Blacktip shark
Registered
- Messages
- 24
- Reaction score
- 0
Bahamas National Trust
P.O. Box N4105
The Retreat Gardens
Village Road
Nassau, Bahamas
Department of Fisheries
Ministry of Agriculture & Marine Resources
East Bay Street
P. O. Box N 3028
Nassau, Bahamas
The Nature Conservancy - Bahamas Program
West Bay Street
Caves Village, Suite 2
Building 5
P.O. Box CB - 11398
Nassau, Bahamas
The Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology (BEST) Commission
Ministry of Health and the Environment
PO Box N3730
Nassau Court
Nassau, New Providence
The Bahamas
Dear all,
Despite the startling evidence showing the negative impact that excessive dredging and mangrove removal is having on North Bimini, developers on South Bimini have begun to follow suit with the same disregard for Bimini's ecological integrity.
A study carried out a few years back examined the levels of larval and post-larval recruitment around Bimini for small fish an invertebrates, specifically focusing on lobster. Four of Bimini's mangrove nursery areas were compared to each other to see where the highest numbers of post-larval lobster were settling, and thus growing up, around the island. (I will assume by now, that all on this e mail listing are aware of the direct relationship between healthy mangrove nursery habitat and the adult populations of the species that inhabit those nurseries.) Of the four sites studied around Bimini, there were two sites that had substantially higher levels of lobster recruitment than the other two sites. Ironically, the area included in Bimini's proposed MPA boundaries was not amongst the top two sites.
The second-highest numbers recorded for lobster settlement were recorded in the area directly adjacent to Mosquito Point, on North Bimini. This area has since been bulldozed and cleared by resort developers on North Bimini.
The highest levels of lobster settlement were actually recorded on the north-western region of South Bimini, where a large mangrove wetland sits closely in line with the Gulf Stream flushed waters that rush onto the Bimini flats with the tides. Today, as I write this e mail, that area is being dredged. Along the road just west of South Bimini's Fountain of Youth, a large area of mangrove wetlands is being dredged and destroyed, and with it will go the lobster, and other wildlife, that inhabit the area.
It has been indisputably proven that mangrove nurseries play a critical role in maintaining coral reefs systems, as well as other off-shore marine ecosystems. It has also been shown around the world that removing these mangrove nurseries has devastating effects on the ecology, and very often the economy, in the areas in which they occur.
In early December, CNN News and Island Magazine listed Bimini as one of the top snorkeling "safari" sites in the world, among such famed areas as the Galapagos Islands and the Dry Tortugas National Park (see article attached below). This claim, along with Bimini's long-held title as the "Big Game Fishing Captial of the World," would lead one to believe that Bimini's ecological health is at the forefront of the island's future economic growth. You would assume that an area widely revered as a 'mecca' for fishing and diving would surely be actively pursuing measures to ensure the future of these huge draws to the island. But is this happening on Bimini?
Today, as two of the most important wetlands on the island are being destroyed, what will the result be for tomorrow? As more and more people come to Bimini to fish, what will happen as we continue to destroy the nursery areas that make that sport so viable here? As we allow more mangroves to be dredged, what will snorkelers and divers enjoy as the coral reefs and their inhabitants are degraded as a result?
Bimini should not be seen as a piece of real-estate for people to come in and alter as they see fit, yet developers on North Bimini, and now on South Bimini, seem eager to change the landscape of the island to suit their desires. Bimini's ecology, culture and history are what have brought every person here who has enjoyed the island over the last many decades. And instead of preserving those things, and using them as the primary attraction of the island, they are being replaced.
Again, I respectfully ask the Bahamas National Trust, The Nature Conservancy, BEST Commission, and Department of Marine Resources, what is being done to preserve this amazing island? What is being done to ensure that the waters that have attracted thousands and thousands of people to Bimini are being maintained, healthy and viable?
At this point, I would argue that establishing Bimini's Marine Protected Area is the least that should be done. Prime Minister Ingraham has recently stated that, "The filling in of wetlands is a thing that has to come to an end, it has to stop." (The Tribune, November 2, 2007) If this idea is not embraced on Bimini, and embraced soon, I fear that the very things that have made this island the paradise that it is will be lost.
Respectfully yours,
member of SaveBimini.org
(please see article below)
Safari: Many definitions, many destinations
Safari: Many definitions, many destinations - CNN.com
NEW YORK (AP) -- Wildlife-watching safaris don't always involve a trip to the Serengeti. Here are a few around the world, from trips to see big game in Africa, to expeditions in Australia, Canada and the Caribbean.
A four-night "Outback National Parks Safari" in Australia with Fresh Tracks outfitters starts at $2,643, departing from Sydney, returning to Melbourne. You'll see Aboriginal art, White Cliffs Opal Field, the lunar-like landscape of Mungo National Park, and the waterbirds that live in the backwaters and drowned forests of Kinchega National Park. Details at Fresh Tracks Australia - Australia Vacations - Australia Travel Guide.
In Jamaica, Chukka Caribbean Adventures Ocean Safari offers a $65-per-person trip in mini-boats from either Ocho Rios or Montego Bay. You'll explore mangroves, go snorkeling, and enjoy looking at seabirds and the island's coastline. Details at Chukka Caribbean Adventures.
