LESS than a week after they were apprehended by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, 46 Dominican fishermen were charged in court on Thursday afternoon for poaching in Bahamian waters. The Dominican nationals all appeared before Magistrate Cara Turnquest and were charged with illegal foreign fishing; possession of a grouper less than three pounds; possession of fresh crawfish during the closed season; possession of undersized crawfish and possession of prohibited apparatus.

LESS than a week after they were apprehended by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, 46 Dominican fishermen were charged in court on Thursday afternoon for poaching in Bahamian waters.

The Dominican nationals all appeared before Magistrate Cara Turnquest and were charged with illegal foreign fishing; possession of a grouper less than three pounds; possession of fresh crawfish during the closed season; possession of undersized crawfish and possession of prohibited apparatus.

 

The Bahamas National Trust condemns the killing of the sea turtle in Grand Bahama.  We commend the officers of the various agencies who coordinated the arrest of the three people responsible for the capture and brutal slaughter of a loggerhead turtle last week in Grand Bahama.

The 2009 ban on the harvest of sea turtles was enacted to protect these species, all of which are endangered.

The effort led jointly by several NGOs with the support of the Bahamian public is part of a global conservation effort to protect these charismatic animals.

Sea turtles are highly migratory and are threatened globally.

Those found in The Bahamas, spend only a portion of their lives here. They travel far and wide, spending different parts of their lives in the territorial waters of different nations.

The ban therefore, not only protects sea turtles in The Bahamas, but also sea turtles throughout the globe especially in those in the Caribbean, United States, and Bermuda.

In many of these countries, they are also protected and are an important contributor to local economies by providing excellent eco-tourism opportunities. 

Despite public outcry, it is evident that we still need to do more education on the importance of sea turtles. 

In sentencing, the magistrate missed an opportunity to send a clear message that this is a serious offense.

Many citizens felt that the conditional discharge of 500 hours of community service was too lenient.

Fisheries regulations allow for a much stronger penalty to have been issued. Offenders could have received a fine of $3,000, one year imprisonment or both.

Perhaps, at the very least, the perpetrators of this egregious act should have been made to spend the time, in service to the environment. 

While the BNT respects the discretion of the magistrate in deciding penalties, we are disappointed with the decision. 

All around the world, humans have driven sea turtle populations to the brink of extinction. Unintended catch, or “bycatch,” of sea turtles in commercial fisheries, poaching of sea turtles and their eggs, coastal development, trade of sea turtles and their parts and poor enforcement of conservation laws all have contributed to the worldwide decline of their populations. 

The recent public outrage by citizens shows the the importance of an informed citizenry in the enforcement of our fisheries regulations.

  The BNT encourages members of the public to learn the fisheries regulations, and to continue reporting offenses to the Department of Marine Resources.

Following a three-month recovery period under the close care of the marine mammal team at Atlantis, Paradise Island resort, a wild Florida manatee (one of approximately 3,000 male Florida manatees left in the world) first rescued in September, was released near his rescue location at Spanish Wells, Bahamas, on Tuesday, January 9.

As the only full-service resort with the medical, laboratory, research and holding capacity of an independent marine life facility, Atlantis’ marine mammal specialists and veterinarians at Dolphin Cay, with local and international agency and research partners (The Bahamas Department of Marine Resources, U.S. Geological Survey, University of Florida, Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organization and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission), monitored the manatee’s progress 24 hours a day leading up to his full rehabilitation.

Over the three-month recovery period at Atlantis, Manny grew from a malnourished 365 pounds to a healthy 840-pound weight, and has now rejoined the growing population of wild manatees in The Bahamas.

The manatee population in the United States has recovered sufficiently to be federally downgraded from endangered status to threatened this past spring.

Due to its level of expertise, professionalism, and commitment to the environment, the Atlantis, Paradise Island team was selected by The Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organization (BMMRO) and The Bahamas Department of Marine Resources to lead the manatee’s official ocean rescue and intensive care process, following the initial sighting of Manny by residents of Spanish Wells.

The resort employs over 75 full-time, on-property marine mammal experts with years of experience in the field, and also has its own research vessel (The Sea Keeper) that is used for conducting wildlife surveys, coral reef restoration, as well as the rescues of inured and distressed marine animals.

By comparing his unique scar pattern with known manatees in Florida, scientists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and U.S. Geological Survey concluded that prior to migrating to The Bahamas, Manny was last seen in the Tampa, Florida area.

Following final evaluations, treatments, and testing by the Atlantis team, in collaboration with the wide range of local and international players from the wildlife conservation field, The Bahamas Department of Marine Resources authorized the return of the manatee to Spanish Wells (North Eleuthera), where he was first discovered and where a small population of manatees currently reside.

Manny’s progress at Atlantis has been immense, with a total weight gain of more than 400 pounds.

The once-malnourished manatee was fed up to 144 heads of romaine, 24 heads of kale and 4 bags of spinach per day, by the time of his release.

