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The Tribune, June 2, 2005

Letters to the Editor

A Tourist's Concern for Bimini

Editor, The Tribune

The following is an open letter to the Rt Hon Perry Gladstone Christie, Prime Minister fo the Bahamas.

Dear Sir,

I am very alarmed to learn that instead of protecting the Bimini islands, valuable mangrove ecosystem, your administration has authorised construction of the Bimini Bay Resort and Casino.  Theis mega-project is already damaging irreplaceable amngrove and marine resources during Phase I of its construction.

I urge you to halt construction of Phase I and immediately take steps to implement the Bimini Marine Protected Area.  As the world learned at great cost during last December's tsunami in South and South East Asia, it is critical to protect the mangrove ecosystem which, in turn, protects the human population from major storms.

Bimini's mangroves also provide protective habitat for a wealth of economically and ecologically valuable species.  The livelihoods of your people and the future of your tourist industry depend on conservaiton of the mangrove ecosystem.

As a tourist,I select destinations where natural resources are protected, and I would never patronise a country or a resort that destroys valuable mangrove ecosystems.

Erik Schnabel

San Francisco, USA