February 15, 2005
2/15 - Sharks Versus Craps: Tourism threatening the Bahamian gem of Bimini
Check out the plea from the Bimini Biological Field Station. It's the home to the best studied community of sharks in the world. The Bahamian government had pledged to create marine reserves to protect them, but now ... the lure of tourist dollars is looming large. Believe it or not, this is actually the rare situation where THERE IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO-- look at the bottom of their web page and you'll see who to contact to let them know you would rather see them protect their ocean resources than create more casinos. And notice the rather sad piece of apologia they had to add to their page so that the knee-jerkers don't attack them (just as we have to do in explaining that we are not opposed to fishing, only over-fishing):
The Bimini Biological Field Station is not against development interests in Bimini, but it is against development that threatens to destroy the beauty and ecology of this precious island.
The Casino Crisis: Do we need a network of CPAs (Casino Protection
Areas)?
I don't agree with everything you post here, but I agree with this one. I only recently made my first trip to Bimini as an angler, targeting bonefish on the flats. A colleague who accompanied me also spent time exploring some of the island's amazing dive sites.
The Bimini Bay Resort & Casino looks to be a disaster. From what I gathered, nobody really wanted it built in the first place. But as we poled the flats, I saw first hand the ugliness it created in North Sound Lagoon. I think the angling and diving community would agree--keep the gambling in Nassau and leave Bimini as the low key recreational paradise it is.
(I posted the UM link on my fishing blog.)
Posted by: Pete at February 23, 2005 11:16 AM