A BISX-LISTED bank has pledged it will not join the “folly” of its rivals by pursuing unsafe loans with its chief executive yesterday predicting that the Bahamian mortgage market will take another two years to recover to pre-COVID levels.
Gowon Bowe, Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) chief executive, yesterday told Tribune Business that multiple deep-rooted “structural
Mortgage credit likely to need two more years to recover to pre-COVID
issues” continue to hold back mortgage lending and, by extension, increased home ownership, construction, renovations and other productive economic
‘Congestion’
fears over 25slip marina near Potter’s Cay
BY NEIL HARTNELL TRIBUNE Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE ASSOCIATION of Bahamas Marinas (ABM) president yesterday voiced concern that a new 25-boat slip marina to be located just west of Potter’s Cay will create “over congestion” in both Nassau Harbour and for road-based trafc. Peter Maury spoke out after it was revealed that Blu Cay Ltd is seeking environmental and other permits to proceed with the development of a marina and 50-space dry storage facility for jet skis and other watercraft.
Total Trump tari craw sh exemption likely ‘long
shot’
BY NEIL HARTNELL TRIBUNE Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A FISHERIES executive yesterday conceded it will be “a long shot” to get Bahamian lobster and stone crab exports totally exempted from Donald Trump’s 12.5 percent tarif but praised the Government’s bid to have the rate lowered as a “more realistic” goal.
Adrian LaRoda, president of The Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance (BCFA), told Tribune Business that he was “excited and encouraged” that the Davis administration is “taking a stand” to address the increased taxation being imposed on exports to the US based on its initial response to the tarif’s imposition at 12.01am on Friday, July 24.
Jomo Campbell, minister of agriculture and marine resources, on Friday unveiled a three-pronged approach the Government plans to take in persuading the US to either completely remove, or lower, the 12.5 percent tarif rate on The Bahamas’ seafood exports. The frst involves lobbying for a complete exemption for Bahamian crawfsh and stone crab exports, with the former typically generating between $50m-$60m in annual sales and representing a valuable source of foreign currency earnings.
The second element involves persuading the Trump administration to reduce the tarif rate on Bahamian exports from 12.5 percent to at least 10 percent by showing this nation has taken action to ban the importation of goods made by forced labour - the very rationale that the US has used to justify the imposition of such levies on this country and 59 others.
The Bahamas, through reforms to the Customs Management Act that were passed prior to end-June 2026, imposed such a ban on forced labour goods. Six other countries now face the lower 10 percent tarif on their
BISX-listed bank chief: Deep-rooted ‘structural issues’ must be resolved’
activities associated with the housing market. Speaking after the institution, in its 2025 annual report released just ahead of tomorrow’s
Rushing home loan growth akin to ‘gambling with other people’s money’
annual general meeting (AGM), revealed that total outstanding Bahamian mortgage credit at year-end 2025 was still almost $77m below the
The plans also include an ofce building featuring a cafe plus on-site parking, with the project set to be located between the harbourtfront Water & Sewerage Corporation facility and Potter’s Cay, west of McKenzie’s. It will
be opposite the East Bay Street shopping centre.
“The proposed works include the construction and operation of a 25-slip marina, a 50-space dry storage area for personal watercraft (jet skis), and an associated multi-purpose
Port Lucaya buyer: End work halt over ‘immediate danger’
BY NEIL HARTNELL TRIBUNE Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE PORT Lucaya
Marina’s purchaser yesterday argued that the “immediate danger” posed by the property’s
Port defends work halt at Port Lucaya Marina
By BARBARA WALKIN barefootmarketing.net
FREEPORT regulators yesterday defended the decision to halt the demolition of the Port Lucaya Marina’s docks, the frst phase in a $21.8m redevelopment project, because the new owner has yet to comply with required processes and procedures.
The controversy erupted after crews began removing the deteriorated docks on July 23, only to stop the next day after the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) issued a stop work order, prompting allegations that unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles were delaying a project many residents see as critical to revitalising Port Lucaya.
But Troy McIntosh, the GBPA deputy director and city manager,
“life-threatening conditions” must take priority over the administrative procedures it says regulators are citing for imposing a ‘stop work’ order on its demolition. Bahama Land Waterways, which is owned by Port Lucaya
mark hit six years previously, he identifed the growth obstacles as including a lack of qualifed borrowers, stagnant incomes and wages, a workforce yet to expand beyond pre-COVID numbers, and the overhang of distressed properties banks are unable to ofoad.
Given such an environment, Mr Bowe told this newspaper that
ABM chief voices concern for Nassau Harbour and road tra c
Developer proposing 50-space dry storage facility for jet skis Project to be located between Potter’s Cay, Water & Sewerage
ofce building,” an environmental study by Bahamian consultancy, JSS Consulting, revealed. “The ofce building will consist of administrative ofces, public restrooms and a café to serve marina users and visitors. The development
Marketplace proprietor, Peter Hunt, and his business partner, Shmuel Herschkowitz, in a formal notice sent to the Grand Bahama Port Authority’s (GBPA) co-chairs, Rupert Hayward and Sarah St George, demanded that the ‘stop work’ order be removed with “immediate” efect and signalled that legal action is likely unless the impasse is swiftly resolved.
And, warning of the economic fall-out, they wrote that Port Lucaya Marketplace will be unable to “sustain its longterm operations” without a
yesterday said the halt was not an attempt to block development but, rather, the enforcement of long-standing permit requirements designed to protect public safety and ensure legal compliance.
He said the developers frst approached the GBPA months earlier seeking permission to demolish the marina's aging docks but, because the facility sits on land leased from the Grand Bahama Development Company (DEVCO), demolition could not legally proceed without written authorisation from the latter as landlord.
“Our responsibility as the regulator is to ensure all required documentation is in place before permits are issued,” Mr McIntosh said. He compared the process to a tenant making renovations to a rented apartment.
“If you’re renting an apartment, you can’t undertake major work without the landlord’s approval. The same principle applies here,” Mr McIntosh said. He added that GBPA staf spent weeks working with the applicants, exchanging
will also include an on-site parking facility to accommodate staf and patrons.” Blu Cay Ltd’s shareholders and owners are not disclosed in corporate records held by the
revived Port Lucaya Marina to drive visitor trafc and access.
The Marketplace, Bahama Land Waterways added, has seen its occupancy decline to about 50 percent while “rental rates have not been increased for more than 12 years”.
However, the GBPA and its Grand Bahama Development Company (DevCO) afliate, the latter of whom is the Port Lucaya Marina landlord, yesterday denied that they are unnecessarily or unduly
April’s in ation surge highest in three years
BAHAMIAN families are facing renewed price and cost of living pressures after April 2006 saw the greatest year-over-year increase in infation for three years.
Data released yesterday by the Bahamas National Statistical Institute (BNSI) revealed that the annual infation rate, which measures the average price increase across a basket of goods and services, had risen by 3.8 percent for April 2026 when compared
to the same month in the prior year.
Infation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), has been steadily rising since September 2025. Over the eight months to April, the annual or year-over-year increase has never dipped below 2 percent, peaking at that month’s 3.8 percent following a 3.1 percent jump in March.
The BNSI report did not identify the key factors driving the infation surge, only
the categories of goods and services chiefy responsible, but the infation spikes in March and April coincide with when the full impact of global oil spikes sparked by the Middle East confict between the US/Israel and Iran began to be felt.
However, it noted that petroleum or gasoline prices at the pump soared by 41.4 percent in April 2026 compared to one year earlier, while those for diesel jumped by 21.2 percent as rising crude oil
prices started to feed into the Bahamian economy.
“On a year-over-year basis, April 2026 compared with April 2025, the consumer price index (CPI) for April 2026 increased by 3.8 percent compared to the same period in 2025,” the BNSI report said.
“The largest contributors to the year-over-year increase were restaurants and hotels, 17.4 percent; transport, 10.9 percent; and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 4.1
Abaco resort’s 24-hour power loss as generator breaks down
BY FAY SIMMONS TRIBUNE Business Reporter
jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
A MAJOR Abaco resort was left without electricity, water, air conditioning and Internet for nearly 24 hours after its back-up generator malfunctioned during last week’s Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) outages, forcing management to discard food and renewing calls from business owners for long-term energy upgrades.
Emanuel "Manny" Alexiou, proprietor of the Abaco Beach Resort, said the prolonged outage afected both guests and employees. "People rely on electricity for everything. Even your city water doesn't work when the power goes out," he said.
"The hotel has a stand-by generator, but it just happened to malfunction this week, so we had at least one full day with no power, no water, no air conditioning and no Internet. That's not what tourists pay for."
Mr Alexiou said the outage also resulted in fnancial losses after the resort was forced to discard inventory that spoiled due to loss of refrigeration.
"When the power was completely out for almost 24 hours, we had to throw away a considerable amount of food because our standby generator wasn't working either,” he added, stating that the impact extended beyond visitors staying at the resort.
"Our employees couldn't take a shower because they had no water. They had to
come to work without basic services. It's been very diffcult for everyone,” Mr Alexiou said.
That challenge was echoed by Paul Ferguson, manager of Maxwell's Supermarket in Abaco, who said while his business was able to remain open because of back-up generation, many employees faced difculties simply getting to work.
"From a business standpoint, the outages haven't afected us too much because we have efcient generators. If one goes down, we have another to keep us operating," said Mr Ferguson.
"Where we really see the impact is with our employees. Some of them live in areas where they need electricity to pump water,
Plane wreckage from July 10 crash is shipped o to the US
BY FAY SIMMONS
TRIBUNE Business Reporter
jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
INVESTIGATORS
probing the Independence Day Andros plane crash that claimed 10 lives have recovered the wreckage and shipped the aircraft's engines and key components to the US for detailed forensic examination, with a preliminary report expected by August 10.
so when there's no power, there's no water. That creates challenges for them getting ready for work and even making it in."
