The Nature Conservancy, an international non-profit environmental organization, wants the Andros national park system expanded through the creation of a new marine protected area on the west side of Andros with the assistance of The Bahamas National Trust and Kerzner Marine Foundation.
The Nature Conservancy notes that Andros contains some of the most intact marine and terrestrial habitats remaining in The Bahamas, which include tidal flats with a thriving bonefish population, the third largest reef in the world and the highest concentration of blue holes in the Western Hemisphere.
The Conservancy said in a news release that, “It is a well known fact that the west side of Andros is of critical importance to sustaining the marine resources of the entire Bahamas. Recognizing the importance of this system to the economy of The Bahamas and to the social and economic well being of Androsians, this protected area will ensure sustainable use of important commercial and recreational species.”
It said that over the next three years, the Conservancy and The Bahamas National Trust and other local partners and government agencies will work on a comprehensive strategy to promote the establishment of the new marine protected area.
The release said this new marine protected area is envisioned to provide lasting protection and sound management of the important natural resources found on the west side, while allowing for their sustainable use.
Director of the Nature Conservancy in The Bahamas Eleanor Phillips told The Bahama Journal that the organization has consulted members of the local community to decide how to preserve local activities like crabbing and bone fishing.
“We have been very open and transparent with what we are hoping to achieve with this project,” Mrs. Phillips said. “We want to involve local people in the project. We had five local guys acting as guides and four students.”
The Nature Conservancy reported that in June the first major step of the project began with a rapid ecological assessment of the west side and noted that “the area is as pristine as it gets”.
Among other things, the team found that the west side is a very important gathering place for sharks; there exists sawfish, which are currently listed as a threatened species in the United States; flamingos, last seen on Andros in significant numbers approximately 50 years ago, have re-occupied some of their former grounds on the west side; and there exists an interconnected network of freshwater lakes and rivers that provide vital water flows to several estuaries.
The release also said the project partners are planning a series of community meetings to be held on Andros during September and October where results of the rapid ecological assessment and recommendations for the new protected area will be discussed.
By: Stephen Gay, The Bahama Journal
