marina)- Member
· Wendy Edler (Flying Fish Marina) - Member
· Laura Garcia (United Island & Yacht ) – Member

The Association of Bahamas Marinas is a registered non-profit organisation that represents boating sector and the marina community. The ABM has been the leading advocate for change and improvement for the entire boating sector. Our members employ thousands of Bahamian citizens and generates tens-of-millions of dollars in revenue for the economy, through taxes and direct spending for various goods and services.

A US-based non-profit whose decade-long research helped lead to The Bahamas becoming and remaining a shark sanctuary earned admiration and congratulations from deep sea divers this week on the organization’s latest achievement – its status as a Bahamian NGO (non-government organization).

Praise for Beneath the Waves came from divers Adrian Phillips and Jaran Rolle. Both men have worked with the scientists in research expeditions and filming for Discovery’s Shark Week. For Phillips, growing up appreciating the marine environment was a natural. He’s the son of Eleanor Phillips, regional director of The Nature Conservancy and a lifelong environmental protection advocate. But it wasn’t until he started working with Beneath the Waves, he said, that he truly began to understand the science that goes into what instinct tells you is the right thing to do.

“They (Beneath the Waves) do good work protecting the environment and showing how the sharks help the overall marine environment,” said Phillips, 25, who traded college text books for a life doing what he loves, being on the water as a freelance fishing and diving guide. “Everything they do is scientifically based. They use the scientific method. I don’t think anyone else is doing it the way they do and the way they are stepping up will help our country out.”

Jaran Rolle agrees. The 37-year-old father of two from Exuma, looks at the work of Beneath the Waves from a different perspective, but with the same admiration.

“I learned a lot since I started working with them,” said Rolle, a boat captain with Sandals since 2012 who runs a boat for Beneath the Waves when they are in Exuma. “I learned how important it is to protect the sharks, how important blue carbon is to the climate.”

What impresses Rolle the most, though, is the group’s involvement with young Bahamians. “I like the way they are getting kids involved and letting them understand how important the shark is to the ocean,” says the father of a 12-year-old, 8-year old and another due next month. “Most of my childhood years, I would go fishing with a lot of local guys, always liked the water, like boating, liked the ocean but I never really knew that much about it and about sharks till I started working with these guys.”

In July, Beneath the Waves will offer students a second chance to experience shark science first hand. In April, students from LN Coakley boarded the R/V Tigress becoming citizen scientists for a day. This summer, Beneath the Waves also plans to host a free kids’ camp with marine-based activities for any primary aged students on Saturday, July 23.

“We’re really excited about that,” explained David Harris, project manager at Beneath the Waves. “We wanted to do it last year but COVID prevented it and we think our plans for this year are even bigger and better.” Participation will be on a first sign up, first attend basis when registration opens. About 60 students are expected to participate.

For Beneath the Waves CEO and lead scientist Dr. Austin Gallagher, who has published more than 100-peer reviewed papers and was named Scuba Diving Magazine’s Sea Hero for his work with sharks in The Bahamas, Bahamian status means something the others did not mention.

“This opens the door for greater opportunities for Bahamians,” said Dr. Gallagher, who helped draft the country’s shark sanctuary status policy. “Now we can have a more extensive presence, engage more Bahamians in research and work more closely with schools and hopefully with the University. This is a win-win for all, especially the young people of The Bahamas. The more we can do to protect the marine environment, the better their futures will be.”

The Director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Captain Stephen Russell, (Sunday, June 5), applauded the “all-around” efforts of Family Island Administrators, local government practitioners, residents, individual Family Island Disaster Consultative Committees and non-governmental organizations in the northwest Bahamas, for their collaborative efforts before, during, and after the passage of Potential Tropical Cyclone One.

Captain Russell said the collaborative responses by the local communities to the effects of Potential Tropical Cyclone One, is an indication of how the country’s use of a Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy can help to minimize some of the potential impacts of disasters and/or emergencies.

“Comprehensive Disaster Management is a shared responsibility between NEMA, its Emergency Support Functions (ESFs), Family Island Administrators, Local Government Practitioners, Heads of Government Departments, and the Family Island Disaster Consultative Committees,” Captain Russell said. “From what I have heard and seen through our various communication platforms, I was pretty pleased to see how the various communities and the Island Disaster Consultative Committees came together to prepare for the system, and during the event, how they executed the various mitigation measures to minimize impacts in some communities.

“We are a unique country and we must rely on the community efforts of our Administrators, Local Government Council Members, as well as all of the NGOs who are in these areas to assist their communities in preparing for, and responding to any emergencies that may occur (and not necessarily hurricanes) which we saw happen as, while we were preparing for, and dealing with Potential Tropical Cyclone One, we had another incident occurring somewhere else and the teams had to respond. These are the types of communities we are trying to develop throughout The Bahamas, whereby they can respond to whatever may come their way until external assistance can arrive,” Captain Russell added.

Potential Tropical Cyclone One, which later became the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season’s first named storm (Tropical Storm Alex) after it passed The Bahamas, brought heavy rains with it over the northwest Bahamas including the islands of Bimini, Grand Bahama, Abaco, and the Berry Islands. Tropical Storm Warnings for the northwest Bahamas were discontinued and the All Clear given by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology on Sunday, June 5 at 12midnight.