While businesses have invested heavily in back-up generation, both men said the island needs a more permanent solution. Mr Alexiou said proper maintenance of existing BPL generation assets remains critical.
"It's a shame because the generating capacity exists. There's plenty of power if the generators are properly maintained,” he added. Looking ahead, he expressed cautious optimism about the renewable energy and liquefed natural gas (LNG) projects planned for Abaco.
"Ideally, it's good to have alternative generation, and
aircraft, which investigators have said was confgured for landing, struck trees before crashing about one nautical mile west of the runway.
percent. In contrast, the category of alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics decreased 4.6 percent over the same period.
“The petroleum and diesel index recorded a month–over–month increase in April 2026. Compared with March 2026, diesel prices rose by 36.5 percent, while petroleum prices increased by 20.4 percent,” the report said.
“On an annual basis, both petroleum and diesel prices increased compared with April 2025. Petroleum prices rose by 41.4 percent, while diesel prices increased by 21.2 percent compared with the same period of the previous year.”
With the infation rate representing “the average change in prices of goods
I know they're putting in a large solar feld. But like anything else, it still needs maintenance. Solar has fewer moving parts, but it's only generating during the day. Either way, it will help relieve some of the pressure on the existing system,” Mr Alexiou said.
"If the LNG plant is privately operated and properly maintained, then I defnitely think it's going to help. From what I see, the bigger issue isn't distribution - it's electricity production."
Mr Ferguson, meanwhile, argued that broader reforms are needed. "I'd like to see BPL privatised so we can stop going through this every year. We need new generators and upgrades to the system. This has been happening year after year, and every summer it's the same thing. This year has actually been worse, with outages lasting as long as 14 hours,” he added. The concerns come as the Government moves ahead with a new energy project
and services purchased by households over time”, the BNSI said of the monthly impact: “The CPI increased by 0.6 percent in April 2026 compared with March 2026. This followed an increase of 0.35 percent between February and March 2026. “On a month-to-month basis, April 2026 compared with March 2026, the largest increases were recorded in the transport category (7.5 percent), clothing and footwear (2.7 percent), and alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and narcotics (2.3 percent). In contrast, the largest decreases were observed in food and non-alcoholic beverages (1.5 percent) and recreation (0.5 percent).”
for Abaco being developed by EA Energy. The project is expected to combine approximately 30 mega watts (MW) of solar photovoltaic generation with battery energy storage and an LNG-fred power plant, creating a hybrid electricity system intended to reduce the island's dependence on diesel generation while improving reliability and lowering fuel costs.
The project forms part of the Government's wider Family Island energy reform programme, which also includes similar hybrid energy developments in Eleuthera and Exuma.
Despite those plans, Mr Alexiou said the island's immediate priority remains ensuring existing infrastructure is properly maintained. "At the end of the day, it all comes back to maintenance. When we compare ourselves with other countries, you have to ask why we're experiencing more problems than everyone else,” he added.
from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), along with representatives of the aircraft and engine manufacturers, are providing technical assistance.
In a statement, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) said recovery operations at the crash site were completed between July 22 and 24 with assistance from Florida-based SouthEast Air Recovery. The recovered aircraft components, including both engines, have since arrived in the US. According to the AAIA, the wreckage will be transported to a secure examination facility in Jacksonville, Florida, while the engines will undergo specialised analysis at the manufacturer's facilities in Mobile, Alabama. Investigators hope the examinations will help establish the sequence of events and identify any factors that contributed to the accident.
The tragedy prompted aviation regulators to suspend Flamingo Air's air operator certifcate as a precautionary measure, a decision that later resulted in the airline furloughing 35 employees while commercial operations remain grounded.
The Cessna 402C, registration C6-FLX, crashed near San Andros Airport on July 10. All ten people aboard were killed after the
The crash also renewed scrutiny of the carrier's safety record after it emerged that Flamingo Air aircraft had been involved in at least 14 publicly reported accidents and incidents over the previous two decades, many involving landing gear failures, runway excursions or emergency landings.
The AAIA said the investigation remains in phase one, during which
investigators are collecting, documenting and preserving evidence. Once that work is complete, the investigation will move into phase tTwo, involving a comprehensive analysis of the wreckage examinations, operational records, maintenance documentation, meteorological information, witness statements and other evidence before investigators determine the probable cause of the crash.
A fnal phase will focus on presenting the investigation's fndings and any safety recommendations.
The investigation is being conducted in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13 standards. An accredited representative from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is participating in the investigation, while technical advisers
The AAIA said it intends to publish a preliminary report containing factual information available at that stage of the investigation on or before August 10.
A fnal report, including any safety recommendations aimed at improving aviation safety, is expected about 12 months after the accident, although investigators noted that timeline could be extended if additional investigative work is required. The authority emphasised that the purpose of the investigation is to identify safety defciencies and prevent future accidents, not to assign blame or determine civil or criminal liability.
DevCO: ‘No objection’ to Port Lucaya once paperwork done
BY FAY SIMMONS TRIBUNE Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
THE GRAND Bahama Development Company (DEVCO) yesterday said it supports Port Lucaya Marina’s near-$22m redevelopment but is waiting on legal documents confrming the new ownership as questions continue over a stop-work order that halted demolition work at the weekend.
Charisse Brown, DEVCO’s president, said the company welcomes investment in the marina and is committed to facilitating the project once the required documentation is submitted. "We welcome the planned investment in, and improvement of, the marina.
Enhancements to this important asset are positive for Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama and the wider economy.
DEVCO has no objection to the proposed works and is committed to supporting responsible development. There appears to be some misunderstanding and misinformation regarding the Port Lucaya Marina matter,” she said.
Ms Brown’s statement comes after the new owners of the Port Lucaya Marina began demolition and renovation work on Wednesday before the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) issued a stop-work order, noting the required approvals had not been obtained.
Ms Brown said DEVCO is the landlord of the seabed lease associated with the
marina and, under the terms of that lease, any change in benefcial ownership must be formally disclosed to the company.
"While we understand that the property has been sold by third parties, DEVCO has not yet received the legal documentation confrming the new ownership or identifying the individuals authorised to act on behalf of the owner," she said.
"Our only requirement, as stated in our lease agreement, is that we receive the necessary legal documentation so that we can recognisethe properly authorised party and fulfll our obligations under the lease. This is a standard legal and administrative process that is common to
Licence wait places legitimate liquor vendors at disadvantage
BY ANNELIA NIXON TRIBUNE Business Reporter
AN EXUMA liquor outlet yesterday said months-long delays in the Government’s licensing process are leaving legitimate business owners in limbo, while unlicensed operators continue to sell alcohol without consequence.
Andrew Smith, who owns a liquor establishment in Exuma, said he submitted his renewal application well before his licence expired but, despite waiting since January 2026, is still without a renewed licence.
“I already put in for my licence long before the expiration,” he said. “It’s them. They got everybody. Not just me. You’re talking about
half of Exuma don’t have their licence.
“They behind big time. Everybody applied for their liquor licence in a timely manner, because they say if you apply for it at the same time, you don’t have to pay the renewal fee.
“I’ve been waiting for my liquor licence from January. It’s July. So now you’re going to bring my liquor licence to me and, at the end of the year, you’re coming back to me again to say it’s time for me to pay my fee.” Mr Smith’s comments come as the Coalition of Independents (COI) has intensifed criticism of the Government’s revised liquor licensing regime, which took efect on July 1.
In a social media post, COI chair Charlotte Green questioned whether the new requirements were creating
THE HEAD of the company behind Lynden Pindling International Airport’s (LPIA) new passenger screening system is pushing back against claims the enhanced security process is causing delays for domestic travellers, asserting the technology has not resulted in missed fights and is processing passengers in seconds.
Dr Raymond Wells, chief executive of Radiant Solutions Ltd, said the latest version of the airport’s screening platform builds on a system that has already been in operation for more than a year and was upgraded at the request of the Airport Authority to strengthen security and align The Bahamas with international screening standards.
“The system in itself was implemented over a year ago,” he said. “The frst version of the system was implemented over a year ago, and it actually went live July 1, 2025.”
Dr Wells explained that the original platform was designed primarily to scan boarding passes and allow airport ofcials to monitor passenger trafc through the country’s international airports. He said the Airport Authority later requested enhanced screening capabilities to verify passenger identities and detect fraudulent travel documents.
“As a part of the Airport Authority mandate, they contacted us and told us that they wanted us to provide enhanced screening in line with other airports around the world,” Dr Wells said.
The upgraded system verifes the authenticity of passports from countries around the world, compares a live facial image of each passenger against the photograph stored on the passport, confrms that the name on the boarding pass
matches the passport, and checks whether the travel document has expired.
Dr Wells said all of those security checks are completed in less than 13 seconds. “The system is taking the name on the boarding pass, comparing the name on the boarding pass to the name on the passport, then taking a live image of the person and comparing that live photo to the person’s image on their document,” he said.
“It is checking whether the passport is fraudulent and whether it has expired. All of that is happening in under 13 seconds.”
Asked whether the technology should create delays, Dr Wells responded: “None.” His comments come after concerns were raised over long lines at the domestic terminal following the introduction of the enhanced screening process. However, Dr Wells argued that images circulating on social media showing lengthy queues were taken weeks ago during peak travel periods and do not refect current operations.
“There’s been no delays today,” he said. “That image they saw was weeks ago.”