“After much dedicated care and scientific evaluations by our team, I am happy to report that Manny has made a complete recovery at Atlantis, Paradise Island.

On Tuesday, January 9, our team of marine mammal specialists, veterinarians and local and international agency partners successfully returned a healthy Manny back into his ocean home.

There is no better way to start the New Year than seeing this manatee back in his natural habitat, where he belongs. Marine life research, official rescues and rehabilitation processes are at the core of our identity.

As the only resort destination to handle marine mammal care of this caliber, we are truly committed to continuing to raise awareness in the field of science.

We, along with our agency partners and BMMRO, are excited to monitor Manny’s movements through his satellite-monitored GPS tracker, and conducting research related to his journey,” shared Ted Turner, Vice President - Dolphin Cay Operations at Atlantis, Paradise Island. 

Atlantis, Paradise Island is no stranger to marine life conservation and scientific research. The resort founded the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation in 2007, a private non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to saving marine species and their extraordinary habits throughout The Bahamas and surrounding Caribbean seas.

It accomplishes these goals by funding scientific research, conservation and education programs, and through community outreach efforts.

Specific projects involve marine rehabilitation and release (like Manny), manatee health assessments, coral reef restoration, sea turtle conservation and nest protection, marine preserve establishment, and marine mammal stranding response.

The foundation gets its funding through every guest stay at the resort and a portion of the proceeds from all of Atlantis’ marine programs. More than $5 million dollars has been generated to support environmental conservation.

Previously, Atlantis staff rescued 17 stranded dolphins and 14 sea lions, whose home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, leading the resort to open Dolphin Cay – one of the world’s largest man-made marine mammal habitats.

To learn more about Atlantis’ marine mammal programs and research team, please visit: atlantisbahamas.com/thingstodo/marinehabitat. For more information on the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation, please visit: http://blueprojectatlantis.org/

About Atlantis, Paradise Island:
Atlantis, Paradise Island is a lush, oceanside resort located on Paradise Island in The Bahamas. A dynamic destination that launched 20 years ago as a first-of-its-kind modern marvel of nature and engineering, Atlantis has embarked on a new chapter tied to a meaningful connection with the ocean, Bahamian culture and the spirit of the property’s over 7,500 employees. The resort’s new, immersive programming connects guests to the rich history, art, people, food and festivities of The Bahamas.

Atlantis features five distinct properties in which to stay, from the iconic Royal Towers to The Beach and The Coral to the newly built luxury properties, The Cove and The Reef. The Coral has reopened as a fully redesigned family escape with a new lobby, new rooms, and new amenities, including a new pool designed by Jeffrey Beers. Recently, The Cove celebrated a series of new design collaborations, restaurants and guest experiences, each paying homage to Bahamian traditions, culture, cuisine, colorful design and the ocean that surrounds the islands. The opening of the new Cove brings two restaurants - one led by Bahamian Chef Julie Lightbourn and one by renowned Master Chef José Andres, a newly designed poolscape and cabana sanctuary designed by Lulu DK and a soul-stirring art installation created by Antonius Roberts.

The resort is built around Aquaventure, an innovative, 141-acre waterscape of thrilling slides and river rides, pools and white sand beaches. Home to the largest open-air marine habitat in the world, over 50,000 marine animals from 250 species make their home in the ocean fed environments. From unparalleled meeting and convention space to the luxury Atlantis Marina accommodating yachts up to 220 feet in length overlooking Marina Village, a Bahamian marketplace, the Atlantis experiences are endless. Other resort amenities include the 30,000sf tranquil Mandara Spa, Atlantis Kids Adventures (AKA) for children ages 3-12 and CRUSH, a cutting-edge teen club. The resort’s award-winning 18-hole Tom Weiskopf designed golf course, renowned Atlantis Casino and duty free shopping are complemented by the property's 40 restaurants and lounges with celebrity chef culinary masterpieces including Nobu, by Nobu Matsuhisa; Olives, by Todd English and Casa D’Angelo by Chef Angelo Elia.

Dolphin Cay, the resort’s 14-acre marine mammal habitat, is a state-of-the-art education center and animal-rescue rehabilitation hospital whose first residents were 16 rescue dolphins from Hurricane Katrina. Visitors to Dolphin Cay can participate in creative, non-disruptive “interactions” that build real awareness, stir emotion and help fund the resort’s conservation efforts. Through these guest participations and those offered through Atlantis Marine Adventures, over $5 million dollars has been generated to support environmental conservation via the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation (ABPF), a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization.

For reservations, visit www.AtlantisBahamas.com or call your travel agent or 1-800-ATLANTIS. Follow Atlantis on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AtlantisBahamas, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AtlantisBahamas, and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/AtlantisBahamas

Coming soon! Bingo Night! Tuesday, August 22nd, 7 p.m. at the Green Parrot, East Bay.