The Free National Movement (FNM) hopes it can implement a plan to strengthen the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), identify Crown land to establish a Junkanoo theme park, inclusive of a cultural village, and expedite the regularization of long-term residents as well as people born and raised in The Bahamas to non-Bahamian parents if successful in becoming the next government.
The FNM released its Manifesto 2017 last week, in which it lays out its plans to address crime, the economy, healthcare, education, job creation, the cost of electricity, taxes, culture and agriculture and fisheries.
The FNM pledged it would "legislate policy to establish, equip and appropriately staff BAMSI to function as a National Agriculture and Fisheries Research Institute (NAFRI) under the auspicious of the University of The Bahamas".
BAMSI, whose Andros campus the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has labelled as one of its most important initiatives, has been heralded as a vehicle to reduce the nation's reliance on food imports by as much 10 percent, approximately $100 million in food import produce.
The Bahamas imports more than $1 billion worth of food every year.
However, the costing for the project to date remains unclear.
As of October 2014, the investment in BAMSI had reached $23 million, according to the government.
Whether it has managed to reduce The Bahamas' reliance of food imports and by what margin remains unknown.
The FNM said it would also implement a strategic plan to enable BAMSI to focus on the production of quality products for the local and export markets and provide tax incentives and concessions to encourage Bahamian farmers and farming cooperatives throughout the country to promote sustained production and packaging to ensure a continuous supply of quality products to customers.
The opposition promised to privatize packing houses and the produce exchange; institute a crop forecasting system to enable timely planting harvesting and distribution of produce to prevent wastage; and legislate policy to mandate the installation of GPS trackers on all boats granted fishing licenses in order to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Bahamian waters.
It also committed to creating additional protected marine areas with a view to achieving the stated national goal of protecting 20 percent of national seabed by 2020.
According to its manifesto, an FNM administration would expedite the naturalization and/or registration of children born to Bahamian women, who are married to non-Bahamians, and expedite the regularization of the status of long-term residents and those born and raised in The Bahamas to non-Bahamian parents.
The FNM said it would also legislate stiffer penalties for repeat illegal immigrant offenders and those who employ illegal labor and rigorously enforce laws against trafficking.
Additionally, the party pledged it would reduce illegal immigration through enhanced intelligence gathering and "relentless conduct of regular and routine apprehension, detention, fingerprinting and repatriation", as well as "enhance surveillance and enforcement capacity of the national security agencies against illegal immigrants, illegal traffic and trade and private marinas."
As it relates to culture, the FNM promised it would identify Crown land to establish a Junkanoo theme park, inclusive of a cultural village, workshops, shop space for the sale of souvenirs, IMAX video presentations of past parades and guided tours, as well as a museum.
The opposition said it would also construct a national museum of Bahamian history and culture, expand and encourage the development of the cultural sector; upgrade the National Centre for the Performing Arts; establish a national arts council; invest in the restoration and augmentation of public landmarks and monuments and commit additional resources to both junior and senior Junkanoo parades throughout the country.
"The FNM firmly believes that it is imperative that developments in the area of culture be done as a means of providing the Bahamian people, particularly young Bahamians, with opportunities for the full and unbridled understanding and expressions of our history and heritage," the FNM said in its manifesto.
"The FNM therefore considers that it is vital to legislate the establishment of a Ministry of Culture to provide a regulatory framework to foster, protect and promote the full cultural expression of our people."

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