Bahamas News
RBDF Vessel & Crew Heads to Dominica
#Bahamas, October 26, 2017 – Nassau – Minister of National Security the Hon. Marvin Dames said, on October 20, 2017, at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Coral Harbour Base, that, being a part of the international community, The Bahamas is living up to its obligation to help neighbours in time of need.
“We are extending the same help we received from them when Hurricanes Joaquin and Matthew devastated our islands,” Minister Dames said, during the Official Ceremony for the Commencement of Voyage of HMBS Lawrence Major to Dominica to Assist with Disaster Relief and Recovery Efforts.
“This in no way diminishes our primary responsibility to the people of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas especially those in our southern islands who suffered during Hurricane Irma,” he noted. “Our teams continue to work with residents throughout the Bahamas who would have experienced damages and loss due to Hurricane Irma.”
Among those present for the Official Ceremony were Permanent Secretary Carl Smith, RBDF Commodore Tellis Bethel; Director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Captain Stephen Russell, Executive Command Team Members; Commanding Officer of HMBS Lawrence Major, Lieutenant Commander Milton Munroe, the Coxswain aboard HMBS Lawrence Major Chief Petty Officer John Gardiner, Officers and Marines of the Defence Force Disaster Relief and Recovery contingent, Other Officers, Warrant Officers and Marines.
Minister Dames related that, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, several of the island-nations of the eastern Caribbean were left completely devastated. Airports, harbours, homes, medical facilities, businesses and much more were destroyed – he pointed out – lives were lost and thousands were left without food, water and much of the basic necessities of life.
“After touring the island-nation of the Commonwealth of Dominica, our Prime Minister and his entourage got a first-hand look at the devastation experienced by the citizens of that island-nation and their immediate need for restoration to normalcy,” he said.
Minister Dames said the Bahamas Government is grateful to be in a position to offer a helping hand to the neighbours in the region.
“The Government of The Bahamas has, therefore, agreed to provide support to Dominica by welcoming a number of school children to further their studies in The Bahamas while the schools in Dominica are being repaired,” Minister Dames said. “The Government also decided to assist our Dominican brothers and sisters with a contingent of Officers and Marines from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and a team of five medical doctors to assist with disaster relief and recovery efforts on that Island.”
“The Honourable Prime Minister and The Bahamas Government is therefore pleased with the response of Commodore Tellis Bethel and his command team response in making ready the Defence Force’s Containerized Mobile Unit, which will be transported aboard HMBS Lawrence Major,” he added.
Minister Dames said that, in addition to HMBS Lawrence Major’s 20-member ship’s company, a 12-man technical team, along with two additional cooks and two additional medics would accompany the vessel to operate the Containerized Unit and to provide basic technical support on the Island of Dominica.
“In response to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Agency’s (CDEMA) request for regional firefighters to contribute toward a team of 20 firefighters to assist with the management of wildfires in Dominica, four firefighters from the Police Force Fire Services will also be transported to Dominica aboard HMBS Lawrence Major,” Minister Dames said.
The custom-built Containerized Mobile Unit would also provide living accommodations for the Bahamas Disaster Relief and Recovery contingent, as well as up to 1,000 cooked meals per day, and thousands of gallons of water for persons in need, Minister Dames noted. The technical team will also provide basic maintenance support in the areas of carpentry, electrical and mechanical repairs, he said.
“HMBS Lawrence Major will also transport 24 pallets of goods and supplies donated to Dominica by The Bahamas Red Cross Society, The Girl Guide Association, and the Bahamas-Dominica Association coordinated by Mrs. Eleanor Phillips,” Minister Dames stated. “The supplies were received by The National Emergency Management Agency.”
During the one-month mission, Minister Dames said, HMBS Lawrence Major will make a port of call in Kingston, Jamaica where she will embark two additional container units of supplies, as well as several firefighters to be transported to Dominica.
HMBS Lawrence Major was scheduled to arrive in Jamaica Monday, October 23, and depart the following day.
“She is scheduled to arrive in Dominica by Saturday, 28th October,” Minister Dames said. “In Dominica, the team will collaborate with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Agency as they engage in relief and recovery operations for approximately two-weeks before returning to The Bahamas by the end of next month.”
“The Government of The Bahamas commends the Commanding Officer of HMBS Lawrence Major, Lieutenant Commander Milton Munroe, his ship’s company, the operators of the Mobile Container Unit headed by Petty Officer Rudolph Wilson, the Defence Force’s Technical Team, the Defence Force’s Medical Team and cooks for the invaluable role they will play in helping the people in Dominica return to normalcy,” Minister Dames added.