Micato Safaris' trips in Eastern and Southern Africa include a 12-day "Heart of Kenya and Tanzania" with a visit to a Masai village and opportunities to view lions, elephants and other animals in the crater of an extinct volcano and in the Serengeti; per person, double occupancy rates for 2008 start at $8,140. Details at :::: Micato Safaris ::::. Travel + Leisure magazine readers have named Micato as the "world's best tour operator and safari outfitter" for five years in a row. Micato travelers receive a hardcover book of gorgeous animal photos called "The Micato Safaris Guide to Predators."
The December issue of Islands magazine lists the world's best "snorkel safaris" -- where you can see underwater wildlife from coral and sea turtles to lion fish, dolphins, whale sharks and stingrays. Some excursions go for as little as $20, like one offered by Deep Blue Utila, Deep Blue Utila swim with whale sharks at our all inclusive resort. Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras in Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras . Other destinations on the list include Bonaire, in the Dutch Antilles; North Bimini, Bahamas; Dry Tortugas National Park, in Florida; Laughing Bird Caye, Belize; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Soufriere, Dominica; in Hawaii, Maui and the Big Island; Rurutu, French Polynesia; Les Medes Islands, Spain; Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; and Plaza Sur, in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
Several thousand eagles return to the Squamish Valley in British Columbia, Canada, in winter to feed on spawning salmon. The Adara Hotel in Whistler offers an "Eagle Safari Package" with a night's stay, breakfast, and a river raft trip (lunch included) to see the birds; $479 through December 19 and $719 January 2-Februaru 17, per person, double occupancy. Details at Adara Whistler Hotel | home. Whistler, also famed for its skiing, is a two and a-half hour drive from Vancouver.
Abercrombie & Kent offers safaris and tours ranging from a $3,995 10-day "Kenya Highlights" tour to an ultra-luxurious trip, November 3-22, 2008, called "Africa: Cultures, Caravans & Safaris," with an $86,500 pricetag (per person, double occupancy). That tour, using a private jet, is limited to 52 guests and includes stops around the continent, with sightseeing in Morocco, Timbuktu, Addis Ababa, the Masai Mara game reserve, Victoria Falls and Cape Town. If you prefer traveling on your own, the company also offers ready-to-book itineraries with a driver and guide and reservations in hotels and lodges. Details at Luxury Travel, Travel, Luxury Vacations, Luxury Tours, Luxury Trips, African safaris, travel company - Abercrombie & Kent Inc.
P.O. Box N4105
The Retreat Gardens
Village Road
Nassau, Bahamas
Department of Fisheries
Ministry of Agriculture & Marine Resources
East Bay Street
P. O. Box N 3028
Nassau, Bahamas
The Nature Conservancy - Bahamas Program
West Bay Street
Caves Village, Suite 2
Building 5
P.O. Box CB - 11398
Nassau, Bahamas
The Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology (BEST) Commission
Ministry of Health and the Environment
PO Box N3730
Nassau Court
Nassau, New Providence
The Bahamas
Dear all,
Despite the startling evidence showing the negative impact that excessive dredging and mangrove removal is having on North Bimini, developers on South Bimini have begun to follow suit with the same disregard for Bimini's ecological integrity.
A study carried out a few years back examined the levels of larval and post-larval recruitment around Bimini for small fish an invertebrates, specifically focusing on lobster. Four of Bimini's mangrove nursery areas were compared to each other to see where the highest numbers of post-larval lobster were settling, and thus growing up, around the island. (I will assume by now, that all on this e mail listing are aware of the direct relationship between healthy mangrove nursery habitat and the adult populations of the species that inhabit those nurseries.) Of the four sites studied around Bimini, there were two sites that had substantially higher levels of lobster recruitment than the other two sites. Ironically, the area included in Bimini's proposed MPA boundaries was not amongst the top two sites.
The second-highest numbers recorded for lobster settlement were recorded in the area directly adjacent to Mosquito Point, on North Bimini. This area has since been bulldozed and cleared by resort developers on North Bimini.
The highest levels of lobster settlement were actually recorded on the north-western region of South Bimini, where a large mangrove wetland sits closely in line with the Gulf Stream flushed waters that rush onto the Bimini flats with the tides. Today, as I write this e mail, that area is being dredged. Along the road just west of South Bimini's Fountain of Youth, a large area of mangrove wetlands is being dredged and destroyed, and with it will go the lobster, and other wildlife, that inhabit the area.
It has been indisputably proven that mangrove nurseries play a critical role in maintaining coral reefs systems, as well as other off-shore marine ecosystems. It has also been shown around the world that removing these mangrove nurseries has devastating effects on the ecology, and very often the economy, in the areas in which they occur.
In early December, CNN News and Island Magazine listed Bimini as one of the top snorkeling "safari" sites in the world, among such famed areas as the Galapagos Islands and the Dry Tortugas National Park (see article attached below). This claim, along with Bimini's long-held title as the "Big Game Fishing Captial of the World," would lead one to believe that Bimini's ecological health is at the forefront of the island's future economic growth. You would assume that an area widely revered as a 'mecca' for fishing and diving would surely be actively pursuing measures to ensure the future of these huge draws to the island. But is this happening on Bimini?
