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By KEVA LIGHTBOURNE
Guardian Staff
Reporter
Fishing is the main
industry in Bimini, and it has long been known as the
Big Game Fishing capital of the world.
While Government
promised to deal with mounting environmental concerns
in Bimini, a local councillor is calling for immediate
attention to the poor state of the harbour, which has
resulted in the decline of the once thriving big game
fishing industry.
Ebbie David, a
member of the Local Government Board and a fishing
tour guide, told the Guardian Wednesday, that between
last year and now he has lost 86 jobs as a result of
the poor conditions at the harbour.
"The
bonefishing guides really have nothing to do. I think
I'm going to get back into trapping because at present
bonefishing isn't working out. I don't want to, but
I'm forced to and I need to keep living," he
said.
The state of the
harbour is just one of the many mounting problems, Mr.
David highlighted via a telephone interview. He made
mention of the six-mile road project which has been
abandoned, the ongoing dispute about the Bimini Bay
development, and a dwindling tourist industry. Those
combined, Mr. David said is cause for "serious
concern" as island residents "are only
getting by."
"If something
is not done quickly, I don't know what is going to
happen. We have a couple of tourists coming in, but
just about all the hotel rooms in Bimini are empty.
Bimini is suppose to be a showcase for our Minister of
Tourism, but nothing is happening," Mr. David
said.
Last November,
Minister of Works and Utilities Bradley Roberts
promised residents that relief is on the way with
regards to the harbour. He said the Government had
received a proposal to conduct a coastal engineering
analysis of the area, which would be inclusive of the
preparation of a base map from aerial photography,
tide and current measurements, jet probes and
hydrographical surveys.
He explained that
this base map along with a hydrodynamic model, coastal
and sediment analysis will provide the necessary data
to develop alternative engineering solutions for short
and long term harbour management. But to date, nothing
has been done.
The Guardian was
told that it was predicted that the harbour works will
take at least a year.
In the meantime,
Mr. David said yachters from around the world have
stopped their visits to the island.
"Our yachters
are not able to come in here any more. This not only
killing the bonefishing industry, but the fishing
industry too," he stressed.
"We are really
begging our Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe, who
is also the island's representative, to try and get
something going in Bimini. A fast ferry or something.
"Every
government for the past 20 something years keep
promising Bimini and nothing is being done. Everybody
just have a bunch of smart talk and nothing to it. We
urged them at this time to please do something for
us," Mr. David said, noting that work needs to be
done on the harbours in both North and South Bimini.
He hoped that the
harbour will soon be fixed as Bimini residents rely
heavily on the mailboat services.
As for the roads,
Mr. David said residents are now being forced to deal
with heavy dust on a daily basis.
Last year, he said
the Government started several miles of roadwork,
which has yet to be completed. He said about two-three
miles of work is still uncompleted.
"We are asking
the government to please hurry up and finish the job
and pay Knowles Construction the money that they owe
them and get the roads paved," he said.
Mr. David blames
the Bimini Bay project for the destruction of a large
piece of land, which resulted in the clearing of cedar
trees, "destroying nature."
The development
started in 1997 and was to be completed within five
years. It called for the construction of not less than
200 hotel rooms, residential subdivision, a marina
capable of handling more than 150 boats, an 18-hole
golf course, a commercial centre, a series of fine
gourmet restaurants, boutique, health spa, marine
shop, and a 10,000 square foot casino among other
amenities.
"The PLP
Government has apparently put pressure on them because
they just had 21,000 blocks come in," Mr. David
said.
"But, the only
thing they came in here to do is to destroy Bimini. If
a native had tried something like that, the Government
would have locked them up, put them in jail and throw
away the key. We need some resolution to our problems
and we need it now," he said.
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