Dr Wells added that Radiant Solutions has been operating the enhanced system at the airport for four weeks, and has been closely monitoring airline operations throughout the roll-out. “From we were there, there has not been one missed fight as a result of the system,” he said. “Not one.
“We’ve been monitoring the airlines, and they’ve been advising us that they had no missed fights as a result of the system.” Dr Wells maintained that congestion seen at certain times of the day is consistent with historical passenger trafc rather than a consequence of the new technology.
“If you go there on a Tuesday morning, there are four fights leaving at the same
landlord and tenant relationships. The new owners of the Port Lucaya Marina are not exempt from this requirement." She added: "Once the required documentation is provided, DEVCO will continue to work constructively with the owners to facilitate the appropriate approvals and help move the project forward."
Troy McIntosh, GBPA deputy director and city manager, said the Port Authority had been working with the marina's representatives before demolition began, but could not issue a permit without written authorisation from DEVCO.
"My team advised me that we had been contacted regarding a permit for the demolition of the marina.
suited to New Providence than the Family Islands.
unnecessary barriers for Bahamian entrepreneurs.
While acknowledging the importance of public safety and responsible liquor sales, she argued that excessive bureaucracy, repeated inspections, public consultation requirements and the absence of frm processing timelines could delay business approvals and discourage investment.
Ms Green also raised concerns that public objections could be used by competitors or political interests to frustrate legitimate businesses, and said current licence holders and prospective operators have already been waiting months for approvals before the latest regulations came into force.
Responding to those concerns, Mr Smith said many of the new consultation requirements appear better
time… there’s always a line there,” Dr Wells said, noting that multiple Bahamasair fights, along with fights to Haiti and Cuba, depart during the early morning rush. “So you would never not have a line on a Tuesday morning. That’s just how it is.”
Dr Wells acknowledged there was a learning curve as airport personnel became familiar with the upgraded system but said staf have now become profcient. “I think they are there now,” he said. “They’re doing an excellent job in my view because the system is just an upgraded existing system that they’ve been using now for 13 months.”
To accommodate heavy passenger volumes, Dr Wells said the Airport Authority adjusts stafng and screening capacity based on demand. He added that while one screening unit may be sufcient during slower periods, two systems are typically in operation, with a third currently being added to handle peak trafc.
“They’ve said to us initially, ‘We require a third system.’ So we’re putting a third system there, so that during peak times, three of the systems would be in use,” he said.
Dr Wells compared the approach to adding more security ofcers during busy travel periods, saying airport operations are scaled according to passenger volumes rather than relying solely on technology.
Dr Wells also emphasised that travellers should continue following the Airport Authority’s longstanding recommendation of arriving two hours before domestic departures and three hours before international fights.
“There has been no change in that,” he said. Dr Wells added that passengers arriving within those recommended timeframes still have ample time before boarding.
“There’s been nobody who’s come within that time that is not sitting up in the back with more than ample time for them to get their cofee, their donuts, or whatever while they wait for their fight,” he said.
We worked with them and discussed the available options. Up to today, this ofce has not received the documentation from DEVCO authorising us to proceed with issuing a demolition permit," he said.
Mr McIntosh said no verbal authorisation had been given for demolition to proceed.
"No verbal approval was given to anyone by this department to proceed. We operate based on documentation, and the required documents were never submitted to this ofce," he said. He added that the applicants had been advised not to proceed with demolition until the approval process had been completed.
"They were advised not to proceed, but they did," said
Mr McIntosh. Responding to criticism that the GBPA was delaying investment, Mr McIntosh said the authority supports development but must ensure projects comply with established standards.
"We want to see the city develop. We want to see projects move forward, but we also want them completed in a code-compliant manner. We want developers working with us, and us working with them as the regulator and inspection department, so projects can move through the process seamlessly while meeting the required standards," he said.
“I think a lot of that is going to be applied to Nassau,” he said. “If you notice in Nassau, every church, there’s a liquor store on the side of it. So that is something that ain’t really going to be applied to the Family Islands because you could drive miles before you even get to a liquor store.
“I think they’re more trying to clean up Nassau more than the Family Islands.”
While the Government has sought to tighten oversight of liquor establishments, including limiting where licences can be granted and requiring businesses to meet stricter operational standards, Mr Smith argued there should not be a crackdown on licensed operators attempting to comply with the law.
“There don’t need to be no crackdown on no liquor store nowhere,” he said. “People are honestly and truthfully trying to go the
legitimate way of making ends meet, or making an honest living.”
Instead, Mr Smith believes enforcement resources should target illegal alcohol sales. “What should be closing down is the ‘30 days’. That’s who they need to go put pressure on,” Mr Smith said, referring to unlicensed operators commonly known by that nickname.
“It’s not fair to me that I’m going through all this process to get my licence the legitimate way, and the right way to get my licence, and somebody around the corner doesn’t have a licence and is selling beer the same way I’m selling my beer.
“It’s not fair to anybody who’s selling liquor with a licence. Here it is, Tom and Jerry down the road selling beers the same price you’re selling it for, but Tom and Jerry don’t have a licence. They call them ‘30 days’. They are the people the
Government needs to crack down on.”
Mr Smith has previously criticised aspects of the Government’s new regulatory framework after being required to spend about $3,000 constructing a temporary wall to separate the bar from his laundromat in order to satisfy licensing requirements. At the time, he described the policy as “going overboard” for Family Island operators, arguing that small businesses were already grappling with higher operating costs, supply chain challenges and limited customer bases compared with New Providence. His latest concerns suggest that, beyond the cost of complying with the new standards, operators are increasingly worried about how long it is taking for licences to be processed, leaving compliant businesses waiting months for approvals while illegal operators continue trading unchecked.
CHARISSE BROWN
US tari cut to 10% on forced labour reforms ‘more realistic’
US exports, as opposed to The Bahamas’ 12.5 percent, after enacting similar laws, and Mr Campbell said: “We intend to be the seventh.”
The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources has also promised to work with the Ministry of Finance, Bahamas Customs and this nation’s embassy in Washington to help Bahamian seafood processors and exporters navigate any new US procedures, with Mr LaRoda suggesting that the fsheries sector, other exporters and the Bahamian economy have been caught in wider geopolitical ambitions being pursued by Mr Trump.
He said the US president’s ‘Liberation Day’ tarifs, which imposed a 10 percent levy on Bahamian imports when unveiled with much fanfare last year, did not appear to have been applied to this nation’s fsheries exports even before they were struck down in early 2026 by the US Supreme Court.
The BCFA chief said no local seafood wholesaler or exporter had confrmed their products were subject to the tarif, which is a tax imposed by countries on
foreign goods as they enter at the border, adding: “I don’t know of any exporter that said the US importers had to pay an increased 10 percent.”
However, Mr LaRoda said few in the Bahamian fsheries are paying attention to, or have noticed, the Trump tarif threat as the 12.5 percent impact has yet to bite. He added that this might change after August 1, when crawfsh season begins and the industry approaches its US wholesale and seafood buyers seeking fresh orders for what will now likely be a more expensive product for American consumers.
Reacting to the Government’s plans for seeking a total exemption for crawfsh and stone crab, Mr LaRoda said: “I’m excited and encouraged. That’s good news. I hope the Government is successful in that. Back when I had said the Government needs its lobbyists to go and talk to the US about reducing or removing these tarifs. Hopefully now, the Government is serious enough to look at this and see if it can get some sort of exemption for our seafood products going into the US.”
He admitted, though, that the chances of securing a
carve-out or exemption specifcally for key Bahamian seafood exports is not high. “I’m an optimist, and while I believe it’s a long shot in having these rescinded, it’s still worth it to go and ask,” Mr LaRoda said. “This is the time when we need lobbyists to go out and make our case with the US government; that The Bahamas is a small country, a friendly nation. Help us out.”
The BCFA chief agreed that the Trump tarifs appear to cut across, and ignore, the previous trade preferences that The Bahamas and other regional nations enjoyed under the US Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) and Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), which allowed certain of this nation’s exports to enter the US market free of tarifs and other levies and restrictions.
Trade, media and observers have suggested that, in reality, the Trump administration is in efect ‘killing two birds with one stone through these ‘forced labour’ tarifs - getting around the Supreme Court’s strike-out of the earlier ‘Liberation Day’ set while also seeking to deter other countries from
Fidelity chair warns on ‘race to bottom for short-term pro ts’
CREDIT - from page B1
demands for commercial banks to increase mortgage lending without frst addressing these barriers are, in efect, calling on the industry to “throw good money after bad” and “gamble with other people’s money” - namely the savings of depositors. However, removing delinquent properties and other mortgage collateral from the industry’s books would free-up capital, and create an incentive, to once again resume mortgage lending.
With total outstanding Bahamian mortgage credit growing by $34m in 2025 to hit $2.553bn, but remaining 2.92 percent below year-end 2019 levels achieved some six years earlier, the Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) chief forecast: “Mortgage loans, to be perfectly honest, at the rate we’ve been going it will probably be another two years” before they exceed pre-COVID levels.
If that prediction comes true, it will have taken the Bahamian mortgage market around eight years to recover from the pandemic, and the delinquencies that resulted when the economy was locked down virtually overnight. “The growth in mortgages is really slow. That’s because of the structural issues just mentioned,” Mr Bowe added.
“Not only are persons not qualifying, but banks nowadays have an unwillingness, whether they want to acknowledge it or not or admit or not, to throw good money after bad. If I am holding signifcant distressed properties, why is there an incentive to lend when, as a fduciary, I would be gambling with other people’s money?”
The Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) chief executive has long called for the banks, the Government and private sector to work together on a public-private partnership (PPP) solution that would involve creating a real estate investment trust (REIT), or
investment fund, to acquire distressed properties from their mortgage lenders. These could then be repurposed and renovated for low-cost, afordable housing, thereby improving the supply of available homes while freeing-up banks to resume lending.
Describing this as the preferred outcome, Mr Bowe said two diferent options can be taken. “In one scenario, if I already have mortgage money that has been lost, and I am asked to throw more money at it, I’m in efect a gambler trying to make more bets to win back the money previously lost,” he explained.
“But if I’m in a situation where I can recover my investment frst, then I can make a business decision to take on new investment - not to recover money lost, but make more money from it. Banks are asked to efectively be gamblers. They are being asked to throw more money at it, and it’s not a wise approach for any fduciary agent.”
importing Chinese-made goods.
They argue that Mr Trump has seized on the 1974 US Trade Act’s section 301 as a stronger weapon to support his tarifs, grounding them on allegations other countries have failed to crack down on forced labour. While the evidence against The Bahamas and others is fimsy at best, these observers say it is almost impossible for other countries to disprove and thus overturn the tarifs that way.
However, US importers have already launched legal challenges against the latest tarifs on the basis that the US has failed to conduct a thorough-enough investigation to make the claims against The Bahamas and 59 other states stand-up. And, on the other side, the ‘forced labour’ justifcation may also deter other countries from sourcing Chinese-made goods given allegations have been made of such practices involving the latter’s Uighur minority. Mr LaRoda yesterday argued that The Bahamas and its fsheries industry “cannot rely on the outcome” of US courtroom battles to address the impact of Mr Trump’s tarifs, thus making proactive
Mr Bowe, writing in Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) 2025 annual report, said the BISX-listed institution will stay try to its core risk management and underwriting principals, and not engage in risky or speculative lending in what it perceived as a “muted” credit market in the short to medium-term. And he promised that it will not follow or pursue commercial bank rivals down this path but, instead, seek out new avenues for growth.
“The environmental realities comprise, among others: Structural challenges in the lending environment, including a signifcant inventory of slow-moving distressed properties, high levels of consumer debt of existing borrowers and low levels of fnancial literacy and savings,” Mr Bowe wrote.
“The factors above can be summarised simply as volatility, which is exacerbated for commercial banks by the fduciary responsibilities for brokering successful outcomes for all key stakeholders, including shareholders, depositors, borrowers, cardholders, merchants, employees community partners and other stakeholders….
moves inevitable. He added that The Bahamas and other countries are being used as “footballs” in wider US geopolitical strategy, suggesting the US president is “kind of shaking the tree. I want something, I’m going to shake your tree, bring you to the table so I get what I want”.
The BCFA chief agreed that securing a reduced 10 percent tarif rate, on the basis that The Bahamas has already amended its laws to combat forced labour, is a more achievable goal.
“That’s more realistic,” he told Tribune Business. “I’m happy to see the Government thinking along those lines. I’m confdent that will be the greater consideration.
“It’s better to get something in that regard than walk away without getting anything because that weakens your position when it’s time to negotiate again. I think that will be the better approach, and when we show our laws are fghting against forced labour, that will be the right consideration.
“We have to look out for ourselves and protect ourselves, and cannot rely on the outcome of a US legal challenge. I think the Government is doing it the right
“Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) has observed the folly of certain commercial banks in response to the impact of the volatility on the lending environment in The Bahamas and, as opposed to participating in the folly, the bank has held to its core principles of quality lending centred on a borrower’s ability to pay and providing fnancial coaching to improve the lives of its customers, and has devised and implemented strategies for expansion of the business, including investments in technology, personnel, products and services and communities.”
This was echoed by Alfred Stewart, Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) chairman, who told shareholders: “The lending environment in The Bahamas will likely remain muted for the short to medium-term, due in large part to the negative consequences of the global pandemic such as unemployment and consequential credit defaults. Employment numbers are growing and loans in default are being rehabilitated, but the pace does not provide for a rapid expansion in the lending environment.
“For fnancial institutions not wishing to race to the bottom for short-term proft, this requires targeting new markets, products and services. The bank has chosen the latter route favouring long-term sustainable fnancial performance by targeting revenues from non-traditional sources, and profts through recovering funds owed to the bank. The successes of these strategies peeked through in the fnancial performance of the current year.”
Consumer lending continues to dominate the Bahamian credit market, with this segment expanding industry-wide by $119.5m in 2025 - a slight decline on the prior year’s pace of $122m. As a result, the Bahamian commercial banking industry’s total outstanding consumer portfolio of $2.207bn at year-end 2025 was only $7m, or 0.32 percent, shy of pre-COVID’s year-end 2019 numbers.
“There was growth in the commercial banking sector in consumer loans and mortgage loans during fscal year 2025,” Mr Bowe wrote. “However, the statistics evidence the required extended period to rehabilitate the structural challenges, and reverse the accentuated contraction during the global pandemic associated with the deterioration in the quality of borrowers and related borrowing capacity, particularly in the traditional markets of the bank.”
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way by approaching the US and have this looked at again,” Mr LaRoda added. “I’m encouraged they are doing it, I am encouraged they are taking a stand.”
Asked what the fsheries industry reaction has been to-date, he said: “Unfortunately, a lot of people haven’t realised the potential impact because we have not seen the hurt. If it stays in place at 12.5 percent we will begin to see the impact after next week when the crawfsh season opens and we approach buyers and wholesalers on the export side. Unfortunately, fsheries has not been overly concerned to this point, and we should be….
“The few seafood wholesalers I have spoken to have not heard from the Government. At this point, it would be good moving forward if the minister or Department of Marine Resources could have wider consultation on how we move out of this thing. Anything to protect our industry is good for all of ud, not just those industries impacted by this; it’s good for the whole country. It was good that the Government would have considered doing this.”
Speaking to Tribune Business yesterday, he acknowledged that consumer credit was likely to have surpassed year-end 2019 numbers this yearmore than six years later. “I think the good news is consumer loans are just about equal with their pre-pandemic level,” Mr Bowe said. “I think I said it would take three years in 2022, so I was of by a year and some.”
Yet he warned that, even here, growth is likely to be muted. “When I look at the reality, consumer lending is not going to grow by any exponential amount for quite a while because persons have got themselves maxed out and that is going to take some time to recover from,” the Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) chief added.
“The lending won’t stop, but the dollar amounts will start to reduce. Where persons had larger dollar amounts for consumer credit, they will start with smaller dollar amounts because their borrowing capacity has been impaired and they are not in position to take out large credit.”
Mr Bowe said that, while some say he is “fogging a dead horse” by continuing to call for and promote the National Development Plan, it would provide a road map for addressing the “structural issues” facing The Bahamas. These include recent gross domestic product (GDP) growth, or economic expansion, failing to translate into increased wage incomes and living standards for Bahamians, and - while the unemployment rate has fallen - the workforce has not grown since before COVID.
Other challenges he identifed include the widespread use of salary deductions, often to nonbank institutions, which consume more than 50 percent of a government employee’s wages and leave them taking home twodigit or three-digit sums per month, and the fact that the only wage growth has been in the minimum wage.
“From that perspective, if we don’t address these structural challenges, we can talk about all these wonderful things that exist, but have they reached the common man’s ability to purchase more and change their status in life?” Mr Bowe asked. “We have to pause, and not criticise ourselves, but ask the hard question: Are we doing enough here to make sure it gets to the persons who need it the most.”
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Marina project ‘low risk’ but requires dredging
DEVELOP - from page B1
companies registry at the Registrar General’s Department. The company is active, and was formed in January 2025 by Christopher Francis, who appears to be an attorney and partner at the Baycourt Chambers law frm. Two legal secretaries, Christine C. Francis and R. Clarissia Sweeting, are named as the initial subscribers for its shares.
Mr Maury, who operates Bay Street Marina, denied that he sees the Blu Cay Ltd project as direct competition for himself. However, he argued that its chosen location at the entrance to Potter’s Cay, with vehicles entering and exiting on to East Bay Street, will only add to trafc congestion that peaks every Tuesday
when mail boats heading to the Family Islands load and ofoad goods.
“Potter’s Cay is a disaster now,” Mr Maury argued. “I don’t know how they are going to work that out. Come down on a Tuesday. All day the trafc is backed up. It’s just insane. They are just going to add to the congestion.
“They are going to add another marina. They are just going to over-congest everything. Right now, Potter’s Cay can’t handle what it has, and they will have to dredge out that whole sandbank.
“As far as what I am doing, I don’t see it as competition for me. But what I do so it doing is turning the trafc into a nightmare,” he continued. “With what’s going on at Potter’s Cay, the trafc on Tuesday is backed
up on East Bay Street all the way into down.
“Everyone is trying to get down one lane. They have to design an inter-change to deal with the trafc. It’s a matter of congestion. It doesn’t make sense in terms of trafc patterns for downtown Nassau.”
Mr Maury contrasted Blu Cay Ltd’s project with the treatment he received from the Government over his bid to lease land and waterfront for a Nassau Harbour marina and parking lot project which would have been located close to the foot of the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge serving Paradise Island - just west of this new marina.
He is now locked in a multi-million Supreme Court legal battle with the Government over the lease dispute, and said yesterday that he tried to lease part
Marketplace ‘cannot survive’ without revitalised marina
blocking, or interfering with, the latter’s renovation and redevelopment (see other articles on Page 1B and Page 3B). Their position is that they are simply enforcing long-standing permitting and approval requirements designed to protect public safety and ensure legal compliance. While Bahama Land Waterways had approached the GBPA for the necessary permits months ago, DevCO - as landlord - has to give written authorisation for the works to proceed and this has not been forthcoming.
