Vexed Bermoothes

BEST has started an online petition to protest against the development of Warwick Long Bay Park.  Please sign it!

In one of his first official duties, new Environment Minister Glenn Blakeney overturned his own Ministry to allow the development of a bar and restaurant (which will surely become home to Belcario’s nightlife productions as well) alongside the public beach.  Bizarrely, he claims his motive is “in the spirit of sustainable development”.

This gross misunderstanding of “sustainable” surely calls into question the Environment Minister’s suitability for the job. We must protect Bermuda’s beachfront, not just for tourism, but also for all we Bermudians who need an escape in our crowded little island.

As a reminder, the objectives of the National Parks Act are:

(a) to safeguard and maintain plants and animals as well as geological, marine and other natural features or products, and fragile ecosystems of national or international significance where strict protection is required and human use is generally limited to scientific research and educational purposes in order to protect and preserve these special or fragile natural resources;

(b) to provide for the use of the area in its natural state with a minimum of commercial and mechanized activity;

(c) to provide open space;

(d) to protect and maintain historic monuments and buildings (including forts), marine products, sites of particular historic, archaeological, or aesthetic value and to so manage them so as to protect them from deterioration, and to provide public enjoyment, research and educational opportunities.

This development blatantly defies the intent of the Parks Act.

We don’t need to develop every square inch of Bermuda!  This ignorance and wilful destruction makes me so angry.