In April 2021, the Only One community is partnering with the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) to support the management of 21 existing marine protected areas (MPAs) and the effort to secure 43 new land and sea parks, which will help The Bahamas fulfil its commitment to protect 20 percent of nearshore marine resources by the end of 2021.
The BNT is a nonprofit organization that currently manages all 32 national land and sea parks in The Bahamas, of which 21 are MPAs. They are the caretakers, protectors, and voice of the most precious components of nature in The Bahamas. Their team consists of more than 70 dedicated and inspiring staff members working on seven Bahamian islands.
Only One members’ support will help the BNT acquire equipment that is critical for their work of monitoring and managing national parks and marine protected areas in The Bahamas.
Project impact
49,000 hectares of vital marine habitat around Andros island and Grand Bahama will be explored and monitored by the BNT team
12 AGRRA kits will be provided helping to track fishing intensity on vital reefs (AGRRA stands for Atlantic & Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment)
8 scuba kits including BCDS, regulators, dive computers, mask and fin sets, will be purchased for BNT staff to support their work caretaking for marine habitats
2 coral nurseries damaged by Hurricane Dorian in 2019 will be reestablished and restored by the BNT team
Why marine protected areas in The Bahamas matter
In an effort to reach the goals of the Caribbean Challenge Initiative, The Bahamas was tasked with a mission: to conserve and sustainably manage at least 20 percent of Bahamian marine resources by 2020—in other words, to double the percentage of MPAs currently in effect in The Bahamas. After conducting intense scientific research and engaging multiple stakeholders, the BNT and its partners published a protection plan that included recommendations of 43 new land and sea parks in The Bahamas to help meet this goal. However, even with the amazing work of dedicated organizations like the BNT, this is still a colossal task.
The proposed protected areas will exist around 14 main islands including Abaco, Bimini, Cat Island, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, and New Providence. The largest MPA proposed is at the Cay Sal Bank and Great Bahama Bank with a size of over 1.1 million hectares, about the size of the country of Qatar.
This area is home to an abundance of life and commercially important species, including one of the last thriving populations of queen conch. It will also protect coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and ecosystems in multiple zones of the ocean. In total, the 43 terrestrial and marine areas will protect an expanse of over 3.2 million hectares.
Project leaders
From a young age, Elijah Sands had a preternatural interest in the biological world, something fueled by fishing stories from his grandfather. Despite this, Elijah faced accessibility barriers when trying to explore his oceans. That’s what led him on a multi-year effort to get scuba certified, become a Bahamian naturalist, and volunteer on myriad conservation projects. His breadth of outdoor knowledge eventually earned him a staff position as the BNT’s Senior Communications Officer.
Knowing that communication and collaboration is key to protecting The Bahamas’ land and seas, Elijah now uses his messaging to get Bahamians into their national parks. This, he believes, is essential to ongoing environmental protection and is the first step in ensuring the BNT has ample future advocates.
Bahamas National Trust
We are thrilled to support the work of the BNT. Since 1959, they have been protecting the Bahamian terrestrial and marine environment, conducting scientific research and connecting with communities through educational and outreach programs.
The BNT’s breadth of experience continuously drives environmental policy change in The Bahamas. They have ensured the protection of flamingos, declared no-take-zones, and catalyzed a wetlands restoration program.
Through their work, by 2002, the area of national parks in The Bahamas doubled in size, from 127,000 to 283,000 hectares. And in 2011, BNT advocated for the protection of sharks, a critical effort that resulted in The Bahamas declaring its entire exclusive economic zone (an area that stretches 200 nautical miles from Bahamian shorelines) a shark sanctuary. This not only banned commercial shark fishing, but also prohibited the sale, trade, and possession of sharks or shark parts.