And DevCO’s stance is that Bahama Land Waterways and its principals have yet to provide it with the necessary documents and paperwork to show they are now the actual owners and authorised representatives able to speak for Port Lucaya Marina Company, which holds the 99-lease on the property.
Tribune Business last year that Mr Hunt and Mr Herschkowitz were “pursuing plans” to acquire the New Hope Holdings assets for almost $22m - including the Port Lucaya Marina and Grand Bahama Yacht Club - currently held by Preben Olsen, the Gonzalez family and Duane Crithfeld.
“Bahama Land Waterways is pursuing plans to redevelop the Port Lucaya Marketplace and acquire several key properties on Grand Bahama, including the Port Lucaya Marina, the Grand Bahama Yacht Club and surrounding waterfront buildings and properties,” the Central Bank disclosed.
“The proposed initiative is valued at approximately $21.8m. The multi-phase development would feature a resort hotel, marina residential units and entertainment facilities.”
Bahama Land Waterways, in yesterday’s notice to the GBPA, argued that the acquisition is now completed and completion of the necessary bureaucratic and administrative formalities should not delay its plans to address “the severely deteriorated and life-threatening condition of the former wooden docks, associated structures, utilities and adjoining concrete areas at Port Lucaya Marina” because of “the immediate need to protect life and public safety”.
“Bahama Land Waterways has completed the acquisition transaction relating to Port Lucaya Marina Company,” the company wrote. “The commercial transaction is closed, the agreed purchase consideration has been paid, the former three partners/ shareholders have exited the transaction, and they no longer control or direct the afairs of Port Lucaya Marina Company.
“The remaining steps concern only governmental, regulatory and administrative procedures required to register or record the transfer of the shares into the names of the acquiring parties. Those pending formalities do not mean that the transaction remains conditional or that the former shareholders continue to exercise operational authority.
“Bahama Land Waterways and its authorised representatives hold a full power of attorney to act for and on behalf of Port Lucaya Marina Company, and to make decisions concerning its property, operations, safety, contractors, demolition activities and all related matters,” the noticce to the GBPA added. “Port Lucaya Marina Company remains the corporate holder of the relevant marina rights and seabed lease while
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that I CLENOR CLENISE LOUIS-BERTILUS of Charles Saunders Highway, New Providence, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 21st day of July, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
of the Water & Sewerage Corporation property for parking but was rejected by the Minnis administration.
“I tried to lease that as part of the parking when I wanted to put in a marina, and they denied me,” Mr Maury said. “I did a whole design for it, a whole proposal at the east of the plant for parking. That was for a small marina. Now they are going to add another marina. We were going to use that as parking for the boats taking people over to Paradise Island.”
The JSS Consulting report confrmed that Blu Cay Ltd’s marina is targeted at a location featuring a number of sunken and derelict boats, and which has already been impacted by human activity. It revealed, though, that dredging will be required for the marina basin.
a safe and operational marina,” Bahama Land Waterways said. “The existence of pending litigation does not justify allowing an immediate danger to remain indefnitely….
the procedural registration of the share transfer is completed.
“Accordingly, the explanation that the demolition must stop because the administrative registration of the completed share transfer remains pending does not refect the actual legal and operational position. Port Lucaya Marina Company remains the same corporate tenant under the recorded lease; the acquisition has closed and been paid; the former shareholders have relinquished control; and Bahama Land Waterways and its representatives possess full authority to act for the company, including in relation to emergency safety work and demolition.”
Bahama Land Waterways argued that, while the transaction changed the ownership of the lease holder, Port Lucaya Marina Company still holds the tenancy and this has not changed. However, a further complication remains the legal action initiated by the GBPA and DevCo against Port Lucaya Marina’s former owners over their failure to live up to lease terms that they “maintain, repair and operate the marina”.
“The new ownership has now undertaken the very remediation that addresses those historical conditions: securing the site, demolishing the collapsed structures and rebuilding
“For approximately 14 years, following a much longer period of deterioration, the former wooden marina docks and supporting infrastructure have progressively decayed. Their present condition is not cosmetic and is not an ordinary maintenance issue. It constitutes a serious and immediate threat to human life and safety.
“Port Lucaya Marketplace has already installed fencing in certain areas in an efort to restrict access. The scale of the hazard, however, requires comprehensive isolation of the entire dangerous marina perimeter until demolition is completed,” Bahama Land Waterways continued.
“Port Lucaya Marketplace remains one of Grand Bahama’s principal active commercial and tourism destinations. Hundreds of residents, employees, visitors and tourists attend the Marketplace and surrounding waterfront area on ordinary days, with attendance rising to thousands during busy weekends, holidays and public events.
“The marina is immediately adjacent to this heavily-visited public area. This substantial and recurring pedestrian activity materially increases the likelihood that children, visitors or other members of the public may approach or enter the unsafe marina structures, and therefore
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that I BRANDON SIMILUS of #1 Rhodes Lane,New Providence, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 21st day of July, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE is hereby given that I WAYNE ANDREW CHRISTIAN of #9 Reeves Street, New Providence, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 21st day of July, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
“The assessed area consisted of a coastal marine ecosystem. Marine scope of works for the project includes the construction of a timber dock marina, one multi-purpose building complex and dredging of the marina basin,” the environmental study said.
“During the preliminary site assessment, it was determined that the area designated for the proposed mult-purpose building had been previously cleared and disturbed. Because of this, construction activities for the building will be limited primarily to site preparation and ground works prior to the commencement of vertical construction…. The impact this project will incur is considered to be low risk to the surrounding environment.”
Providing more details, the JSS Consulting study
materially increases the urgency of either completing the demolition without interruption or fully isolating and securing the entire hazardous area.”
As to the economic consequences of ordering Executive Marine Management’s demolitioin work to halt, Bahama Land Waterways warned: “The issuing parties further record that the timely reconstruction of Port Lucaya Marina is a matter of substantial public and economic importance to Grand Bahama.
“A functioning modern marina is expected to restore signifcant visiting-vessel activity, and support employment and commercial activity throughout Port Lucaya, including Marketplace tenants, restaurants, entertainment venues, the Straw Market, marine contractors, fuel and transport providers and other local suppliers.
“Any continued suspension of the demolition and reconstruction of Port Lucaya Marina will have serious and far-reaching consequences for the future viability of Port Lucaya Marketplace. Following two major hurricanes, hotels closures and the COVID19 period, the owners of Port Lucaya Marketplace continued to maintain the property in a clean, attractive and fully operational condition,” Bahama Land Waterways added.
said: “The new timber dock marina piles will be driven using a hammer drill and a crane mounted on a barge. Posts will be installed in the socket within the line and level of the dock. A carpenter crew will be used to install the wooden beam to the timber post using the permanent bolts.
“Mechanical dredging is the proposed method of dredging. Works will commence from the seaside and will be executed utilising an excavator mounted on a crane barge. The excavator barge will operate within the marina basin and manoevere as required to complete the dredging works safely and efciently. The area will be dredged approximately fve feet during low tide. Dredge material will be collected, loaded into dump trucks, and transported to the New Providence Ecology Park for disposal.”
“The Marketplace was among the fastest commercial properties in Grand Bahama to reopen after the hurricanes, and remained operational throughout the COVID-19 period. Despite these eforts, occupancy declined at approximately 50 percent, while rental rates have not been increased for more than 12 years.
“In the present economic circumstances, Port Lucaya Marketplace cannot be expected to sustain its long-term operations without the restoration of the marina, which is of substantial importance to increasing visitor trafc, strengthening existing tenants, attracting new businesses and restoring commercial activity throughout Port Lucaya.
“The strategic importance of Port Lucaya Marketplace and the marina has also been discussed with the principals and management of MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) and CTL Maritime [its subsidiary] during recent meetings with the owners of Port Lucaya Marketplace concerning the planned development of the beach club and the broader revitalisation of the area.” That latter statement refers to MSC’s redevelopment of the former Breaker’s Cay property at the Grand Lucayan.
Mr Hunt did not respond to Tribune Business messages seeking comment before press time last night.
NOTICE is hereby given that I EMMANUEL FILS NICOLAS of Farrington Road, New Providence, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 21st day of July, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that I MARGIE VONETTA REID-PAUL of #10 Eaton Road, Yellow Elder Gardens , New Providence, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 21st day of July, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE is hereby given that I CHRISHANNA AKELIA REID
GBPA denies impeding project through demolition activity halt
e-mails, explaining requirements and ofering guidance throughout the permitting process. However, he said the critical documents confrming DEVCO’s approval never reached the Port Authority. “As of today, this ofce has not received the documentation from DEVCO authorising us to issue a demolition permit,” Mr McIntosh said. He also rejected suggestions that verbal approval had been given. “No verbal authorisation was issued to anyone,” Mr McIntosh said. “At GBPA, permits are issued through documentation, not conversations.”
Questions arose after project representatives suggested they had permission to begin the work, but Mr McIntosh insisted that no demolition permit had ever been issued. “The application before us was for demolition,” he explained. “Without the required documentation from the landlord, we simply could not issue a permit.” Mr McIntosh added that carrying out demolition without approval exposes both developers and the regulator to signifcant legal liability. “If work proceeds without the proper permits and something goes wrong, there are serious consequences. That’s why the process exists,” he said. Since the stop order became public, criticism
has surfaced on social media accusing the GBPA of slowing investment in Grand Bahama. Mr McIntosh strongly rejected those assertions. “We want development,” he said. “Our record speaks for itself.”
He pointed to the number of residential subdivisions, apartment complexes, commercial buildings and infrastructure projects currently under construction across Freeport.
