The global fight to preserve marine habitats and species got a financial boost yesterday when the country’s leading international developer, Kerzner International, announced plans to invest more than $5 million over the next five years to support the Kerzner Marine Foundation (KMF).
KMF is a newly established private nonprofit foundation that fosters the preservation and enhancement of global marine ecosystems through scientific research, education and community outreach.
The Foundation’s initial funding of some $356,000 will be funneled into supporting the Nature Conservancy, Bahamas National Trust and The Bahamas Sports Fishing Conservation Association’s efforts to protect the ocean life and habitat of Andros.
The waters surrounding Andros support a rich variety of fish and other marine mammals.
In fact, according to scientists, the island contains some of the most outstanding examples of intact marine and terrestrial habitats left in The Bahamas, including the third largest barrier reef in the world, one of the largest bonefish populations in the world, the highest concentration of blue holes, unique water cave-like habitats in the Western Hemisphere and the largest reservoir freshwater in The Bahamas.
The government is hoping to protect 10 percent of the country’s waters by 2012.
According to KMF’S Executive Director Debra Erikson the country is well on its way to achieving that goal.
“Of all the countries in the Caribbean, The Bahamas probably has the best preserved reefs already,” she said. “Our responsibility is to make sure that legislation is passed to make sure that this is protected.”
Officials said the launching of Kerzner’s Marine Foundation came at a time when the world’s oceans are facing a crisis “of epic proportions”.
According to a recently published report by the Pew Ocean Commission, there is overwhelmingly scientific evidence that the world’s oceans, ecosystems, coral reefs, mangroves, estuaries and wetlands are in a state of collapse.
“The statistics can be overwhelming,” Ms. Erikson said.
“More than 60 percent of the world’s coral reefs are jeopardized due to pollution and over fishing, 70 percent of the world-wide fish stocks are fully exploited or depleted and 14 billion pounds of garbage are dumped into our oceans every year. In addition, over 90 percent of Foundation work in the environment is today focused just on land projects. We saw a big hole and Kerzner Marine Foundation aims to fill that hole.”
The Pew Ocean Commission report along with a report issued by the U.S. Commission on the Oceans also offered a blueprint for the responsible management of ocean ecosystems.
According to Ms. Erikson, four main conclusions were advanced, among them the fact that current (ocean) management systems are really inadequate, the oceans need to be managed on an ecosystem basis, there must be some understanding between lands and seas and that the oceans are a public trust.
“This is a big issue and so is poverty,” Ms. Erikson stressed. “If people do not have food security, conservation is not something that you will participate in.”
Bringing additional focus to KMF’s significance, Dr. Paul Dayton, one of the world’s foremost marine scientists, further explained that as it stands, habitats have already been destroyed all over the place and humans have created a lot of pollution mainly due to industrial and agricultural runoffs.
“I have to say that from what I have seen over the last 30 years of fighting these battles is that it is really hard to get traction,” Dr. Dayton said.
“Academics can make a lot of noise, other people can spend money, but for all of this activity, very little is affected on the ground where it counts, and so the reason I am so excited about the Kerzner Marine Foundation is that they are very serious about having an effect. They intend to make their money work.”
Sharing Dr. Dayon’s enthusiasm was Eleanor Phillips of the Nature Conservancy, who called the launch of KMF a good and welcomed step to assist the local conservation movement.
“This is a very exciting day for The Bahamas,” she said.
“The funding provided by KMF will go a long way in addressing the crucial issue of expanding marine protected areas to ensuring that our fish life and other marine animals have waters in which to thrive and grow, which in turn allows us to do the same. Corporate citizens like Kerzner working alongside the NGO community help us all to achieve lasting success by saving one of the last great places on earth.”
Over the last 10 years, Kerzner International say it has contributed well over $30 million in philanthropic causes back to local communities, which has ranged from AIDS contributions to working with students and communities.
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