Today, as two of the most important wetlands on the island are being destroyed, what will the result be for tomorrow? As more and more people come to Bimini to fish, what will happen as we continue to destroy the nursery areas that make that sport so viable here? As we allow more mangroves to be dredged, what will snorkelers and divers enjoy as the coral reefs and their inhabitants are degraded as a result?
Bimini should not be seen as a piece of real-estate for people to come in and alter as they see fit, yet developers on North Bimini, and now on South Bimini, seem eager to change the landscape of the island to suit their desires. Bimini's ecology, culture and history are what have brought every person here who has enjoyed the island over the last many decades. And instead of preserving those things, and using them as the primary attraction of the island, they are being replaced.
Again, I respectfully ask the Bahamas National Trust, The Nature Conservancy, BEST Commission, and Department of Marine Resources, what is being done to preserve this amazing island? What is being done to ensure that the waters that have attracted thousands and thousands of people to Bimini are being maintained, healthy and viable?
At this point, I would argue that establishing Bimini's Marine Protected Area is the least that should be done. Prime Minister Ingraham has recently stated that, "The filling in of wetlands is a thing that has to come to an end, it has to stop." (The Tribune, November 2, 2007) If this idea is not embraced on Bimini, and embraced soon, I fear that the very things that have made this island the paradise that it is will be lost.
Respectfully yours,
member of SaveBimini.org
(please see article below)
Safari: Many definitions, many destinations
Safari: Many definitions, many destinations - CNN.com
NEW YORK (AP) -- Wildlife-watching safaris don't always involve a trip to the Serengeti. Here are a few around the world, from trips to see big game in Africa, to expeditions in Australia, Canada and the Caribbean.
A four-night "Outback National Parks Safari" in Australia with Fresh Tracks outfitters starts at $2,643, departing from Sydney, returning to Melbourne. You'll see Aboriginal art, White Cliffs Opal Field, the lunar-like landscape of Mungo National Park, and the waterbirds that live in the backwaters and drowned forests of Kinchega National Park. Details at Fresh Tracks Australia - Australia Vacations - Australia Travel Guide.
In Jamaica, Chukka Caribbean Adventures Ocean Safari offers a $65-per-person trip in mini-boats from either Ocho Rios or Montego Bay. You'll explore mangroves, go snorkeling, and enjoy looking at seabirds and the island's coastline. Details at Chukka Caribbean Adventures.
Micato Safaris' trips in Eastern and Southern Africa include a 12-day "Heart of Kenya and Tanzania" with a visit to a Masai village and opportunities to view lions, elephants and other animals in the crater of an extinct volcano and in the Serengeti; per person, double occupancy rates for 2008 start at $8,140. Details at :::: Micato Safaris ::::. Travel + Leisure magazine readers have named Micato as the "world's best tour operator and safari outfitter" for five years in a row. Micato travelers receive a hardcover book of gorgeous animal photos called "The Micato Safaris Guide to Predators."
The December issue of Islands magazine lists the world's best "snorkel safaris" -- where you can see underwater wildlife from coral and sea turtles to lion fish, dolphins, whale sharks and stingrays. Some excursions go for as little as $20, like one offered by Deep Blue Utila, Deep Blue Utila swim with whale sharks at our all inclusive resort. Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras in Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras . Other destinations on the list include Bonaire, in the Dutch Antilles; North Bimini, Bahamas; Dry Tortugas National Park, in Florida; Laughing Bird Caye, Belize; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Soufriere, Dominica; in Hawaii, Maui and the Big Island; Rurutu, French Polynesia; Les Medes Islands, Spain; Fernando de Noronha, Brazil; and Plaza Sur, in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
Several thousand eagles return to the Squamish Valley in British Columbia, Canada, in winter to feed on spawning salmon. The Adara Hotel in Whistler offers an "Eagle Safari Package" with a night's stay, breakfast, and a river raft trip (lunch included) to see the birds; $479 through December 19 and $719 January 2-Februaru 17, per person, double occupancy. Details at Adara Whistler Hotel | home. Whistler, also famed for its skiing, is a two and a-half hour drive from Vancouver.
Abercrombie & Kent offers safaris and tours ranging from a $3,995 10-day "Kenya Highlights" tour to an ultra-luxurious trip, November 3-22, 2008, called "Africa: Cultures, Caravans & Safaris," with an $86,500 pricetag (per person, double occupancy). That tour, using a private jet, is limited to 52 guests and includes stops around the continent, with sightseeing in Morocco, Timbuktu, Addis Ababa, the Masai Mara game reserve, Victoria Falls and Cape Town. If you prefer traveling on your own, the company also offers ready-to-book itineraries with a driver and guide and reservations in hotels and lodges. Details at Luxury Travel, Travel, Luxury Vacations, Luxury Tours, Luxury Trips, African safaris, travel company - Abercrombie & Kent Inc.