“Our inspectors are conducting multiple inspections every day because development is happening,” Mr McIntosh said, describing the GBPA’s development approval process as a “concierge service” where staf meet with developers early, explain requirements, review plans
Stocks drift on Wall Street and crude oil prices drop as Mideast tensions cool
and help applicants navigate the approval process before construction begins.
“Our goal is to help projects move from cradle to grave, from concept to completion, in a safe and compliant manner,” he added, stressing that the GBPA’s building standards have existed since 1955 and are intended to protect both investors and the public.
“We don’t want to compromise the standards that have made Freeport what it is,” Mr McIntosh said.
Bahama Land Waterways and its principals, Peter Hunt and his business partner, Shmuel Herschkowitz, have maintained that they submitted extensive compliance documentation and believe the permitting process became unnecessarily
By DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers
STOCKS on Wall Street drifted to a mixed close Monday as oil prices fell after the U.S. and Iran paused their attacks while work resumed on restarting negotiations to end the war.
The S&P 500 rose less than 0.1% after spending much of the day bouncing between small gains and losses. The benchmark index was coming of two weekly losses in a row. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.2%, its fourth straight loss.
The three major stock indexes are on pace to close out this month in the red. It would be the second straight monthly loss for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.
Oil prices reversed course from a week ago, when a sharp escalation in fghting between the U.S. and Iran worsened worries about global oil supplies. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, dropped 6.3% to settle at $85.87 a
complicated despite their eforts. During a press conference held after the stop order, they argued they had worked in good faith with regulators and questioned why demolition was halted after months of discussions. They say the redevelopment represents a major private investment that will create jobs, modernise marina infrastructure, and stimulate economic activity in Port Lucaya.
The frst phase of the redevelopment includes the demolition of deteriorated docks and the construction of 60 new concrete boat slips as part of the broader $21.8m multi-phase project.
But, despite the public disagreement, both GBPA and DEVCO insist they
barrel for October delivery. Prices surged to over $100 a barrel last week before easing.
U.S. crude oil for September delivery fell 7.5% to settle at $82.61 a barrel.
The war between the U.S. and Iran has sharply curtailed, and at a times halted, trafc through the vital Strait of Hormuz. That has had a ripple efect throughout the world’s economy.
Gasoline prices have surged and shipping costs for most goods are rising, with businesses typically passing those costs along to households.
Markets closed higher in Europe and Asia.
Bond yields fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.65% from 4.69% late Friday.
Technology companies were behind much of the shifts in the market, with gains and declines for a mix of big companies resulting in uncertain trading.
Nvidia fell 5% and Micron Technology slumped 2.3%. At the same time, Microsoft rose 1.9% and Apple rose 1.2%. They are all among the most valuable companies in the world, and those huge valuations give them more infuence over the direction of the broader market.
The mix of gains and losses from a variety of those companies had more impact in pushing and pulling the market, even as the majority of companies in the S&P 500 gained ground. Communications company stocks were among the gainers Monday. Google parent Alphabet rose 2.1%, while Charter Communications jumped 6.7% and Comcast rose 2.3%.
Credit card issuers and payment processors also notched gains. American Express climbed 2.8%, Capital One Financial added 2.1%, Visa rose 1.9% and rival Mastercard gained 2.2%.
In Asia, Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT soared in its debut in Shanghai. The company jumped to become China’s most valuable listed company with an estimated market capitalization of 3.3 trillion yuan (nearly $490 billion).
All told, the S&P 500 added 1.20 points to 7,413.18. The Dow gained 262.83 points to 52,210.08, and the Nasdaq dropped 43.74 points to 24,932.08.
Wall Street has a busy week ahead with several potentially mark-moving updates on the economy and company earnings. Reports are due out on consumer confdence Tuesday and infation on Thursday.
support the redevelopment. According to both organisations, the remaining hurdle is procedural rather than substantive.
GBPA says it cannot issue demolition permits until it receives written confrmation from DEVCO that the appropriate legal requirements under the lease have been satisfed.
DEVCO says it is simply awaiting documentation confrming the marina’s new ownership and authorised representatives. Once those documents are submitted, both organisations say they are prepared to work with the developers to move the project forward.
“This is a week with more than its fair share of potential surprises, good and bad,” said Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley.
The big focus will be on the Federal Reserve, which will give an update Wednesday on its interest rate policy. The central bank has been grappling with the impact from rising infation because of the ongoing U.S. war with Iran. It also has to contend with a fresh round of U.S.-imposed tarifs globally, which could further worsen infation.
Wall Street anticipates a nearly 36% chance that the Fed will raise interest rates at its meeting this week. Higher rates can help cool infation by making borrowing more expensive and slowing economic growth.
The central bank has been holding rates steady throughout the year as it monitors infation’s direction and impact, but Wall Street expects at least one rate hike by the end of the year.
Stubbornly high infation has been squeezing households and fuel costs have hit budgets and spending particularly hard. Gasoline costs are taking a bigger chunk out of household budgets, and that could mean tighter spending on other things like clothing and travel.
Investors are monitoring the latest round of corporate earnings for signs of consumer stress along with whether the yearlong jump in stock values throughout Wall Street is justifed by profts and forecasts for proft growth.
Investors also have a heavy round of corporate earnings to review this week. Many of those reports could provide more clues into the health of diferent areas of the economy. Paint and coatings maker Sherwin-Williams, aircraft maker Boeing and payments processor Visa will report their latest results on Tuesday. Starbucks and Chipotle will report results on Wednesday. Technology companies are being watched especially closely because their sharp gains throughout the year have been behind Wall Street’s record run. Microsoft will report results Wednesday. Amazon, with its growing cloud services business and AI focus, will report results on Thursday, along with Apple.
NOTICE
EEYORE LTD.
Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(8) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000, EEYORE LTD. has been dissolved and struck o the Register. A Certi cate of Dissolution was issued by the Registrar General on the 30th day of June, A.D., 2026.
Neil M. McDougall Liquidator
A TRAIN arrives at a Wall Street subway station in New York’s Financial District on Nov. 5, 2024.
Photo:Peter Morgan/AP
CRYPTOQUOTE
One letter stands for another. In this example, A is used for the three L’s, X for the 2 O’s, etc. Single letters, apostrophes, the length and formation of words are all hints. Each day the code letters are different.
JUDGE PARKER
CARPE DIEM
BLONDIE
MARVIN
TIGER
HAGAR THE HORRIBLE
CALVIN & HOBBES
DENNIS THE MENACE
How AI is playing a major role in heart care
BY CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net
TWO leading physi-
cans from the Charles E Lynn Heart and Vascular Institute in Florida were in Nassau recently to discuss the emerging role AI is playing in heart care.
Dr Bradley S Taylor, Chief Medical Executive, and Dr Joseph McGinn III, cardiologist, both gave their perspectives on the topic the Rise of AI in Heart Care: How Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery is Getting Smarter at a conference held at the Atlantis resort last week.
Non evasive surgery is surgery that works by creating a smaller incision and makes smaller morbidity for the patient easier because it reduces blood loss pain and often reduces the time needed to remain in hospital.
Dr McGuinn noted that the percentage of sterntomies (the surgical procedure to reach the heart) is still high around 95 per cent, but he thinks that less evasive surgery will increase particularly with the new generation of doctors.
AI advancements have played a major role in peri-operative care - the periods before and after surgery, he said.
“We're not going to be seeing it in the OR, but it will help with peri-operative care. Decision-making before and after the OR, AI has been very helpful. It's been integrated into our EMRs as well. So I expect in the future we'll be able to use that as... Point of care information for our
The photic sneeze refex is a surprisingly common reaction to bright lights
There’s just something about a sunny day that makes you feel … like sneezing? That’s a reality for a surprising number of people with a condition known as ACHOO syndrome. They literally sneeze when they see the sun or any other bright light. Why does this happen and what can be done about it? Allergist Dylan Timberlake, MD, explains.
What is ACHOO syndrome?
ACHOO syndrome is a refex in which a person sneezes once or a few times when suddenly exposed to bright light, especially sunlight. Basically, it’s an exaggerated response to something that shouldn’t cause issues.
And the funny name? Well, ACHOO is an acronym for a wordy and more formal title — Autosomal dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst. The condition is also known as photic sneeze refex, as well as sun sneezing and photosneezia.
Why does bright light make people sneeze?
Typically, a sneeze is a response to some sort of nasal irritation. Examples include infections, congestion or nose-tickling triggers like pollen or pepper. But a sun-driven sneeze originates in your brain. Exposure to a bright stimulus seems to activate a sneeze pathway in your brain that runs between
patients and also doing instantaneous research in the hospital on our actual patient population with our EMR and AI integration. So that's gonna happen in the next few years.”
Dr Taylor noted that AI can help doctors give patients answers up front.
“We can access large databases. The Society of Thoracic Surgery database has close to 9 million patients that have been operated on since 1989. And we can query that database and be able to tell patients what their risk of death, complications, likelihood of how long they'll be in the hospital by comparing them to a large number of other patients. It certainly helps us in preoperative planning, but also
in simulation. And there's technology out there now to help us, or really diferentiate outstanding cardiac surgery programs, or programs that can rescue patients, this concept of rescue.
“So as a patient's in the ICU, they're being watched both by people, by care providers, but also in the background there's artifcial intelligence that helps identify markers before people get into trouble and have to be rescued. So there's a lot that's going on in that space and it's changing really, really rapidly.”
Like with anything that helps doctors efectively treat patients, AI has to be used responsibly.
