Producing photographs of various beaches around New Providence to support their points, Free National Movement (FNM) Senator Dion Foulkes and Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Senator Jerome Fitzgerald argued about whether or not the beach’s erosion was due to natural processes or due to the capital works related to the relocation of the container port.
According to Senator Foulkes the capital works were not responsible for the erosion.
And he even went as far as to say the erosion of the beach was inevitable due to recent bad weather.
Last week, Minister of the Environment Dr. Earl Deveaux told the Journal that waves have been pounding New Providence’s northern shoreline causing a dramatic impact on sand movement.
He said the waves caused by the weather are eating the sand away and pulling it back towards the reef.
According to the environment minister this activity generally happened this time of year and said the beach would return in the fall.
He said the erosion is no way related to any activity from the harbour dredging, the extension of Arawak Cay or any of the works that were recently done.
However, Mr. Fitzgerald – who has been aggressively protesting the capital works and advocating environmental protection – said the government’s decision to remove the casuarina trees in order to perform road works on West Bay Street is mainly responsible for the erosion.
Senator Fitzgerald said unlike Mr. Foulkes’ and Dr. Deveaux’s claims, no other beaches in New Providence had experienced such erosion.
He said that the devastating erosion that is taking place at Saunders Beach has never happened before in the beach’s history.
Mr. Fitzgerald showed several pictures of "beautiful and full" beaches along the north side of the island.
"I have visited every beach on the north side from downtown to Orange Beach and none of them were damaged," the PLP senator claimed.
Mr. Fitzgerald continued that Dr. Deveaux’s explanation was just another attempt to mislead the public with regard to the matter.
Just last week members of the Committee to Protect and Preserve The Bahamas for Future Generations called on Dr. Deveaux to resign from his ministerial post.
The committee said it warned the government six months ago that relocating the container port to Arawak Cay would cause massive erosion to Saunders Beach, but said the government dismissed its concerns.
Senator Fitzgerald said a recent assessment proved that it would take about $26 million to replenish the beach after the damage.
- Austin DWI - New York DWI