NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The results of a new nationwide survey commissioned by a conservation group indicate that there is overwhelming support in The Bahamas for a permanent ban on oil drilling, with 86 percent of participants backing legislation to permanently halt all fossil fuel exploration in order to protect the country's marine environment and coastal ecosystems.
Of the more than 400 respondents from across the country, only 4 percent said they oppose or strongly oppose a ban on oil drilling, with 9 percent undecided. In addition, 74 percent of respondents said they support The Bahamas transitioning away from fossil fuel use entirely and moving toward renewable energy. A significant majority of respondents also agreed that The Bahamas would be better off protecting the tourism and fishing industries and exploring alternative energy sources rather than seeking economic advancement via exploring for crude oil. The wide-ranging survey was commissioned by Our Islands, Our Future (OIOF), a grassroots coalition advocating for a permanent ban on oil exploration and exploitation activities in The Bahamas.
"This survey is the strongest evidence to date that the Bahamian public opposes any further attempts to gamble with our future through the reckless, dangerous practice of fossil fuel exploration," said Rashema Ingraham, executive director of Waterkeepers Bahamas, a founding member of the OIOF coalition.
"Clearly, Bahamians at large recognize that there is no such thing as 'safe' oil drilling and that we simply have too much to lose in terms of our tourism and fisheries industries, the lifeblood of so many communities and households. We encourage the Davis Administration to take legislative action in accordance with public opinion and its own stated agenda of creating a sustainable future for The Bahamas."
The survey was developed and conducted by local polling firm Intel Cay based on the key insights requested by OIOF members. Questionnaires were administered both online and through outreach by Intel Cay agents, with the target of 386 completed questionnaires achieved on December 23, 2023, after a period of 3.7 weeks. All sample data was collected between November 27, 2023, and January 10, 2024.
In total, 402 questionnaires were completed. A breakdown of respondents by gender shows that 40.2 percent were men and 59.8 percent were women. Of these, 42.1 percent were in New Providence, 37.4 percent were in Grand Bahama, and 20.5 percent were in the Family Islands.
"It is extremely positive that so many Bahamians, across the length and breadth of the country, understand the urgent need for a ban on all future oil exploration," Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, executive director of BREEF, an OIOF founding member. "It is also very encouraging to see that so many want to see the country transition to renewable energy. For island nations like The Bahamas, which are hardest hit by climate change impacts like stronger storms, coral loss, and sea-level rise, it is crucial that we lead by example on the global stage, demonstrating that a sustainable future free of fossil fuels is indeed possible."
Chris Wilke of Waterkeeper Alliance, also an OIOF founding member, added: "Even for the tiny minority of respondents who still believe there may be some economic benefit from oil drilling, it is important to point out that this is not how the international fossil fuel industry works. The sad reality is that in the vast majority of cases, oil companies extract nearly all the value from exploration and extraction for their international shareholders, leaving vulnerable host nations with all the risk of environmental catastrophe and little to none of the reward."
OIOF's overarching aim in The Bahamas is to encourage the government to announce a permanent ban on all oil drilling within the jurisdiction.
The coalition researched Bahamian law and published a Pathway Toward an Oil Drilling Ban in 2022, identifying a temporary moratorium and a permanent ban as the best pathway forward. This strategy calls for a moratorium to be declared immediately as part of ministerial policy, followed by a Parliamentary Act to codify the policy into law, making the policy permanent.
OIOF has cited similar moves in other countries, such as New Zealand, Costa Rica, Greenland, and Wales. Florida recently extended its moratorium on offshore oil drilling to protect its valuable tourism and fishing industries.
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