12062019 NEWS

FRIDAY

McRib is

Back

i’m lovin’ it!

HIGH 79ºF LOW 65ºF

The Tribune

Volume:117 No12, DECEMBER 6TH, 2019

Established 1903

Weekend

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

art books film fashion music

tv guide gardening history

Weekend REC

WEEKEND: CULT DIRECTOR HERE FOR FILM FESTIVAL

Family’s anger at drunk driver who fled crash A WOMAN tearfully criticised a 50-year-old pilot for not only hitting and killing her father in an unlicenced vehicle while high and drunk two months ago, but fleeing the scene after the accident.

Angel Bodie sorrowfully chastised Quincy Dean yesterday for not being “responsible” and instead “taking it upon himself” to drive while under the influence, a decision that ultimately cost an “innocent” Clarence Bodie his life in September. Ms Bodie, becoming increasingly emotional, said “too many

persons” have lost their lives to fatal traffic accidents, and questioned: “What are we going to do to stop it from happening again?”

“We as a family, yes we’re hurt,” she sobbed. “But I would be more hurt if the same thing just keep happening. I don’t want a next person have to go through this. It’s not right. What are we going to do as a country?”

Ms Bodie’s passion-filled remarks came moments before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans fined Dean a total of $11,400 and sentenced him to a year in prison for killing the 55-year-old man on September 1.

THE government’s director of aviation Algernon Cargill said yesterday they were targeting December 16 as the date when Marsh Harbour’s airport will be ready to receive international flights from the US. Mr Cargill revealed his department

4K 25FPS

99%

MENU

00:00:20:05

page 18

A COMIC’S VIEW WE’RE WRONG TO IGNORE BENEFITS OF MARIJUANA

SEE PAGE EIGHT

KENRIKA ACCUSED IN COURT A 28-YEAR-OLD man is responsible for murdering a teenage girl found dead at Stokes Cabana in the Yamacraw area last month, police have alleged.

Police claim Gabrion Thompson, of Cowpen Road, murdered 17-yearold Kenrika Martin sometime between November 26 and 27.

SEE PAGE THREE

‘REMOVE VAT ON LABOUR IN REBUILD’

SEE PAGE THREE

was now waiting on the Transportation Security Administration to visit the Leonard A Thompson International Airport and give it regulatory clearance to begin accepting airlift.

“We have a meeting scheduled next Friday with the TSA,” he said. “The plan is to have that airport reopened to international flights as of December 16.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Page 11

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

DEC 16 TARGET SET FOR ABACO AIRPORT

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter

PARADISE PLATES

It’s showtime

Film festival returns at Bah a Mar

Price of a life - $11k fine and year in jail

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

HD

Friday, December 6, 2019

animals

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THAT’S BETTER

AFTER complaints from the public, the decorations on the national Christmas tree at Rawson Square have been replaced. Full story - Page 2 Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

ABACO Chamber of Commerce president Ken Hutton yesterday urged the government to “revisit” its decision to keep VAT on services in the Dorian-hit islands, arguing that removing VAT from the bills charged by contractors and other repair professionals would create the “little bit of breathing room” that is critical to rebuilding efforts.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

PM: WE OWE YOU SO MUCH - THANK YOU

BY LINDSAY THOMPSON

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday thanked the National Emergency Management Agency and other public officers who served on the frontline and helped in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

He made the acknowledgements during an appreciation luncheon yesterday at the National Training Agency.

Expressing his profound

PROUD: Dr Hubert Minnis gratitude, the prime minister said: “On behalf of the government and people of

The Bahamas, and on my own behalf, I thank you with all of my heart for all the work you did and continue to do. You have made your country proud. You have made me proud.”

Also present were Secretary to the Cabinet Camille Johnson, Cabinet ministers and other senior government officials. “It is good to see so many of you here this afternoon for this appreciation luncheon for public

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE SIX

DIANE PHILLIPS HOW IT ALL CAN START WITH A SIMPLE IDEA

SEE PAGE EIGHT

PAGE 2, Friday, December 6, 2019

By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture has removed the widely mocked decorations on the national Christmas tree and replaced them with more traditional décor.

Culture Director Rowena Poitier-Sutherland said yesterday that the ministry decided to listen “to the Bahamian public” and change the Christmas tree décor in an effort to get more Bahamians in the holiday spirit. “We were (initially) trying to do a spectacular light show

within the tree and we used those particular colours so the light could be reflected and the idea was to capture the feeling of old Nassau when people would drive around and look at lights,” she said in an interview with The Tribune yesterday.

“But, we got the negative feedback. The Bahamian public is the client and we believe that we should listen to Bahamians if they vocalise something, then it’s our responsibility to listen toward that and the response was overwhelming.

“We actually did a poll and it said that they wanted a traditional Christmas and

THE TRIBUNE that those colours were not representative of Christmas and so we listened, and the company adjusted (the decorations) accordingly.”

The criticised decorations evoked a wide range of reactions from the public, who posted complaints on social media after images of the Christmas tree at Rawson Square surfaced online on Wednesday.

When asked to comment on the uproar on Wednesday, Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Lanisha Rolle said the Christmas tree was still “under construction,” urging the public to hold off their conclusions

BETTER

BY FAR THE TREE yesterday and, inset, on Wednesday until all the decorations had been completed.

The Tribune understands that it was not long after she made the remarks that the ministry decided to change the Christmas tree decorations altogether.