Dr McGinn said, “So, you know, you have to use
AI the correct way, I think. You know, especially now, anyone who uses AI with any frequency nowadays will understand it's very clunky. It hallucinates, they call it. There are some answers that, you know, don't make sense to a seasoned practitioner. So you have to have it in the hands of someone who also has experience and education in order to use it well. So that'll, I mean, AI will get better, but you still will need to rely on the human mind to care for patients fully.
Dr Taylor added, “I think of it this way. It's a form of collective intelligence. So the concept that if you have a complex problem and you put people with a series of brains together, you get
multidisciplinary teams of people working together, and people from diferent disciplines will see that problem from a diferent vantage point. And you get them working on that problem. And, AI is just a tool to supplement or complement that concept of using a series of good brains, good people working together to solve that problem. It's really remarkable how you can access, you can ask a question and be provided a solid literature review, the latest concepts on any problem.
“And so it is a way of I mean, think back, I'm out of the generation where we had to go to the library and look in books and go to the encyclopedia for references. And now, in a moment's
ACHOO Syndrome: Why you sneeze when you look at the sun
nerve circuits around your eyes and nose. “These circuits ‘crosstalk’ with each other and convince your brain a sneeze is needed, even though it’s not,” explains Dr Timberlake. “The reaction is typically immediate and short-lived. Once you sneeze, it’s over — at least until the next exposure.” Typical photic sneeze refex triggers ACHOO syndrome usually strikes on initial exposure to the sun or very bright light. It’s most common when moving from a darker to a lighter environment, like walking outside or driving out of a tunnel.
A camera fash or turning on bright indoor lights can bring on sneezing, too.
How common is ACHOO syndrome?
While sneezing at the sight of the sun might sound odd, it doesn’t appear to be that unusual. It’s estimated that 18 percent to 35 per cent of us have ACHOO syndrome. (Higher than you thought, right?) But there aren’t many robust studies on the photic sneeze refex, so there’s debate about the numbers.
An older study found that solar sneezing is more common in people who are white, especially women. Having a deviated septum
may also be a contributing factor.
Is photic sneeze re ex genetic?
ACHOO syndrome is a dominant genetic trait, which means you have a 50 per cent chance of inheriting the condition if one of your biological parents has it.
Can ACHOO syndrome be dangerous?
The act of sneezing after your eyes catch a glimpse of bright light isn’t inherently dangerous. But what is dangerous is sneezing uncontrollably in high-risk situations that need focus, like when you’re driving.
notice, we can access information on our phone in real time. It's really profound. Yeah, it'll give you that literature review. But then you have to put it into context as a clinician on the bedside.”
Both men note that it is important that medical students and doctors use it as a supplementary tool rather than complete reliance.
“When you're with a patient at the bedside, you need to know exactly what you're doing for certain emergency situations. And you even need to know enough to put the AI, you know, output into context,” said Dr McGinn. AI can also be helpful in populations with less resources like the Bahamas.
Dr McGinn explained that it could help doctors with preoperative risk assessments which would help them determine if the patient could be treated in house or be sent of for treatment depending on the resources available.
Dr Taylor added that it also provides patients with a tool in their own health care management.
“We want to democratise and we want to commoditise healthcare to the point where people are able to think about it in a way that says what's best for me and my family. “
He added. “I can imagine if I were to live here, or my family were to live here, but I'd want to be able to have access to the latest and the best, just like everybody else would want. And again, we're close. We're 25 minutes away by fight, and we're neighbours. So there's lots of points of contact that we can use. I love talking to patients from outside the region and talking to families. I met a lady, who checked me through customs. I got information about a family member of hers who needs some health care issues. So we're here to provide a resource.”
Some photic sneezers also react to certain kinds of anesthesia given for procedures.
Given the above, Dr Timberlake says it’s important to let your healthcare providers know that bright lights may trigger sneezing before they start procedures. (Anesthesia use may make you more sensitive to a photic sneeze refex, too.)
Is there a cure for photic sneezing?
There’s no specifc treatment for ACHOO syndrome, but Dr Timberlake says there are three diferent tactics that may be worth trying to reduce bouts of solar-powered sneezing.
Wear dark sunglasses. A good pair of shades can make sudden exposure to sunlight less dramatic, which may prevent a reaction. Hats or other accessories may do the trick, too.
That sort of bad timing happens, too: One case study documented a 26-year-old involved in THREE crashes linked to sunlight-induced sneezing fts.
“Uncontrollable sneezing can cause problems or be inconvenient in certain situations,” notes Dr Timberlake. “You certainly wouldn’t want it to happen when you’re behind the wheel or operating heavy machinery.”
Other dicey moments created by ACHOO syndrome include sneezing during eye or dental procedures due to bright light usage. (We probably don’t need to explain why that could turn out badly.)
Address allergies. Successfully managing nasal infammation in photic sneezers with hay fever sometimes reduces the tendency to sneeze. Apply pressure. Pushing down on the area between your nose and lips can sometimes stop the sneezing. If you’re doing it right, it should look like you’re giving yourself a mustache with your fnger. This is known as the “transverse philtral pressure technique.”
“Managing ACHOO syndrome is mostly about knowing your triggers and being prepared,” says Dr Timberlake. “You know that a sneeze might be coming in certain situations. It’s best to be ready for it.”
(L TO R) Dr Taylor and Dr McGinn
Photo: Magnific
Hannah Foster-Middleton
Needles with a purpose: How dry needling helps pain, tight muscles and recovery
IF YOU had told someone 20 years ago that tiny needles could help relieve muscle pain, improve movement, and get people back to work or sport faster, most would have raised an eyebrow. Yet today, dry needling has become one of the most talked-about treatment tools in modern physiotherapy clinics.
The funny thing is, many people still confuse dry needling with Chinese acupuncture. Patients often walk into the clinic asking, “So… is this acupuncture?”
The short answer is no — although they may look similar on the surface, the philosophy, purpose, and techniques behind them are actually very diferent.
So let’s clear up the confusion and talk about what dry needling really is, how it works, and why physiotherapists are increasingly using it to help treat pain and movement problems.
What Exactly Is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a modern physiotherapy treatment technique that uses very thin sterile needles inserted into muscles, connective tissue, or trigger points to help reduce pain and improve function.
The word “dry” simply means that no medication or fuid is injected through the needle. Unlike cortisone injections or vaccines, the needle itself is the treatment.
Physiotherapists use dry needling to target irritated or overactive muscles that may be contributing to pain, stifness, weakness, or restricted movement. These irritated areas are commonly called trigger points — those tender knots in muscles that often feel sore when pressed.
You know the ones. The “knot” sitting in your shoulder after a stressful week. The tight calf that refuses to loosen after running. The nagging back tension that massage only temporarily improves.
Dry needling aims to calm those tissues down and help restore normal muscle function.
So How Is It Di erent From Chinese Acupuncture?
This is where things get interesting. Although both techniques use similar-looking needles, they are based on completely diferent medical philosophies.
Traditional Chinese acupuncture comes from ancient Chinese medicine and is based on the concept of balancing the body’s energy fow, or “Qi,” through pathways called meridians. Acupuncture points are selected according to these energy systems to help restore balance in the body. Dry needling, on the other hand, is rooted in modern Western medicine, anatomy, and neuroscience. Physiotherapists use their knowledge of muscles, nerves, joints, and movement patterns to determine where the needles should go. In simple terms:
· Acupuncture focuses on energy pathways.
· Dry needling focuses on muscles, tissues, and pain science.
A physiotherapist performing dry needling is not trying to “move energy.” They are targeting specifc dysfunctional tissues that are contributing to pain or movement restrictions. That distinction matters.
How Does Dry Needling Actually Work?
Now for the million-dollar question: how can a tiny needle help a painful muscle?
The answer lies in how the nervous system and muscles communicate. When a muscle becomes overloaded, injured, stressed, or chronically tight, it can develop trigger points. These areas often have reduced blood fow, increased tension, and heightened sensitivity. The nervous system essentially keeps the muscle stuck in a protective pattern. When the needle is inserted into the trigger
point, several things can happen:
It Creates a “Reset” Response
Sometimes the muscle will produce a quick twitch response — a brief involuntary contraction. While it may feel strange for a second, this reaction is actually a good sign. It indicates the nervous system is responding and the muscle is beginning to release tension.
It Improves Blood Flow
Tight muscles often sufer from poor circulation. Dry needling can stimulate local blood fow, bringing oxygen and nutrients into the area while helping remove infammatory waste products.
It Helps Calm Pain Signals
The nervous system can become hypersensitive after injury or chronic pain. Dry needling may help reduce this sensitivity by altering how pain signals are processed in the brain and spinal cord.
It Encourages Better Movement
When muscles relax and pain decreases, joints can move more freely and normal movement patterns can return.
In many cases, dry needling works best when combined with stretching, strengthening, massage therapy, and corrective exercises rather than being used as a standalone treatment.
What Conditions Can Dry Needling Help Treat?
Dry needling is not magic, but it can be extremely efective for certain musculoskeletal conditions.
Physiotherapists commonly use it for:
Neck and Shoulder Tension
One of the most common complaints in modern life. Hours spent hunched over phones and laptops can create painful trigger points in the upper back and shoulders.
The Benadryl Challenge isn’t going away – here’s how public health o cials are trying to stop this deadly viral trend
Assistant Professor of Health and Kinesiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
A dangerous social media trend that started in 2020 has persisted into 2026, with heartbreaking consequences.
One study has estimated that this challenge may have been responsible for as many as 131 deaths in the U.S. between 2020 and 2024.
As with all online trends, the Benadryl Challenge is not limited by geographical borders. Though it originated in the U.S., public health ofcials in Canada have been warning parents and clinicians about the same trend since it began. I research the powerful efects of social media on health behaviours such as substance use, sexual health and nutrition. The speed at which online trends like the Benadryl Challenge spread presents a new challenge for public health.
