Exuma, Bahamas — Earl ‘Helicopter’ Deveaux and the Bahamas National Trust will cost Hubert Ingraham and the FNM the government of the Bahamas, particularly when it comes to the protection of the environment. Deveaux and the BNT are in quicksand as they both make attempts to explain the disastrous record when it comes to looking out and policing our “protected spaces”.

We all know about the helicopter ride to Bell Island and we knew there was more to that ride than what met the eye.

Bell Island’s developer wanted a permit to dredge into the protected space and guess what, Hubert Ingraham, his helicopter man and the BNT cried “WEEE WEEE WEEE” all the way to the protected seabed in Exuma and granted the request.

Now if that wasn’t bad enough, Deveaux arrogantly told the media the ride was fun and that of course he’ll do it again. Shortly after BP said not only Earl flew the billionaire aircraft, Hubert Ingraham came out of his smoking hole to tell the Bahamian people he to was also guilty as sin as he flew on the white luxury helicopter with his grand children. We also know the children of his sister-in-law was also on that trip, the same woman who he promoted recently in the public service.

Rangers in the park are quick to arrest any Bahamian or foreigner who is caught fishing in the Land and Sea Park in the Exumas. In the park you cannot be seen trolling, diving, sparing, swimming, catching a dunk, piss in the water, throwing gas in the sea or dumping ‘ya’ ‘slup-bucket’ no way near or around the marine park, which is the oldest in the world.

Recently, an aristocrat came to town and bought an island in the community and all of a sudden everything change! ‘Helicopter man’ has fast-tracked an approval to dredge the protected seabed in the Exumas, although a former owner of an island there could not pay money for his approval to dig up the seafloor. Residents in Exuma are wondering what is it that they have done to be so cruelly punished and ignored by the Ingraham Government?

“What did that ‘helicopter man’ collect to be so hell-bent on agreeing to dredge “protected marine space” where Bahamians cannot fish? Why do it here when we all know world-renowned conservationists and environmentalists are watching the defiance of the government against the wishes of our people? Why start up a war with the people when they know the world is watching? We do not want our corals to die nor do we want the grouper, crawfish, turtles and other creatures in that park to suffer from this ‘vicked’ decision by helicopter man and papa!” an angry Exumian told BP.

Bahamas Press calls on conservationists and environmentalists around the world to join in and protest against dredging in the Exuma Land and Sea Park. We call on them to deliver pressure on the Ingraham government and resist this assault on the environment. We also ask all financial members of the Bahamas National Trust to withdraw IMMEDIATELY their membership in defiance of the Trust blatant and NAKED support for dredging in a protected seabed in the Bahamas! And we at Bahamas Press call on all right-thinking decent members of the BNT to resign from that organization until those who appear to be corrupted it in the eyes of the world are removed POSTHASTE!

WE NEED CHANGE!