FREEPORT, Grand Bahama, Nov. 22, 2022 — Lucaya Service Company Limited (LUSCO), subsidiary of The Grand Bahama Development Company Limited (DEVCO), recognises the frustration that will be felt by the boating community due to the delay in mobilisation of the Fortune Bay Dredging Project, and apologises.
“While we regret the delay to the commencement of the works, it was necessary to do so in order to conduct a marine survey within the canal system, after a local resident identified a number of coral deposits within the canal system.” says Charisse Brown, CEO and Senior Legal Counsel for LUSCO.
LUSCO’s Project Manager and local Engineer of Record for the project, Phoenix Engineering Group Limited, has engaged Coral Vita and its conservation team of scientists to assist with the assessments. Coral Vita specializes in the management of ecosystems that sustain coastal communities and help to protect people against climate disasters like hurricanes, storm surges and widespread erosion.
The team conducted marine surveys in the canal using a three-zone approach. The assessment of the current conditions of the marine environment helped to determine necessary mitigation measures prior to the start of maintenance dredging. Coral deposits were discovered at the entrance channel, with the majority located on the canal walls. To ensure preservation of the marine ecosystem’s health and resiliency, the team submitted a follow-up report to LUSCO which included strategies for the protection of the healthy coral.
Sam Teicher, co-founder and chief reef officer for Coral Vita, said that as a member of the Grand Bahama community, the company very much appreciates the pressing need to reopen the Fortune Bay Canal, but added that this must be balanced against the alarming rate of coral death in The Bahamas and around the world.
“Upon completing requested surveys, we encountered a considerable number of corals, which exhibit surprisingly resilient characteristics given their ability to survive and thrive in considerably warmer and more turbid conditions than corals on the reef,” Mr. Teicher said. “These may represent important populations required to keep Bahamian reefs healthy into the future against the dire threats they face, and so it is critically important that at least an advisable subset of these corals be protected before dredging commences.”
Charisse Brown said: “We had initially anticipated the completion of the project in the final quarter of this year. However, we take seriously our environmental obligations and stewardship and we have taken the decision to pause the start of the dredging works to resolve this issue in consultation with the GBPA Environmental Department. As a result, LUSCO is engaging Coral Vita to ensure the protection of a portion of the healthy coral, and maintenance dredging with contractor, A & D Gaitor’s Equipment Rock and Sand, will now commence in the first quarter of 2023. We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders involved to deliver a solution that serves local homeowners and boaters whilst also helping to preserve our marine environment.”