The Potential Tropical Cyclone was responsible for extensive flooding in low-lying areas in portions of the northwest Bahamas. Mr. Jeffrey Simmons, Acting Director, The Bahamas Department of Meteorology, said the majority of the rainfall took place in Grand Bahama where the measurement for rainfall for a 48-hour period - 8am Friday (June 3) to 8am Saturday – was 10.69 inches of rain. Acting Director Simmons said a measurement of rainfall between the hours of 8am Friday through Saturday evening, was 8.6 inches.

Mrs. Terrece Bootle-Bethel, the Department of Local Government, also praised the efforts.

“From the alerts were issued, Family Island Administrators were monitoring the system and they were engaged very early with their Consultative Committees,” Mrs. Bootle-Bethel said. “We have seen some of the impacts, in particular the Grand Bahama area and North Abaco in the forms of photographs. We have seen photographs coming in with the Administrators and the Chief Councillor (North Abaco) clearing out drains (as a result of debris that would have clogged those drains during the passage of Potential Tropical Cyclone One) and that is what Family Island Administrators do. Get on the ground with their consultative committees and conduct thorough assessments on behalf of NEM and report their findings.”

Captain Russell also responded to a question from the media regarding the state of readiness of shelters in the impacted areas, particularly Grand Bahama and Abaco. Captain Russell said monies have been spent to repair shelters in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian - particularly in Grand Bahama and Abaco – based on what was requested, even while plans are underway to construct a multi-purpose shelter/community centre in Abaco and a proposal has been received for the construction of a multi-purpose shelter n Grand Bahama.

“Coming out of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, we got ourselves busy to see how we could assist in bringing the shelters that were impacted on stream. Through one of our donors, the United Sates Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), they pledged $15,000 for every shelter that needed assistance. USNORTHCOM gave $15,000 and the Government of The Bahamas gave $20,000. Based on what they requested, we prepared those shelters. They were all inspected and they were happy and so we had 11 shelters that were repaired in Grand Bahama and there were 2 shelters that were repaired in Abaco based on their requests. Technically we had 14-15 shelters that were ready to go in Grand Bahama if necessary.

“We met with teams from the U.N. and other partners just last week in Abaco to finalize a Plan of Action to get that structure out of the ground. We are looking at that particular shelter as a prototype for shelters we would like to build in strategic locations throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in the not too distant future. The Links Chapter and The Bahamas Red Cross have put forth a proposal to construct a shelter in Grand Bahama. The same plan for the Abaco model has been shared with them to see how they can modify it or if it suits their purpose. We continue to liaison with The Red Cross and the Links Chapter to see how they can advance that structure for us,” Captain Russell added.

More than 100 men, women and children – the volunteers of Bahamas Feeding Network (BFN) and their families – today thanked Royal Caribbean International for what one called “an awesome cruise with memories that will last until eternity.”

The 100+ cruisers were guests of honour aboard Freedom of the Seas for a complimentary four-day cruise that took them from the Port of Miami to Nassau, Perfect Day at CocoCay and back to Miami.

BFN Chairman Felix Stubbs lauded Royal Caribbean International for its generous gift to the volunteers.

“Royal Caribbean continues to demonstrate commitment to its partnership with Bahamas Feeding Network. I express profound gratitude to Royal Caribbean on behalf of the Network’s Board of Directors,” Stubbs said. “These volunteers give of their time tirelessly and we are so grateful that Royal Caribbean recognizes their service to community and rewarded it in this memorable way.”

The Network’s Executive Director Lester Ferguson agreed.

“Corporate friendships like the one we share with Royal Caribbean are essential to the progress of our work,” said Ferguson. “We are both heavily vested in our community, so it’s great when can work together to achieve the common good. We’re simply better together.” Former Executive Director Philip Smith who still serves on the Board and who accompanied the volunteers said, “Royal Caribbean International has always been the most incredible partner for the Bahamas Feeding Network. But treating more than 100 people to a cruise – wow, that is an unbelievable show of generosity and kindness and something that the tireless volunteers of Bahamas Feeding Network will never forget.”

Royal Caribbean International executives and crew have visited BFN, volunteering themselves, and shoring up a bond that began four years ago with RCI President & CEO Michael Bayley serving the community and those who came from afar in search of a hot meal and the warmth of friendship.

Since then, the cruise line has been a constant partner, living up to its commitment to donate $400,000 in 2020 at the height of COVID although its ships were anchored and there was no revenue. In the same year, they also donated 21 forty-foot containers of frozen meat. That donation was worth nearly $800,000.

For Distribution and Volunteer Coordinator Recina ‘Scully’ Ferguson, who has been at the heart of the volunteer organization since its inception in 2013, the cruise was more than a celebration. It was an opportunity to find freedom and rejuvenate.

“It was an awesome trip. The service was on point, it was excellent. I appreciate Royal Caribbean so highly,” said Ms. Ferguson, the former educator who Smith credits with working non-stop. “The ship was named Freedom of the Seas and that is what I felt, freedom. I felt like a heavy weight was lifted off me for that four-day cruise. I’m raring to get back to feeding those in need and making sure no one goes hungry who we can help.”

The Bahamas Feeding Network recently moved into its new home, two doors south of its former location. In January, Lester Ferguson succeeded Smith as the second executive director of the NGO which helps to provide more than 60,000 meals per month through its 97 feeding program partners, fulfilling its mission to provide a central hub for donations and assistance, maximizing resources in order to create a sustainable solution to poverty and help eradicate hunger in the Bahamas.