The Royal Bahamas Defence Force recently provided logistical support to the Department of Marine Resources and Department of the Environment with their investigation of marine environmental damage off Berry Island.
Military divers from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force were transported by Her Majesty’s Bahamian Ship Cascarilla to assist the Departments of Marine Resources and the Environment between 5 – 6th September 2020 in their investigations of potential environmental damage allegedly caused by cruise ships anchored and sheltering in-place in waters near the Berry Islands.
On Sunday 6th September, the skilled team of RBDF Military Divers conducted a joint dive operation with divers from the BEST Commission and the Department of Marine Resources of one of several cruise ships that was sheltering in waters approximately 20 miles off Coco Cay. The joint dive team collected video footage of the seabed where the cruise ships were anchored as well as the surrounding area.
The video and other imagery gathered will be formally handed over to the Department of Marine Resources and the BEST Commission to assist with their investigation, legal recourse, and eventual remediation pursuit on the government’s part.
The Royal Bahamas Defence Force team of Military Divers remain committed to the deterrence of environmental damage, detection of potential offenders, and protection of the Marine Environment in collaboration and cooperation with the Port Department, Ministry of Transport and Local Government; Department of Environmental Health, Department of Marine Resources, Department of the Environment, BEST Commission, and other industry environmental stakeholders.
