Bahamas News
BAHAMAS: PM thanks BNT for preserving the natural environment
#Nassau, July 16, 2019 – Bahamas – Thanking the Bahamas National Trust for preserving the natural environs of the country over the past 60 years, Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis revealed further plans towards the protection of natural resources.
He was addressing the 60th Anniversary celebration of The Bahamas National Trust at its Retreat Gardens on Village Road, July 12, 2019. He also thanked the staff, donors, benefactors and volunteers for its towering achievements over the past six decades.
“I thank the BNT also for the essential role it plays in safeguarding the sacred and natural trust that is the commonwealth of beauty that is The Bahamas,” the Prime Minister said.
Founded in 1969, The Bahamas National Trust manages the Bahamas National Park System of 32 National Parks, which protect over two million acres of Bahamian biodiversity.
“Indeed, a part of the genesis of the Bahamas National Trust was the fierce determination and desire of an intrepid group of individuals to preserve and to conserve the biodiversity and beauty of The Bahamas,” the Prime Minister said.
“Their inspiration and dedication led to the establishment of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, the world’s first land and sea park.”
The Prime Minister observed that the natural treasury being celebrated is under threat from pollution and from a global climate crisis and warming planet.
“Just as previous generations summoned the fierce determination and will to conserve and to preserve our natural heritage, we must likewise summon the fierce urgency of the moment to address a complex of crisis which threatens our very existence as a country.”
Over the decades, the Prime Minister said that the country’s extensive land and park system, which stretches the length of the archipelago, has become known as a wellspring of biodiversity for the region.
He then revealed that the Government would collaborate with the BNT as it implements its 2018-2022 Strategic Plan.
“This includes ongoing efforts to address the current climate emergency, combating the effects of plastics on our environment, and other measures to conserve our natural environment and to educate Bahamians about our shared environmental trust,” he said.
The government will also work with the BNT in the creation of policies necessary to enhance biodiversity conservation in alignment with international best practices and in accord with national sustainable development goals.
And, the Government and the Trust have collaborated in identifying approximately 40 new marine areas for protection, which cover over 8.1 million acres. This will ensure that The Bahamas fulfills its goal of protecting 20 percent of our marine environment by 2020.
“Further, I am pleased that the Government of The Bahamas has signed an agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank to advance conch conservation efforts in The Bahamas,” the Prime Minister said.
“We have also launched The Bahamas Coral Innovation Hub with the Cape Eleuthera Institute and Perry Institute for Marine Science,” he disclosed.
The purpose of this coral innovation hub is to advance and to deploy coral conservation science, and to scale up coral restoration using groundbreaking techniques.
Approximately 1.3 million coral embryos have been created by collecting spawn from reef-building and endangered coral species in The Bahamas using cutting-edge coral reproduction techniques.
“We have also created a management plan for the Spiny Lobster fishery and we will continue to advance other measures to conserve our fish populations,” the Prime Minister said.
Having been granted the stewardship of the natural wonders of The Bahamas by the Creator and by history, “we have the awesome responsibility of ensuring the preservation and conservation of these wonders for ourselves and for generations many centuries hence,” the Prime Minister said.
He assured the BNT of the continued support of the government in the conservation and celebration the country’s majestic national park system.
By Lindsay Thompson
Release: BIS
Photo Captions:
BIS Photos/Raymond A. Bethel, Sr.
Header: Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis addresses the 60th Anniversary celebration of The Bahamas National Trust at its Retreat Gardens on Village Road, July 12, 2019.
First Insert: BNT Celebrates 60 years – at cake cutting are, from left: Eric Carey, Executive Director, BNT; Stephanie Bowers, Charge d’Affaires, United States Embassy; the Hon. Romauld Ferreira, Minister of the Environment and Housing; Prime Minister Minnis; and Geoffrey Andrews, President, BNT.
Second Insert: Touring Exhibition at the Bahamas National Trust, which celebrated 60 years of existence at its Retreat on Village on Friday, July 12, 2019. Pictured looking on are Prime Minister Minnis (right); Lynn Gape, Deputy Executive Director, BNT; Geoffrey Andrews (left), President, BNT; and the Hon. Romauld Ferreira, Minister of the Environment and Housing.
Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer
#TheBahamas#RoyalCaribbean, April 23, 2024- After being delayed following its announcement in 2020, Royal Caribbean’s new 17 acre Royal Beach Club on Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas, is now in the works and is scheduled to be ready for 2025, according to reports. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Monday April 22, signifying the start of construction in the next few months. This project is huge for The Bahamas as it’s a first of kind for the nation, with a unique public private partnership allowing Bahamians to hold up to 49 percent in equity.
Nassau, THE BAHAMAS — Some of the most successful and accomplished professionals and business leaders in the country
recently shared their experiences and nuggets of wisdom with students at University of The Bahamas (UB) about thriving in a wide range of careers.
The University Centre for Counselling and Career Services and the Career and Job Placement Advisory Unit collaborated to host the 2024 Career Symposium which brought students face to face with leaders in the careers to which they aspire.
Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Maria Oriakhi, said the symposium was key to developing potential as university students strive to leave their mark on the world.
Ms. Rickell Curry
“In the spirit of collaboration and growth, let us engage in meaningful dialogue, cultivate relationships, and harness the power of collective wisdom to shape our futures,” said Dr. Oriakhi. “Together, let us embark on this journey of exploration and discovery, united in our commitment to realizing our fullest potential and making meaningful contributions to our communities and beyond.”
Promoting careers in psychology, Ms. Curry noted that psychologists are equipped with the ability to help others, troubleshoot areas of weakness within themselves, and become better people and professionals in the process.
“The floor is yours to be able to explore. There’s no job where you don’t have to deal with people, so learning, even if you get a bachelor’s in psychology, is a great grounding,” she said.
Dr. Darville, one of few interventional radiologists in The Bahamas, offered another nugget of advice on choosing an area of study.
Dr. Elizabeth Darville
“It is important to know enough about yourself in order to make the decisions you want to make,” said Dr. Darville. “You have to work on yourself first and know what you want to do. Radiology gives you a chance to have fun. It gives you a chance to mold your career closer to your personal life than other medical specialties might.”
Another growing field is project management which Mr. Hepburn called a life skill. He also urged a commitment to lifelong learning.
“Individuals that continue to learn become unstoppable, period,” said Mr. Hepburn. “It is so true. When you learn, you become unstoppable because nothing can stop you in your process of development.
Mr. Wellington Hepburn
“The more you know, the more valuable you are. We need individuals who are cross functional—that can operate in different capacities. So please understand that your learning should never stop.”
With small and medium-sized businesses helping to drive the economy at an incredible rate, Ms. Rolle affirmed the importance of entrepreneurship in any economy.
“When we talk about entrepreneurship, we usually look at it from a myopic standpoint,” she said. Ms. Rolle. “What do I mean by that? Small, but usually about self: ‘how do I make more money?’ And in some cases, some look at entrepreneurship as a way of survival. ‘I need to make a couple extra dollars, I have this bill to pay’. Those types of things.
Ms. Samantha Rolle
“But entrepreneurship really, in its truest form, is about innovation, whether it’s a new concept or any existing concept that you innovate new ways, or help expand the economy.”
The career symposium was held at the Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre and is held every academic year.
PHOTO CAPTIONS
- Career Symposium 1: UB Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Maria Oriakhi, delivers the opening address at the 2024 Career Symposium.
- Career Symposium 2: Students and guest speakers enjoy a lighthearted moment during the 2024 Career Symposium.
- Career Symposium 3: Ms. Rickell Curry speaks to students during the 2024 Career Symposium.
- Career Symposium 4: Dr. Elizabeth Darville delivers remarks during the 2024 Career Symposium.
- Career Symposium 5: Mr. Wellington Hepburn educates students on the importance of project management during the 2024 Career Symposium.
- Career Symposium 6: Ms. Samantha Rolle talks about the role and importance of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in any economy.
Office of University Relations
University of The Bahamas
2nd Floor, Michael H. Eldon Complex
Oakes Field Campus
P.O. Box N-4912
Nassau, The Bahamas
Tel: (242) 302-4355/4354/4365
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