The Government of The Bahamas also commended Acting Commissioner of Police, Mr. Anthony Ferguson and the Director of the Police Fire Services, Chief Superintendent Walter Evans, for making available four firefighters to assist with recovery efforts in Dominica, Minister Dames said, and the Government thanks them for their contributions.
He added that the Government was also grateful for the five medical doctors from the Ministry of Health who will join HMBS Lawrence Major after she arrives in Dominica.
“We are very proud of the men and women of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and the Royal Bahamas Police Force Fire Services, who are embarking upon this support mission,” Minister Dames said. “We believe you will make positive contributions to the relief and recovery efforts in Dominica.
“It is our prayer that God will keep you, guide you, and grant you great success, and a safe return home.”
By: Eric Rose (BIS)
Photo Captions:
Header photo – Government and Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) officials photographed with officers and crew members heading to Dominica, during the Official Ceremony for the Commencement of Voyage of HMBS Lawrence Major to Dominica to Assist with Disaster Relief and Recovery Efforts, held on October 20, 2017, at the RBDF Coral Harbour Base. (BIS Photo/Eric Rose)
1st insert – Government and Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) officials photographed with officers and crew members heading to Dominica, during the Official Ceremony for the Commencement of Voyage of HMBS Lawrence Major to Dominica to Assist with Disaster Relief and Recovery Efforts, held on October 20, 2017, at the RBDF Coral Harbour Base. (BIS Photo/Eric Rose)
2nd insert – Minister of National Security the Hon. Marvin Dames speaks, during the Official Ceremony for the Commencement of Voyage of HMBS Lawrence Major to Dominica to Assist with Disaster Relief and Recovery Efforts, held on October 20, 2017, at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Coral Harbour Base. (BIS Photo/Eric Rose)
Bahamas News
Dredging Is Not Just About Size — It Is About What Is Being Destroyed, Warns Save Exuma Alliance Regarding Yntegra’s Proposed Rosewood Resort
Save Exuma Alliance (SEA) — a coalition of Central Exuma business owners, tour operators and residents — has warned that the issue of dredging in the North Bay of Sampson Cay, Exuma, is not just about the number of acres being dredged – but what exists within the proposed dredge area. SEA describes the site as an ecological treasure trove filled with seagrass, coral, turtles and abundant marine life.
This comes after foreign developer Yntegra agreed to reduce the scope of its dredging following government warnings that it would impact
The Bahamas carbon credit status, which shows the importance of the marine habitat.
“It is easy to point to other developments and say they are dredging more, but that is not comparing like with like,” SEA said in response to comparisons made by Yntegra. “If one area is largely sand with little marine life, that is very different from what we have in North Bay. Anyone who has spent time there can tell you it is filled with turtles, fish, and — critically — the seagrass and coral that provide essential habitat.”
Miami-based investment group Yntegra is seeking to construct a large-scale Rosewood-branded resort on Sampson Cay. Since its announcement, the project has generated environmental, social and economic concerns among residents and business operators in Central Exuma.
The proposed development includes dredging in North Bay, construction of a substantial seawall that would alter natural water flow, more than 100 structures, two mega yacht marinas, and an industrial dock serviced by fuel and supply ships in an area currently used by swimmers. Opponents argue that the scale and design of Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project are incompatible with the fragile ecosystem and cultural character of the Central Exumas.
SEA noted that the government’s Climate Change Unit has also raised concerns about the environmental cost of dredging associated with Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project.
“The government has acknowledged that this is an area of significant importance,” SEA said. “While the financial implications are serious, for us here in Exuma this is about more than money. It underscores how valuable this marine ecosystem is — the seagrass, coral and marine life that make Exuma exceptional. This is what attracts visitors from around the world. We should not minimize the concern by comparing this bay to areas that do not have the same remarkable underwater ecosystem. It is simply not the same.”
Experienced boat captain Tito Baldwin also questioned the feasibility of the marine infrastructure proposed as part of this plan. He warned
that the dredging currently outlined would not be sufficient to accommodate the vessels required to service the project.
“It’s going to have to be at least four times larger than what has been proposed,” Baldwin said. “As designed, it is beyond possibility.”
He explained that vessels supplying fuel, construction materials and provisions for a projected 300-person workforce would require significantly greater depth and maneuvering space.
