Yes indeed there many aspects of our national life that are being butchered by greedy foreign  interests, and compromised political leaders.

Bimini is in the throes of the Cappo group creating a cement world casino paradise, and real estate bonanza, smack in the middle of our mangroves, sea grass, inter-coastal wetlands, creeks and sounds of Davis Bank.

The pristine East Wells, Coppice which have supplied green space of exquisite flora fauna and fish, of all description is ear marked for dredging and refilling. The entire ecosystem has been compromised already. The protection provided by the 30 ft. tall mangroves will expose North Bimini flooding.

The new home owners will be able to fish when they get tired of golfing and casino gambling. They will be able to fish without limits and the remaining stock will dwindle.

A few million dollars and our N.G.O.'S  are silent; the crown lands are being dredged to create expensive golf course living for the rich.

Please  help us retain and conserve Bimini as an (Marine Reserve)  Bimini has wonderful creatures to numerous to mention many of which are on the endangered species list.

The beauty, biodiversity and economy of Bimini is related to the health of the remaining mangroves. Am ashamed of the leaders who are allowing our nation to be sold to speculators and capitalists who show little regard for our history, culture, ecology, economy, or social order. Thanks Joseph [Darville] for your consistent wise dedicated leadership. We need help also.

Please visit SAVE BIMINI ON YOU TUBE.

- Jeffrey Davis

To the Editor:

I have spent more than 30 years as an advocate and litigator on behalf of grassroots and minority groups in Canada, the U.S., the Caribbean, and Latin and Central America, challenging the attempts by large corporations and powerful political entities to control and privatize the commons - the air, water, aquifers, fisheries, beaches, and public lands - that are by law, and tradition, the shared property of the broader public including the poor.

In the Caribbean, I have used the courts, community campaigns and public forums to challenge grabs by multinational hotel chains, developers and government agencies who seek to gain exclusive control of the reefs, fisheries, beaches and entire islands. This includes the successful crusade, led by thousands of courageous Puerto Ricans, to halt U.S. Navy practice bombardments on the island of Vieques in 2001 - for which many of us went to prison. In that battle I represented several thousand Viequesans as their attorney against the Navy in a series of lawsuits. I also spent 30 days in jail for civil disobedience.

With this as background, I want to share my observations regarding the current skirmishes on Lyford Cay.

First, I believe it is a mistake for anyone to dismiss this dispute as a quarrel between wealthy foreigners - and therefore irrelevant to Bahamian citizens. The Constitution of the Bahamas, following well-established western law dating as far back as the Roman Code of Justinian and the medieval Magna Carta, holds that the shared resources - air, water, beaches, and fisheries - belong to the public. Under the "Public Trust Doctrine" also known as the 'the Law of the Commons," every citizen of the Bahamas, humble or noble, black or white, rich or poor, has a right to use those common resources - but never in a way that diminishes their use and enjoyment by others.

To the Hon. Kenred Dorsett (Minister of the Environment),
The Hon. Obie Wilchcombe (Minister of Tourism, and Member of Parliament for Bimini),
and The Hon. V. Alfred Gray (Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources),

Dear Sirs,

Like all of the Bahamas, the islands of Bimini are intrinsically defined by the water that surrounds them. Not only has the water shaped and molded the islands themselves, but it has also defined the experience of those that visit these islands, as well as those that call the Bahamas their home. For everyone that loves little Bimini, their affection for its stunning blue water is at the base of their affinity for these precious 'Islands in the Stream.'

Bimini's impressive tourism industry has always revolved around the water. Big game fishing, SCUBA diving, boating, sailing, bone fishing, snorkeling, kayaking, and a variety of wildlife encounters all contribute to the island's flourishing eco-tourism industry.

In order to preserve this industry, and improve upon it going forward, I call on you to act strongly and swiftly regarding two important proposals.

First, I urge you to finalize the full protections for the North Bimini Marine Reserve. Bimini's inshore ecosystems are the foundation for the entire Tourism Industry on the island, and every individual and business will benefit from this Reserve being formally protected.