The science behind diphenhydramine overdose Diphenhydramine is marketed under various brand names and is available over the counter as a treatment for allergies in numerous countries. The drug works by blocking a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which can help calm the body’s response to allergens.
Although therapeutic doses are generally safe, taking too much can result in severe anticholinergic toxicity. Symptoms of this condition include delirium, seizures, an abnormal heart rhythm, hyperthermia, coma and death. Many young people may underestimate the drug’s potential risks because it’s inexpensive and available at nearly any pharmacy or retail store. Plus, teens are highly susceptible to peer pressure and fear of missing out, so they may not appropriately weigh the risks with social media users and
infuencers encouraging experimentation with this drug.
‘Over-the-counter’ doesn’t mean ‘safe’
The Benadryl Challenge highlights a broader public health challenge: the perception that medications available without a prescription are harmless. Even adults tend to consider diphenhydramine to be a “safe” household medicine.
But poison control centres and emergency departments have been
responding to an increasing number of reports about intentional misuse of this and other over-the-counter medications among young people since 2020, with social media contributing to the rapid spread of dangerous behaviours. In response, public health agencies have increasingly recognised that preventing medication-related harms requires both educating consumers and engaging with the digital
Headaches and Migraines
Certain tension headaches are linked to tight muscles in the neck and jaw. Releasing these muscles may help reduce headache frequency and intensity.
Lower Back Pain
Dry needling can help reduce muscle guarding and stifness around the spine, especially when combined with movement therapy.
Sports Injuries
Athletes often use dry needling to help with muscle tightness, recovery, calf strains, hamstring problems, and overuse injuries.
Sciatica and Hip Pain
Tight gluteal muscles and deep hip muscles can irritate surrounding nerves and contribute to radiating pain patterns.
Tennis Elbow and Tendon Problems
Needling around chronically irritated tendons may help stimulate healing and reduce pain.
Jaw Pain and TMJ
Dysfunction
Tension in the jaw muscles from stress or teeth grinding can respond surprisingly well to dry needling.
Does It Hurt?
This is usually the frst question patients ask while nervously eyeing the needle tray. The honest answer? Sometimes a little — but not in the way people expect. The needles used in dry needling are extremely thin, much thinner than standard injection needles. Most people barely feel the needle entering the skin. However, when the needle reaches a trigger point, there may be a brief ache, cramp, twitch, or heaviness. This sensation usually lasts only a second or two.
After treatment, the muscles can feel sore for 24 to 48 hours — similar to post-workout soreness. Drinking water, gentle
environments where risky behaviours emerge.
In 2020, when videos of this trend frst emerged on TikTok, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about the Benadryl Challenge, emphasising the risks of high-dose diphenhydramine use among adolescents.
The agency urged parents, caregivers and healthcare professionals to discuss medication safety with young people.
The FDA also contacted TikTok and encouraged the platform to remove videos promoting the challenge and to remain vigilant against similar content.
More broadly, governments have begun holding social media companies accountable for failing to protect children from harmful online content.
For example, the European Union’s Digital Services Act and the United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act establish regulatory frameworks for penalising platforms that fail to address risks to minors.
Global response to the Benadryl Challenge
Still, responses to the Benadryl Challenge outside the U.S. have largely consisted of public awareness eforts rather than formal regulatory action specifcally targeting this trend.
The name “Benadryl” can also create confusion internationally. In the U.S., Benadryl allergy products contain diphenhydramine, the medication involved in the challenge. But products sold under the same brand name abroad contain diferent active ingredients.
In Canada, public health messaging has focused on raising awareness among
stretching, and light movement usually help.
Most patients say the temporary discomfort is well worth the relief they experience afterward.
Dry Needling Is Not a Standalone Miracle
Here is the important part many people miss.
Dry needling is a tool — not a cure-all. A tight muscle usually developed for a reason. Poor posture, weakness, stress, repetitive strain, lack of movement, previous injury, or faulty movement patterns all contribute to the problem.
If those underlying issues are never addressed, the pain often returns.
That is why physiotherapists combine dry needling with exercise rehabilitation, mobility work, posture correction, and education. The needle may help “unlock the door,” but long-term recovery still depends on changing how the body moves and functions.
The Bottom Line
Dry needling has become a valuable addition to modern physiotherapy because it bridges the gap between pain relief and functional recovery. By targeting tight muscles and irritated tissues directly, it can help reduce pain, improve movement, and speed up rehabilitation.
While it may resemble acupuncture at frst glance, dry needling is based frmly in Western anatomy and movement science rather than traditional energy medicine.
And perhaps the biggest takeaway is this: sometimes the body does not need stronger medication or more rest. Sometimes it simply needs the nervous system and muscles to reset, release, and start moving properly again.
• For questions and comments, call Hannah Foster-Middleton at 356 4806, e-mail genesisphysiotherapy@gmail.com, or visit www.physiotherapybahamas.com.
adolescents and their caregivers after 2026 reports that the challenge resurfaced among youth. In May, a First Nation community in Ontario issued an alert warning families about the dangers of intentionally consuming high doses of diphenhydramine, following reports of youth participation in the trend.
Preventing the next viral health threat
The evolving response to the Benadryl Challenge aligns with the World Health Organization’s call for proactive public health communication. Rather than responding to harmful online trends after they’ve gone viral, public health eforts are increasingly focused on early education, timely risk communication and rapid dissemination of accurate information.
This includes improving medication safety education, strengthening digital health literacy and helping young people critically evaluate health-related content they encounter online. School-based medication safety programs, such as Generation Rx, may help reduce susceptibility to future medication-related social media challenges. Caregivers, schools, healthcare providers, poison control centres, public health agencies and technology companies all have a role in identifying emerging risks and communicating accurate information quickly.
Helping young people recognise dangerous online content and understand the consequences of participating in these trends may be one of the most practical ways to reduce harm before the next viral challenge emerges.
Photo: Magnific
Photo: Wavebreak Media /Magnific
BY CARA HUNT
Tribune Features Writer
SHAWNDRA Henfeld proved the old adages right last Sunday when she was crowned Miss Universe Bahamas - true beauty comes from inside, hard work is its own reward, practice makes perfect and always put God frst.
The 23-year-old computer analyst and Exuma native dazzled judges and her fans throughout the gruelling and intense pageant process, looking fawless and unfazed every time she stepped out into the lights.
But now that the competition is over, she admits to Tribune Woman, just how challenging it was really was.
“The hardest part about the competition was defnitely the physical and mental toll it had,” she said. “My feet were constantly in pain during the beginning stages, and that was a lot to overcome. It was also a true test of willpower to work a 9–5 job while showing up to all the pageant events and giving my best every single time.
“My preparation consisted of one word: practice. I practiced until the gym closed and I was the last one there. I practiced
after major events like the motorcade, even when I was extremely exhausted. Practice is what gave me the confdence that everyone saw on that stage Sunday night.”
It not only gave her confdence, it won her a crown.
“The most rewarding part was seeing all of that hard work pay of. Every early morning, late night, and sacrifce led to one incredible moment that made it all worth it.”
It was a single moment in the spotlight that made up for several she had missed through her life.
“When the crown was placed on my head, I was defnitely in shock,” she said. “But after a few minutes, I felt relief. I graduated high school in 2020 during the pandemic in the parking lot of my school, and I always felt as though I kept getting robbed of the moments that were meant to celebrate me. When I walked across the stage at UB, I was happy, but I had to cut the celebrations short because I had an 8am class the next day.”
This time though she said, “fnally, I get to live in the moment and really enjoy being celebrated.”
And now it’s time to get to work being Miss Universe Bahamas.
Shawndra says that she was drawn to what the crown represented when she decided to enter.
“I decided this was something I wanted because of what the pageant programme actually ofered. It truly was a women’s
empowerment programme, and I was looking for a challenge. I was also drawn to what the crown represents. It’s an opportunity to reach so many more people with my platform and to represent my country on a global stage, which is
something I have always wanted.”
She will have that chance on November 4, when she competes in the Miss Universe pageant in San Juan Puerto Rico.
“I’m most excited for the journey to the Miss Universe stage. Through this pageant experience, I actually fell in love with modelling, so I’m excited to learn new techniques and really strengthen my walk.”
She is working on the nerves for that competition, “As for being nervous, the Bible says, ‘Be anxious for nothing,’ so I’m doing my best not to give myself anxiety or worry about things that may never even happen. I want this reign to be flled with amazing memories that not only make an impact on the lives of others but also become memories I can cherish for the rest of my life.”
Shawndra chose a platform that is deeply personal and important to her - The Open Doors Project - an initiative focused on educating Bahamians about the diferent pathways to homeownership and housing.
“A few years ago, at the age of 21, my family home was foreclosed on,” she explained. “That was a time in my life when I
experienced true grief. The home I had grown up in was being ripped away, and there was nothing we could do about it. During that time, my emotions cycled between shame and insecurity. I worried about where we would stay and, if we had to rent, how we would aford it,” she said.
“We later moved in with my grandmother, where I remember using a drill to take down sheetrock and mixing cement. Things that were completely new to me and that I never imagined I would be doing.”
And she wants to share that knowledge with Bahamians.
“I also want to raise awareness about the current housing crisis we are facing.Twenty one year old Shawndra was afraid to express what was happening in her life, but now, at 23, I share my story and my platform boldly because I know it can inspire and help others,” she said. And fnally she ofered this advice for the other young ladies: “Always put God frst. He will blow your mind with how far He can take you. Also, be courageous enough to embrace the opportunities that come before you. The thing that could change your life may be just one risk away.”
