Bahamas News

This year Tournament Director Lauren Pyfrom expects the 13th edition of the fishing extravaganza set for May 19-20 to be even bigger.

To help attract more fisherman from around the country, this year prizes exceed the

$30,000 mark, with the top prize a SEA DOO Personal Watercraft with trailer valued over $12,000. The winner can either take the watercraft or $10,000 in cash.

Each year The Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association teams up with Marlin Marine to help make the event a success. Director at BASRA’s head office on east Bay Street, Chris” Lloyd said, “We are trying to look a little closer at the juniors to encourage them to come out and fish because they are the future of the sport.”

“But we are just looking for anyone who is interested in fishing, and we try and make sure that everybody wins something. We don’t keep all of the prizes at the top,” said Lloyd.

To ensure everyone wins something he explained that the top boat would be limited to a very good grand prize and 12 pound test. In addition anglers are only allowed to win two prizes so that prizes are available for more participants.

According to Lloyd the tournament will be conducted under IGF A rules which encourage the release of all Bill Fish.

He said judging from the number of boats, the number of people participating and the number of funds raised last years event was the biggest yet.

This year the fishing will take place out of Nassau, New Providence and Hiburn Cay, Exuma, two easily accessible areas for most of the boats.

“From the Nassau and Hiburn Cay departure and weigh-in points, if you have the range you can aCtually go and fish anywhere in Bahamian waters, but on the final day of competition, the weigh-in which is pretty exciting would take place in Nassau.”

All proceeds from the tournament are to go to BASRA to assist in search and rescue operations.

Pyfrom said, most of the people at Marlin Marines are avid boaters who spend lots of time on the sea and they would like to give something back to BASRA.

“You know they are purely a voluntary organization that saves numerous lives out at seas every year, and this is our way of showing our appreciation to BASRA,” said Pyfrom.

Source: Bahama Journal

The reigning national champion on Sunday past captured the BPGA Matchplay Championship at the Cable Beach Resort Golf Course.

Turnquest defeated Chris Lewis 2 and 1 on Sunday to earn the title. His championship performance followed up his top medal qualifying round of 67 on Thursday. He shot a high quality 33 on the front nine and came home in 34 to beat Glenn Pratt (69) by two shots.

Lewis was third at 35-35-70, followed by Mario Roberts at 35-39-74, Jimmy Delancy at 37-38-78 and Jermaine Russell 36-42, also at 78.

Matchplay action began on Friday. Delancey topped Mario Roberts 6 and 4 while Lewis ousted Russell 5 and 3. On Saturday, Turnquest eliminated Delancy 6 and 5 and lewis beat Pratt 3 and 2 to set up the Sunday finale.

The event added luster to the professional golf programme in the country. Not as active as their amateur counterparts in the Bahamas Golf Federation, the pro golfers took full advantage of the spotlight.

Those within the island’s golf family are of the view that if the pros stepped up their activities, the entire programme in The Bahamas will be quite vibrant.

Pratt, the BPGA President expressed satisfaction with the tournament. He said it was exciting and thanked the players for participating.

The event was sponsored by the Roy Bowe Scholarship Fund.

Source: Bahama Journal

With its last financial report in 2005 showing its accounts receivable at $67 million, The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), is calling for its debtors to buckle up and pay their bills or lose their numbers.

“For those who owe money, we will disconnect their service,” said Marlon Johnson, BTC’s VP of Marketing & Sales.

The problem, according to Johnson, extends to the Family Islands and is the result of the company’s willingness over the years to allow customers to have credit accounts. BTC has found that too many credit accounts lead to negative consequences.

“It adds costs to both the company and it forces us (BTC) to increase the bills of other consumers who are keeping their accounts up-to-date,” he said. “The disconnection process has to take place to be fair.”

To get the message across, the monopoly has placed announcements in all areas of Bahamian media, informing customers about the company’s “mass disconnection and service termination exercise”, which came into effect April 2.

