Bimini, Bahamas – Last week, Neil McKinney, President of the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) and Eric Carey, Executive Director of BNT visited Bimini on a fact-finding mission.  They had two objectives, firstly to determine if residents were aware of the details of the proposed cruise ship terminal to be placed off the western shore of Bimini and secondly the BNT wanted to dive on the areas that could possibly be impacted by the development.

Both McKinney and Carey went through the community, speaking to local Biminites about their knowledge of the proposed cruise ship terminal.  As anticipated, many of the individuals were appreciative of the positive economic impact of Bimini Bay, however, many complained about the huge toll the development has taken on the island.  On the other hand, when it comes to the cruise terminal, most Biminites said that no one really knew what the plans were, and to date there has been little to no information shared about the project with locals.


Last week, Neil McKinney, President of the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) and Eric Carey, Executive Director of BNT visited Bimini on a fact-finding mission.  They had two objectives, firstly to determine if residents were aware of the details of the proposed cruise ship terminal to be placed off the western shore of Bimini and secondly the BNT wanted to dive on the areas that could possibly be impacted by the development. Pictured are Carey and McKinney speaking to local residents, including Local Government Lloyd (Duda) Edgecombe, Chief Councillor, second from right.

“While the BNT understands and supports the need for development projects to provide jobs for Bahamians, we have a responsibility to advise the government and express our concerns if these projects are likely to have negative and sometimes avoidable impact on our fragile environment,” said Carey.  He stressed that the BNT is not an anti-development organization, “but we are no clearer on the outline of this project yet and we have many BNT members and Bahamians who are concerned about its proposed placement.”

During the visit President McKinney and Executive Director Carey were taken to several well-known and widely used dive sites off of the Western edge of North Biminis.  According to news reports and unconfirmed Internet reports, the proposed thousand foot long jetty will be constructed in Western Bimini, accompanied by a 6 acre dredge spoil island.  McKinney dove the area of the proposed sites and noted that they were teeming with fish, generally healthy coral and other marine life.

On one of the dive sites, there was a substantial colony of elkhorn coral, which is critically endangered in other parts of The Bahamas, but thriving in Bimini.  McKinney noted that “coral reefs are some of the most threatened ecosystems globally, however, all of the sites that I visited were all healthy reef systems.  These reefs are important both ecologically and economically to Bimini.  Their loss therefore would have a double negative impact on the island, which is a world famous fishing capital of the Western Hemisphere.”

Ultimately, if the terminal is to be constructed in the area where reports have said, the BNT feels that it would be a huge disservice to Bimini, Biminites, and the marine ecosystem surrounding Bimini.  McKinney stressed, “while development is essential, we must preserve our natural resources before it’s too late.“