This issue is being promoted by a local children's author, who recently traveled to this island in the Bahamas.  She describes the situation below, and encourages us to act. 

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Dear Students,

 My book THE SEA, THE STORM AND THE MANGROVE TANGLE is about the importance of mangroves. I*m trying to help save a large island of mangroves in Bimini--an island in the Bahamas near S. Florida,. I was hoping that you could help by writing --and asking your friends to write --some persuasive letters to the Bahamian Prime Minister, Perry Christie. He and the other officials whose names, addresses and e-mails are below will make a decision to either save or destroy Bimini mangroves.

I just returned from a week there so I could see the destruction and talk to the inhabitants myself. The North Sound of Bimini which is entirely mangroves, was supposed to have been preserved as a Marine Protected Area (MPA) where the eggs of fish, conch, shrimp, lobsters and many other living things could grow up into adulthood without being disturbed. 

However, a very rich developer, Geraldo Capo, was given a permit and is dredging the ocean bottom and building up the land. The dirt that he is disturbing is clouding the water and covering up the reef, flowing into the mangroves and affecting the whole ecosystem.

   

Mangroves from the air                                                                            Destruction viewed from the air

   

Mangroves from water level                                                                        Bulldozer working in the shallow water

If you write to these officials, please mention these points:

1. Mangroves are irreplaceable. Without hem, the fish population will plummet. They are important:

a. as buffers against storms (hurricanes & tsunamis)
b. as nurseries for fish which feed people in coastal communities and
throughout the world by providing the ocean's fishes with a safe place for them to grow up.
c. as important habitat for many living things
d. to protect the health of sea grass beds and coral reefs.

2. Please also ask the politicians why they gave Mr. Capo a permit when the whole area of mangroves was supposed to be protected as a Marine Protected Area.

3. Please tell them why Capo's development is a bad idea:

a. destroys mangroves that provide the "ecosystem services" mentioned above.
b. destroys people's communities and homes and their ability to feed themselves from the ocean.
c. destroys the larval (very young stage) of conch, crabs, lobsters, shrimp, fin fish (food fish) and bonefish (sports fishing fish like tuna and swordfish)
d. harms the bigger fish that need the littler fish to feed on--big sports fish such as swordfish, tuna and sharks.

4. Please ask everyone you write to PROTECT THE REST OF THE MANGROVES AS A MARINE PROTECTED AREA (MPA) AS THEY ORIGINALLY PROMISED.

If enough people around the world write letters to the people below and send copies of the letters to the news media, I think that we can save these mangroves in Bimini.  To see more pictures, e-mail Bill Parks at bertram25@att.net.
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People to write to:
Also make sure that the letter is marked URGENT on the envelope to ensure
it is not pushed aside.

The Rt. Hon. Perry Gladstone Christie - Prime Minister, The Office of the
Prime Minister
Cecil Wallace - Whitfield Centre, Cable Beach, P.O. Box N 3217, Nassau,
N.P. Bahamas

Livingston S. Marshall, Environmental Consultant, Office of the Prime
Minister, P.O. Box CB-10980,, Nassau, Bahamas

Honorable Alfred Gray, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Local
Government East Bay Street, P.O. Box N-3028 Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas

Michael T. Braynen, Director of Fisheries, Department of Fisheries, P.O.
Box N-3028, Nassau, The Bahamas

Mr. Cole Smith, BEST Commission, Ministry of Health and Environment
Nassau Court, P.O. Box N 3730, Nassau, The Bahamas

Mrs. Nakira Wilchcombe, BEST Commission, Ministry of Health and
Environment Nassau Court, P.O. Box N 3730 Nassau, The Bahamas

Hon. Obediah H. Wilchcombe, M.P., Ministry of Tourism, British Colonial
Hilton Hotel Bay Street, P.O. Box N3701, Nassau, N.P. Bahamas

NEWSPAPERS TO SEND COPIES OF YOUR LETTERS TO:
Editor, Nassau Guardian, P.O. Box N-3011, Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
Fax for the Nassau Guardian: 242-328-6867
email: editor@nasguard.com email: anthony@nasguard.com
barbara@nasguard.com

Editor, The Punch, P.O. Box N-4081, Nassau, New Providence. Bahamas
Contact: Ivan Johnson tel: (242)-322-7112 cell: (242)-357-7240 Fax:
(242)-323-5268
email: thepunch@coralwave.com
Sonya Minnis sonya@thepunch.org

Editor, The Bahamas Journal, P.O. Box N-8610, Nassau, New Providence,
Bahamas
Telephone: (242)-356-2555, FAX: (242)-356-7256, FAX: (242)-325-3996
email: bahjour@coralwave.com

Editor, The Freeport News, P.O. Box F-40007, Freeport, Grand Bahama
Island, Bahamas
Fax for the Freeport News: 242-351-3449 email:
oswaldtbrown@hotmail.com

Editor Erica Wells, The Tribune, P.O. Box N-3207, Nassau, New Providence,
Bahamas
Fax: (242)-328-2398 email: letters@tribunemedia.net
ewells@tribunemedia.

The Tribune, Freeport, Bahamas tribunefreeport@mackeymedia.com

Editor, The Confidential Source, SS 6276, Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
FAX: (242)-322-6727 email for The Confidential Source:
editor@bahamapost.com


Other Bahamas MEDIA E-MAILS:

beverleym@coralwave.com( zns nassau)
jerome@islandfmonline.com (island fm & Cable News 12)
stunkinsk@hotmail.com.....(zns freeport)
lindsaydthompson@hotmail.com (Bahamas information services)
shelleycarey7@hotmail.com (love 97)
Brendalee Rae, Cool 96 FM
stingrae22@hotmail.com
TAMMI MITCHELL highrockgal@hotmail.com
sabrinabrown70@hotmail.com
Patrick McGregor vincent_mcgregor@hotmail.com
pakesiap@hotmail.com
nkelly@coralwave.com
Kaye Forbes Smith gokay@batelnet.bs
happenings@broadband.bs
Freeport News freeporteditorial@nasguard.com

FLORIDA Media
David Fleshler DFleshler@sun-sentinel.com
ericd@100jamz.com
Brendalee Rae stingrae22@hotmail.com

Please send copies of your letters to me at:
Lynne Cherry, PO Box 5995, Washington, DC 20016

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Lynne Cherry