The notices serve as a push, encouraging persons in debt to stop avoiding the payment of outstanding funds, which include all BTC services from wireless to fax and Internet offerings. Customers are informed that if their account is still inactive after being suspended during the last mass suspension exercise held last year November, their services will be disconnected. But services aren’t terminated as soon as the bill goes unpaid - there is a disconnection process.

When a bill is issued every month, according to contract, BTC ought to give persons 30 days after the due date to pay the cost in full - the company gives 60 instead.

The first stage, suspension, is when the user’s account is still active and customers are able to receive calls only. If the bill is still not paid over the next 30 days, services are disconnected. The account is taken away from the user and given to a customer waiting for a number.

Johnson explained this is not the first time the mass disconnection has taken place. Though he was unable to be exact, he did say that over the years, BTC has found it necessary to conduct the exercise.

The difference this time is that the process will be carried out in a more consistent basis from April onwards.

BTC has made available many options its customers can use to pay bills. Payments can be made at any of BTC’s offices or any bank receiving BTC payments. Another means of payment is usage of BTC’s website via its “EZPAY option”, or visiting BTC’s JFK office to use the “BTC EZPAY Kiosk”, where cash payments can be made.

So what about those customers who can’t meet the deadlines for the payments? The BTC is willing to work along with consumers in that category. The first step is for the company to be notified about financial difficulties. In this case, customers are referred to the Credit & Collections department to make payment arrangements using an Extended Credit Agreement (ECA), a contract allowing the customer to pay 50% of the bill and the remaining balance over a six month period. Once the bill is paid, along with a $15 fee, suspended services are immediately reconnected.

As for those whose services have been disconnected, once the bill is paid, patrons in this class will be required to submit a new application form and security deposit - their previous number will be given back to them based on its availability.

The VP said the disconnection procedure is all part of the company’s incentive to improve its customer service while at the same time moving to become a privatized, world-class company.

A delegation of businesses from the US state of Rhode Island is scheduled to visit The Bahamas this month seeking to development business relationships and foster greater trade.

According to Maureen Mezei, International Trade Director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC), the delegation will focus its attention on possible opportunities in the areas of tourism, construction, food and education.

“Our goal is to develop business relationships between our two states. We are currently working with the Commercial Section of the US Embassy, which will be scheduling the individual business appointments for the participants,” said Mezei. She added that the RIEDC is responsible for recruiting those companies that will be involved in the trade mission, which is scheduled to visit The Bahamas on April 30.

The visit is part of the State Partnership Program (SPP) between The Bahamas and Rhode Island, which brings together US states and territories and partner nations through a wide range of military, civil-military and civil activities. Started in 1993, there are now 50 SPP partnerships worldwide, including The Bahamas.

The program came into being when Bahamian representatives were received by the Adjutant General for Rhode Island, Brigadier General John Enright, in December of 2005. This relationship was further cemented when a Senior Leader Delegation from Rhode Island visited The Bahamas in January of 2006. During this visit, the Rhode Island delegation and their counterparts from different Bahamian ministries and agencies laid the groundwork for a mutually beneficial relationship be-tween both parties.

Rhode Island companies last year exported $1.53 billion worth of goods, growing their foreign sales by 20.7 percent – including a big boost from the scrap metal and recycled materials industries.

“Everyone tends to become fixated with China because of the size of the market,” said Mezei, “but sometimes very small markets can be quite profitable for companies. There are some really good opportunities in The Bahamas. Rhode Island should get some really good entree into various sectors there.” And while The Bahamas is a small market, Mezei said, “it’s quite worthwhile for companies to be a bigger fish in a small pond.” For Rhode Island, whose manufacturing sector has struggled for decades, making the most of foreign markets for local companies is increasingly seen as crucial for economic growth, with smaller firms are looking for niches abroad.

The Central Bank of the Bahamas reported Tuesday that there was strong revenue performance in the hotel sector during the year ending February 2007.

The new economic report said hotel performance indicators for the year revealed broad-based revenue gains in all major markets.