“For supply vessels delivering hundreds of thousands of gallons of diesel, you’re looking at ships with a 10-foot draft,” Baldwin said. “To operate safely, you would need at least 13 feet of depth. That means dredging far deeper than what has been proposed. With currents running east and west in that area, you would also need a much wider turning basin to maneuver safely. As it stands, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.”
SEA is urging individuals concerned about the environmental impact of dredging connected to Yntegra’s Rosewood Exuma project to visit www.saveexumaalliance.org for more information. A petition calling for a halt to approvals is also available on the site, with more than 7,100 signatures collected to date.
PM: Project delivers on promise and invests in youth, sports and national development
GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas — Calling it the fulfillment of a major commitment to the island, Prime Minister Philip Davis led the official groundbreaking for the Grand Bahama Aquatic Centre, a facility the government says will transform sports development and create new opportunities for young athletes.
Speaking at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex on February 12, the Prime Minister said the project represents more than bricks and mortar
— it is an investment in people, national pride and long-term economic activity. The planned complex will feature a modern 50-metre competition pool, designed to meet international standards for training and regional and global swim meets. Davis said the facility will give Bahamian swimmers a home capable of producing world-class performance while also providing a space for community recreation, learn-to-swim programmes and water safety training.
He noted that Grand Bahama has long produced outstanding athletes despite limited infrastructure and said the new centre is intended to correct that imbalance, positioning the island as a hub for aquatic sports and sports tourism.
The Prime Minister also linked the development to the broader national recovery and revitalisation of Grand Bahama, describing the project as part of a strategy to expand opportunities for young people, create jobs during construction and stimulate activity for small businesses once operational.
The Aquatic Centre, he said, stands as proof that promises made to Grand Bahama are being delivered.
The project is expected to support athlete development, attract competitions, and provide a safe, modern environment for residents to access swimming and water-based programmes for generations to come.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
The Bahamas, February 15, 2026 – For the better part of three years, Bahamians have been told that major Afreximbank financing would help transform access to capital, rebuild infrastructure and unlock economic growth across the islands. The headline figures are large. The signing ceremonies are high profile. The language is ambitious. What remains far harder to see is the measurable impact in the daily lives of the people those announcements are meant to serve.
The Government’s push to secure up to $100 million from Afreximbank for roughly 200 miles of Family Island roads dates back to 2025. In
its February 11 disclosure, the bank outlined a receivables-discounting facility — a structure that allows a contractor to be paid early once work is completed, certified and invoiced, with the Government settling the bill later. It is not cash placed into the economy upfront. It does not, by itself, build a single mile of road. Every dollar depends on work first being delivered and approved.
The wider framework has been described as support for “climate-resilient and trade-enhancing infrastructure,” a phrase that, in practical terms, should mean projects that lower the cost of doing business, move people and goods faster, and keep the economy functioning. But for communities, that promise becomes real only when the projects are named, the standards are defined and a clear timeline is given for when work will begin — and when it will be finished.
Bahamians have seen this moment before.
In 2023, a $30 million Afreximbank facility for the Bahamas Development Bank was hailed as a breakthrough that would expand access to financing for local enterprise. It worked in one immediate and measurable way: it encouraged businesses to apply. Established, revenue-generating Bahamian companies responded to the call, prepared plans, and entered a process they believed had been capitalised to support growth. The unanswered question is how much of that capital has reached the private sector in a form that allowed those businesses to expand, hire and generate new economic activity.
Because development is not measured in the size of announcements.
It is measured in loans disbursed, projects completed and businesses expanded.
The pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. In June 2024, when Afreximbank held its inaugural Caribbean Annual Meetings in Nassau,
Grand Bahama was presented as the future home of an Afro-Caribbean marketplace said to carry tens of millions of dollars in investment. What was confirmed at that stage was a $1.86 million project-preparation facility — funding for studies and planning to make the development bankable, not construction financing. The larger build-out remains dependent on additional approvals, land acquisition and further capital.
This distinction — between financing announced and financing that produces visible, measurable outcomes — is now at the centre of the national conversation.
Because while the numbers grow larger on paper, entrepreneurs still describe access to capital as out of reach, and communities across the Family Islands are still waiting to see where the work will start.
And in an economy where stalled growth translates into lost opportunity, rising frustration and real social consequences, the gap between promise and delivery is no longer a communications issue.
It is an inability to convert announcements into outcomes.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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