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More than 3500 sign petition urging halt to Yntegra/Rosewood Hotels environmental approval

Thu, Jun 5th 2025, 10:42 AM
Environment

A petition launched by leading environmental expert Eric Carey urging the halt of approvals for the proposed Yntegra/Rosewood Hotels project in the Central Exumas this week became one of the strongest public outcries in Bahamian history with more than 3,500 signatures.

“More than three thousand five hundred concerned citizens have signed a petition begging their government to act responsibly. Any government that would ignore such an outcry would be saying ‘Your voices don’t matter’ and I personallly believe that this is a government that listens to the people,” said Carey, CEO of ONE Consultants. “And the people are clearly and loudly saying ‘Save Exuma. Don’t dredge, don’t destroy our precious marine resources in the name of catering to a wealthy few’  because that is what this fight really amounts to, the protest against a project that is too dense, too big in size for a small cay in the Central Exumas, and too great a risk for the environment, the economy and personal safety.”

The petition urges the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) to require further analysis of the environmental impact of the massive seabed dredging required for the project, information which was not included in Yntegra’s publicly disclosed Environmental Impact Analysis. 

The local issue has caught the attention of a highly respected and influential global tourism publication.  SKIFT, best known for its significant conferences attracting worldwide yachting enthusiasts and maritime industry stakeholders, published a piece this week titled “Rosewood’s Luxury Bahamas Resort Faces Backlash Over Threat to Carbon-Storing Seagrass”.

In the article, the author questioned whether projects that cater to what he called “the few ultra-wealthy” put the fight against climate change at risk.

“As climate risks grow, projects catering to the few ultra-wealthy raise tough questions about who really benefits and who bears the cost,” wrote author Darin Graham. “A plan for a new ultra-luxury resort in the Bahamas is drawing backlash from local groups and environmentalists, who warn the development could damage vital marine ecosystems that help fight climate change.”

The SKIFT article, expected to be read by thousands in the boating industry around the world, focuses on the potential loss of meadows of sea grass that the Prime Minister of The Bahamas has said must be protected at all costs. The proposed Yntegra/Rosewood Hotels project calls for a minimum of two football fields of seabed dredging for a supply dock in a highly sensitive cut that contains a sea grass meadow, and would destroy conch hatcheries, thriving coral reefs and displace sea turtle populations. Locals also fear the loss of jobs related to the marine environment that is the economic engine of the Central Exumas.

SKIFT journalist Graham notes that “Marine biologists and local groups argue the planned dredging for two marinas could destroy up to 15 acres of seagrass beds, one of the most effective natural tools for carbon capture.” That destruction could undermine The Bahamas efforts to develop a blue carbon market, he notes.

He also quotes Joseph Darville, chairman of Waterkeepers Bahamas who dove the site and said he was astounded to find a “never-ending watery paradise” with spotted eagle rays, groupers, turtles, and healthy coral reefs. “Any extensive and undue sea dredging in that area would spell doom for the abundance of sea life,” Darville told the reporter. “This is sacred marine territory.”

The SKIFT story also points out potential destruction of acres and acres of legally protected mangroves and wetlands, critical for protection of inland areas from the damage of devastating hurricanes and sea level rise.

“This isn’t just a Bahamian issue. It’s a global one,” said Darville. “In the face of climate change and rising sea levels, we must do everything possible to preserve thriving wetland and reef systems like this.”

The outcome of the dispute that has united a broad-based group of local businesses, residents and tour operators under the Save Exuma Alliance (www.saveexumaalliance.org) lies in the hands of DEPP which has the authority to issue or deny permits or require the Yntegra/Rosewood Hotels project to re-scale. The developer of the eco-sensitive Turtlegrass Resort & Island Club that shares the island on privately purchased land and has already invested $17 million in its first phase has said his project can co-exist with the planned Rosewood Hotels development if the project is scaled down to an appropriate size for the island and does not include dredging to build an unnecessary supply dock in the North Bay of the island.