Overall receipts firmed by 4.2% to $370.4 million, propelled by the 6.3% hike in average daily room rates, which outpaced the 2.2% fall in occupancy rates, the report said.

It added that with regard to the main destinations, average room revenues in New Providence improved by 4.1%, benefiting from the 4.5% increase in room rates.

According to the report, in Grand Bahama, despite the 12.0% contraction in room occupancy, an expansion in average room prices by 14.1% resulted in revenue firming by 5.5%. Hotel revenues in the Family Islands grew by 3.2%, as gains in room rates (9.3%) outpaced declines in average occupancy (3.2%).

During February, initial data suggests that the growth momentum in the economy was maintained, buoyed by steady increases in construction related tourism investments, as well as moderate growth in domestic demand. Monetary developments featured a contraction in domestic credit which, combined with increased net foreign currency inflows, reinforced gains in both external reserves and liquidity.

In that same report, the Central Bank said that average consumer price inflation, as measured by changes in the Retail Price Index, advanced to 2.13% for the 12-month period ending February 2007, from 1.88% in the corresponding period a year earlier.

The most significant cost increases were recorded for other goods & services (7.54%); food & beverages (4.36%); medical care & health (2.34%); housing (1.46%) and clothing & footwear (1.03%).

On the fiscal side, the report said preliminary data for the first seven months of FY2006/07 indicate a narrowing in government’s overall deficit by 2.2% to $69.4 million, as the 14.2% expansion in revenue and grants to $749.4 million, outstripped the 12.6% growth in expenditures to $818.8 million.

Tax revenues firmed by 12.0% to $73.0 million, reflecting in part gains in taxes on international trade & transactions (9.0%), stamp taxes (11.1%) and property taxes (43.2%), the report said.

Expenditures broadened by 12.6% to $818.8 million, due primarily to the 9.4% increase in current spending to $706.9 million for consumption and the purchase of goods & services, while elevated outlays for asset acquisitions and capital formation, boosted capital outlays by 35.4% to $76.6 million, according to the Central Bank.

Courtesy of The Bahama Journal

In the face of a call from local animal rights activists for a national ban on licenses to all shows involving wild animals in captivity performing for humans, animal trainers at The Circus Maximus at R. M. Bailey Park assured on Tuesday that the animals are well treated.

“I have worked with bears for over 40 years, and never mistreated one…All of my bears were born in captivity and the last recorded instance of a bear captured from the wild into captivity was in 1974,” said Derrik Rosaire, a bear trainer at the circus, who spoke with the Bahama Journal on Tuesday.

“Animals born in captivity routinely outlive those born in the wild. I have 14 bears and seven of them I saved from being destroyed. My oldest bear is 31 years old. That is 10 years longer than the average bear lives in the wild.”

The Circus Maximus opened at R.M Bailey Park last week and is expected to stay at least two more weeks.

But local animal rights activists want the circus out of the country.

The activists want a ban to be imposed on traveling circuses, flamingo dancing parades and dolphin swims. The organizations pushing for such a ban propose that only circuses involving human acts such as “Cirque du Soleil” be allowed to perform in the country.

The organizations include Advocates for Animal Rights (AFAR), Animals Require Kindness (ARK) and the Bahamas Humane Society. They condemn the continued approval of these licenses and labeled the practice “inhumane and environmentally damaging” to ecosystems around the world.

Sam Duncombe, who heads the environmental group ReEarth, issued a statement on the activists’ behalf.

The statement stressed that these displays harm Bahamians’ perception of what the treatment of animals should be.

“We do our youth an injustice by exposing them …to images of wild animals unable to respond naturally to their own environments or contribute to the continued existence of such,” the statement said.

The Ministry of Education recently announced the publication of an environmental guide entitled “Environmental Stewardship” in order to promote environmental awareness and protection in all Bahamian schools, Mrs. Duncombe pointed out.

She said that by allowing the circus into the country with animals in this capacity, the Ministry of Agriculture is undoing the work that its own government is trying to do.

