New Champions of George Town Hope Spot Urge for Greater Protection of Harbor Waters
George Town, Great Exuma, Bahamas
In 2019, the Cayman Islands government had plans to build a multi-port cruise ship berthing facility in the heart of the George Town Harbor. The environmental impact assessments identified that this project would have a devastating effect on most of the marine ecosystems in the area. After intensive campaigning, community objection, and the recent changes in the cruise ship industry, the proposed project was canceled. Shortly after, the harbor was designated as a Mission Blue Hope Spot, representing hope for a healthy future for the island. Currently, there is no legislation that fully protects the Hope Spot from construction or development, but Chloe Bentick-Lalli, a local Caymanian student with the organization Protect Our Future, and Jon Schutte are dedicated to challenging the government to commit to comprehensive, thorough protection for the island.…