A petition launched by leading environmental expert Eric Carey urging the halt of approvals for the proposed Yntegra/Rosewood Hotels project in the Central Exumas this week became one of the strongest public outcries in Bahamian history with more than 3,500 signatures.
“More than three thousand five hundred concerned citizens have signed a petition begging their government to act responsibly. Any government that would ignore such an outcry would be saying ‘Your voices don’t matter’ and I personallly believe that this is a government that listens to the people,” said Carey, CEO of ONE Consultants. “And the people are clearly and loudly saying ‘Save Exuma. Don’t dredge, don’t destroy our precious marine resources in the name of catering to a wealthy few’  because that is what this fight really amounts to, the protest against a project that is too dense, too big in size for a small cay in the Central Exumas, and too great a risk for the environment, the economy and personal safety.”
The petition urges the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) to require further analysis of the environmental impact of the massive seabed dredging required for the project, information which was not included in Yntegra’s publicly disclosed Environmental Impact Analysis. 
The local issue has caught the attention of a highly respected and influential global tourism publication.  SKIFT, best known for its significant conferences attracting worldwide yachting enthusiasts and maritime industry stakeholders, published a piece this week titled “Rosewood’s Luxury Bahamas Resort Faces Backlash Over Threat to Carbon-Storing Seagrass”.
In the article, the author questioned whether projects that cater to what he called “the few ultra-wealthy” put the fight against climate change at risk.
“As climate risks grow, projects catering to the few ultra-wealthy raise tough questions about who really benefits and who bears the cost,” wrote author Darin Graham. “A plan for a new ultra-luxury resort in the Bahamas is drawing backlash from local groups and environmentalists, who warn the development could damage vital marine ecosystems that help fight climate change.”
The SKIFT article, expected to be read by thousands in the boating industry around the world, focuses on the potential loss of meadows of sea grass that the Prime Minister of The Bahamas has said must be protected at all costs. The proposed Yntegra/Rosewood Hotels project calls for a minimum of two football fields of seabed dredging for a supply dock in a highly sensitive cut that contains a sea grass meadow, and would destroy conch hatcheries, thriving coral reefs and displace sea turtle populations. Locals also fear the loss of jobs related to the marine environment that is the economic engine of the Central Exumas.
SKIFT journalist Graham notes that “Marine biologists and local groups argue the planned dredging for two marinas could destroy up to 15 acres of seagrass beds, one of the most effective natural tools for carbon capture.” That destruction could undermine The Bahamas efforts to develop a blue carbon market, he notes.
He also quotes Joseph Darville, chairman of Waterkeepers Bahamas who dove the site and said he was astounded to find a “never-ending watery paradise” with spotted eagle rays, groupers, turtles, and healthy coral reefs. “Any extensive and undue sea dredging in that area would spell doom for the abundance of sea life,” Darville told the reporter. “This is sacred marine territory.”
The SKIFT story also points out potential destruction of acres and acres of legally protected mangroves and wetlands, critical for protection of inland areas from the damage of devastating hurricanes and sea level rise.
“This isn’t just a Bahamian issue. It’s a global one,” said Darville. “In the face of climate change and rising sea levels, we must do everything possible to preserve thriving wetland and reef systems like this.”
The outcome of the dispute that has united a broad-based group of local businesses, residents and tour operators under the Save Exuma Alliance (www.saveexumaalliance.org) lies in the hands of DEPP which has the authority to issue or deny permits or require the Yntegra/Rosewood Hotels project to re-scale. The developer of the eco-sensitive Turtlegrass Resort & Island Club that shares the island on privately purchased land and has already invested $17 million in its first phase has said his project can co-exist with the planned Rosewood Hotels development if the project is scaled down to an appropriate size for the island and does not include dredging to build an unnecessary supply dock in the North Bay of the island.
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