“It is hypocritical of the government to promote environmental stewardship whilst also condoning environmental damage by the removal of species from their natural habitats by encouraging Bahamians to attend circus shows that include wild animals,” Mrs. Duncombe said.

She added that over-stressed animals in captivity have been known to escape their circus compounds and attack the public or damage public property.

Since 1990 there have been more than 200 incidents in which people have been killed by captive elephants, Mrs. Duncombe said.

Circus Maximus elephant trainer Francine Schact is the keeper of a 33-year-old female elephant named Ghandi.

She said the circus is not in the business of hurting animals, but helping them.

“My father worked for the San Diego zoo, and loved animals and taught me to love them as well,” Mrs. Schact said.

“We got Ghandi from Thailand. Her parents were used for labour in a lumberyard. The yard had a surplus of offspring and if they did not sell her she would have been destroyed. She was nine months old.”

Mrs. Schact said she and her husband use the animals in their Christian ministries for children and prison inmates.

When asked how she felt about the call for the ban, Mrs. Schact said, “I think these things are done by people who have good intentions and truly love animals, but are misinformed. We would never mistreat any animal. They are never made to do anything strenuous and any trick they do is rewarded.”

Mr. Rosaire said he could not deny that captive animals have hurt people or may sometimes be subject to abuse, but he said this is rare.

Mr. Rosaire said that if an animal attacks it usually does so because of mistreatment and that is the main reason the industry is so highly regulated.

Mrs. Schact said the circus is teaching people to love animals.

“I suppose just as there are some people who should not be allowed to care for children, there are some people who should not be allowed to care for animals,” she said.

But in her statement, Mrs. Duncombe said, “In all cases of animal welfare, exploitation, captivity, treatment and preservation, the Bahamas seems to be lagging behind.”

She added, “Wild animals need to be in their natural habitat, surrounded by the forces of nature that created them…we as a society need to take responsibility for allowing this practice to perpetuate immoral ethics toward animals in our own culture.”

Asked to comment on the issue, Minister of Agriculture Leslie Miller told the Bahama Journal, “The circus obtained its license through the proper channels and as far as this government is concerned their practices are humane, passionate and meet the standards observed by circuses worldwide.”

By Juan McCartney
The Bahama Journal

An argument between two men ended tragically Monday with the younger of the two becoming the country’s 23rd homicide for the year, police said.

Police said the incident occurred after 10pm in the area of Palm Tree Avenue and First Street, in the Grove in New Providence.

“Two males got into an argument,” police spokesman Assistant Superintendent Walter Evans told the Bahama Journal.

“As a result, a 28-year-old who lived adjacent to the area where the incident took place was stabbed in the chest area. He succumbed to those injuries.”

Mr. Evans said the victim, Lavardo Collie, was wearing a pair of blue jeans, a white shirt and a pair of white tennis shoes.

Police were questioning a 35-year-old man in connection with the matter, one they hope to “wrap up quickly.”

Authorities have expressed concern that at this rate, this year’s murder count would surpass that recorded in 2006.

In an attempt to reduce the amount of violence taking place in the country, ASP Evans said the police continue to ask the public to assist in the crime fight.

“We are right now doing quite a bit,” he said.

“There have been a number of patrols. However, when it comes to homicides, these matters are generally the result of unresolved issues. The police cannot be everywhere all the time and so it’s because of this that we ask the community to help us – when they see or hear anything to call the police.”

Meantime, active police investigations also continued Tuesday into an armed robbery at Texaco service station on Carmichael Road near Allen Drive.

Police said two masked gunmen entered the establishment after 9pm Monday and demanded cash. The bandits reportedly escaped on foot in the Firetrail Road area.

But according to ASP Evans, freedom was short lived for one of the men.

“Officers on patrol in the Carmichael Road area saw two men running,” he said.

“They gave chase. They caught one of the culprits – a 19-year-old male who resides just off Tonique Williams-Darling Highway. Money was also retrieved, believed to be a part of the armed robbery.”

