Top reputation among divers could be ruined by possible environmental degradation associated with the Resorts World Bimini pier terminal project, the California-based Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) said.
As a hotly-opposed dredging operation got underway off the coast of Bimini last week despite legal challenge, a global non-profit warned that the associated environmental degradation could destroy the island’s extremely lucrative dive industry.
Tom Ingram, executive director of DEMA , said the dredging of 220,000 cubic yards of seafloor at the heart of Bimini’s pristine reef system to accommodate a resort’s cruise ship ferry could ruin what is a “recreational diving jewel” of The Bahamas.
He strongly urged the government to look carefully at the project before allowing it to move forward, even as a 450-foot mammoth dredger began to excavate the seafloor last week.
“ A very real concern to DEMA and to all diving businesses, especially those based in nearby Florida , is the fact that any environmental degradation, especially of the magnitude being described in the North Bimini Ferry Terminal Project EIA and its addendum, is likely to have a negative impact on the perception of pristine diving which Bimini now holds in the minds of diving consumers, ” Ingram said.
“As a result of this project, it is possible that the number of divers visiting Bimini will decline dramatically as public perception develops regarding this project’s potential environmental impact.”
[mappress]
Press Release, May 19, 2014