Up to press time, the hunt continued for the 19-year-old’s accomplice.

Also from the crime beat:

Police applauded a concerned citizen who on Monday evening turned over to police a bag containing 25 live rounds of ammunition for a 9mm handgun.

By Maculsha N. Pinder
The Bahama Journal

The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has introduced its new data roaming feature, which allows Blackberry owners to send and receive emails and telephone calls when traveling to Canada and the United States.

Data roaming also allows Blackberry owners to surf the Internet while outside the country, Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Business Development Marlon Johnson said.

It has always been BTC’s intention to have a system where people can take their office on the road, he said.

Blackberry was introduced to The Bahamas last year. In order to maximize its potential, BTC negotiated with carrier companies around the world like Digi Cell and Cingular for roaming contracts where the proceeds from the roaming would be split, Mr. Johnson said.

Establishing Data Roaming began last month and has been an ongoing process, according to Mr. Johnson.

Data Roaming is not only limited to Canada and the United States but it can also be used when traveling to the Caribbean, Mr. Johnson pointed out.

When traveling to Canada Blackberry owners roam with Rogers Wireless, which is Canada’s largest wireless carrier, and when traveling to the U.S they roam with Cingular Wireless, which is the United States’ second largest wireless carrier, according to Mr. Johnson.

DigiCell is the wireless network Blackberry owners are connected to when traveling to the Caribbean, he added.

Blackberry owners traveling to major English speaking Caribbean countries such as Jamaica, Barbados, and St. Lucia have the advantage of being connected to DigiCell.

DigiCell is a feature rich and user-friendly mobile service, which utilizes the world’s most innovative wireless technology GSM (Global System for Mobile communications), according to the official DigiCell website.

“We want to be able to give the Blackberry owners total connectivity to their workplace and personal matters,” Mr. Johnson said.

Persons on these networks who travel to The Bahamas would also be able to access their emails on their Blackberry devices.

“We want the visitors to bring their Blackberry devices or other hand held devices and have that same connectivity they would have in their country,” Mr. Johnson said. “We also want Bahamian professionals who travel to have that same capability when traveling in and out of the country.”

BTC’s intent is to have Blackberry roaming in just as many countries as there is voice roaming, which is currently in almost 60 countries around the world, Mr. Johnson pointed out.

People who use their postpaid phones are able to roam wherever they go whether it be Russia or India. BTC plans to have this same capability for Blackberry owners, so they can roam wherever they travel around the world.

Wherever there is GSM technology in the Family Islands, Blackberry capabilities are there as well.

These islands with the GSM line include Grand Bahama and Bimini, but the technology is also being tested in other major Family Islands.

According to Mr. Johnson, GSM will be launched in all Family Islands within the next two months.

“On Wednesday, GSM will be formally launched in Ragged Island and Rum Cay,” Mr. Johnson said. “As we progress we will include Long Island, Exuma, Eleuthera, and also islands such as Acklins and Crooked Island.”

Just how customers would pay a premium for voice roaming, customers would pay a premium for data roaming which is $60 per month for the general data package, according to BTC.

Mr. Johnson said GSM roaming is in 65 major countries around the world.

“If a person has a GSM phone [he or she is] really and truly in touch with the world,” Mr. Johnson said.

By Deandre Williamson
The Bahama Journal

Volleyball high flyers Renaldo Knowles and Alejandro Thompson took their night league skills to the beach and pounded the competition, to emerge as the Kings Of the Beach at the Scotia Bank Defenders Volleyball Club 2007 Championships.

Krystel Rolle, Laval Sands and Kizzie Gray won the women’s title Queen of the Beach Title.

Scotia Defenders recently teamed up with Burns House to stage the event at the popular Long Wharf Beach on Saturday March 24. The men played two-a-side, and the women used three players.

The event was termed a “smashing success” by officials, as there was a full registration for men and women.

In the men’s Division One, the team of Knowles and Thompson, who called themselves “Where My Money,” were crowned the new Kings of the Beach.

In the championship match they defeated the Fire Balls, the team of Kyle McIntosh and Sherwaine Arthurs.

Finishing third in the men’s division was the Young Gunz squad of Glen Rolle and Roni Lexidor, and fourth was Muller Petite and Arison Wilson, two members of The Bahamas National men’s team, called the Platinum Tips.

In Division One on the women’s side Rolle, Sands and Gray, all national team members who called themselves the Bullets, took out the Butter Milk team of Natasha Ferguson, Melinda Bastian and Edrica McPhee. The Bullets were crowned Queens of the Beach.

Finishing third was the team of Sophia and Bridgette Rolle who went by the tag ‘Too Experienced”. Fourth was the team of Sherry Whylly, Rochelle Henfield and Nicolette Campbell.

Endierich Rahming, Daryl Dorsett and Frank Ellis teamed up to win the men’s Division Two title over the runners-up Kyle Smith, Darren Armstrong and Kayle Fox.

The ‘Jann Mortimer’ overall MVP award was presented to Renaldo Knowles.

Co-coordinator of the event DeVince Smith gave special thanks to Burns House/Bud Light and Bahamian Springs Water Company for helping to make the tournament a success.

While the competition was in full swing he told the Journal that, “The players were excited about this tournament

“As opposed to the indoor game many people like to see the two-on-two or three-on-three competition as opposed to the six-a-side indoor game,” said Smith.

He believes earlier efforts to play beach volleyball on a regular basis were hampered because of a lack of sponsorship and a decline of the sport.

“I decided to take the step and try to revitalize the game on the beach because it is a lot of fun and we have a lot of new faces here today to play on the beach,” he said.

Smith said further that next year, organizers would have to give consideration to making the tournament a two-day event so that more teams could take part, with the winner hopefully getting a chance to represent The Bahamas at an international beach volleyball competition.

By Gerrino Saunders
The Bahama Journal

As the country prepares to embrace what the government says is an estimated $20 billion in investments, officials of the Water and Sewerage Corporation say they are also getting ready by preparing to take the corporation public through a public bond offering.

Chairman of the Water and Sewerage Corporation Don Demeritte told The Bahama Journal that the corporation intends to offer $50 million dollars worth of bonds to the public by the end of June.

Mr. Demeritte said that private participation is needed to accelerate the pace of infrastructure rehabilitation and expansion throughout the country, New Providence in particular.

The criticism is that since becoming an independent country The Bahamas has not invested, as it should have in this vital commodity to ensure quality potable water for all citizens.

“For us to achieve our constitutional mandate which is to provide quality water for all citizens…for us to achieve that we would have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to do so,” Mr. Demeritte said.

“We choose this approach because it gave us the comfort of assuring ourselves that revenues gained in New Providence could be used to support our growth in the Family Islands.”

According to Mr. Demeritte the corporation is also seeking to offer specific Family Island bonds, through which residents of a particular island would fund certain projects. He noted that residents in Long Island have already agreed to carry out a similar project.

The corporation chairman believes that such a move would give officials the comfort of knowing that they have positively invested in the future of the country, while getting good returns on the invested dollar, and providing yet another investment vehicle that the corporation can use.

The chairman also revealed that efforts are being made to meet the growing demand for water and alleviate water woes in eastern New Providence. In fact, the corporation has put out a tender for a reverse osmosis plant in that portion of the island.

“Never before in the history of The Bahamas has this much focused attention been placed on water,” Mr. Demeritte said.

“We have invested heavily in electricity and telecommunications. We intend to rid New Providence and the country of the vexing problem of low pressure etc. and we are doing a tremendous job at it, with the immediate result this year of decommissioning barging water from Andros.”

The Water and Sewerage Corporation recently commissioned the new Blue Hills reverse osmosis plant that officials say is currently producing some 12 million gallons of water daily for New Providence.

By Stephen Gay
The Bahama Journal