While canvassing the downtown area yesterday to get the public’s reaction to the new Christmas tree, many praised the new ornaments,

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

noting that it was a step in the right direction.

Charles Miller told this newspaper: “I’m happy that they changed it. They moved it right away so that was very nice. They responded to the public embarrassment about it. I felt embarrassed about it because someone could’ve told them that from the beginning, it’s a Christmas

tree. Not a brochure we’re putting up.”

Quincy Pratt added: “Yesterday (Wednesday), the decorations were unbelievable. It just wasn’t for Christmas, I thought it was something for Easter.

But when I came out here this morning, I was very impressed. I feel the Christmas spirit now so hats off to whoever did it.”

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 6, 2019, PAGE 3

Two men up in court on separate murder charges from page one

Photos: Shawn Hanna/ Tribune Staff

GABRION THOMPSON CHARGED WITH MURDERING KENRIKA MARTIN

Martin’s partially nude body was found on a beach at the abandoned and damaged property on November 27. Initial reports from police said there was evidence of blunt force trauma.

Meanwhile, 37-year-old Andy “Sip” Johnson of Dominica Way was charged yesterday with murdering Brian Evans Jr on Monday.

According to initial police reports, shortly after 6pm on the date in question, Evans and a man he knew were at a residence on Dominica Way off Carmichael Road, when they got into an argument. The man left the home and returned with a firearm, shot Evans and escaped, police said.

Paramedics were called to the scene and attempted to revive Evans, but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The two men were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt. Given the nature of the offences, they were not required to enter a plea to their respective charges.

Bail was denied and they were both remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) until they are served with their voluntary bills of indictment (VBI).

They can apply for bail in the Supreme Court.

ANDY JOHNSON CHARGED WITH MURDERING BRIAN EVANS JR

Price of a life - $11k fine and year in jail from page one If Dean fails to pay $10,000 of that sum, he will serve an additional year in prison. The total sum must be paid within six month’s time, the senior magistrate ordered.

Before the magistrate handed down her sentence, Ms Bodie was given an opportunity to address the man whose irresponsible actions took her father from her so suddenly.

“This is where sometimes things happen and we just throw it away, pass it by, and just take a ‘sorry’,” she said. “But I think that too many persons have already lost their lives to these traffic accidents.

“And we may feel like it was a mistake, but clearly this was not a mistake.

He was under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

But he took it upon himself to get behind a wheel.

We as citizens have to be responsible.”

According to the facts read by Corporal Julius McPhee, the prosecutor, around 7.57am on the date in question, police control room received reports that a serious traffic accident had occurred on East Bay Street near the Harbour Bay Shopping Plaza.

According to those reports, a male pedestrian was hit by a vehicle that fled the scene. The victim was said to be unresponsive.

Officers from the Mobile Division subsequently visited the scene and confirmed that a collision occurred between a burgundy coloured 2010 Volvo V-50, owned by Leslie Deleveaux and driven by Dean, and Mr Bodie.

Further investigations revealed that at the time of the collision, the car Dean was driving was travelling east along East Bay Street

when it struck Mr Bodie, who was walking in the western direction on the southern side of the street.

After hitting Mr Bodie, Dean failed to remain stationary and fled the scene, crashing into a utility pole east of where he struck the victim. Security guards from the Harbour Bay Plaza intervened and subdued Dean until police arrived.

Emergency Medical Services workers were summoned and upon their arrival at the scene, rendered medical assistance to Mr Bodie. However, he died from his injuries.

Dr Kiko Bridgewater, a local pathologist, confirmed that the Grand Bahama native died from multiple injuries, inclusive of blunt force trauma to his head, torso, and extremities.

Meanwhile, Dean, who appeared at the time to be under the influence of alcohol, was later taken to Princess Margaret Hospital, where he consented to a drug and alcohol test. That test proved that he was under the influence of marijuana and alcohol.

Dean was eventually charged with one count each of killing in the course of dangerous driving; driving while under the influence of alcohol; driving an unlicensed vehicle; driving while not covered against third party risk insurance; and failing to remain stationary.

He pleaded guilty to the charges yesterday morning.

Dean’s attorney, Glenda Roker, in making a plea in mitigation on her client’s behalf, submitted that Dean, an Abaco native, is a graduate of Queen’s College and has since obtained a pilot certifications from an institution in Florida.

He is also a fisherman and a boater.

Ms Roker further submitted that while the situation

was “unfortunate”, it “truly opened” Dean’s eyes and made him realise that he “needed to be changed”.

Thus, she explained that after the accident, Dean voluntarily admitted himself to the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre.

And in pursuance of his promise to both himself and his family to “stay clean” of drugs and alcohol, Ms Roker said Dean has expressed his desire in attending outpatient counseling sessions to further help him in his effort to stay clean.

Ms Roker further submitted that Dean continues to express his “deepest remorse” for the accident, and that he has asked Mr Bodie’s family to forgive him.

However, Magistrate Vogt-Evans said notwithstanding Ms Roker’s “eloquent” plea in mitigation, the entire matter was “disturbing” and the “worst” case on which she has had to adjudicate.

She noted that Mr Bodie’s death came during a year that saw an “increased” number of cases where pedestrians are killed by motorists driving recklessly. However, she said what is “more disturbing” is that, like in Dean’s case, “drivers are leaving the scene”. “…Persons must be held responsible for their actions and a 50-yearold, highly educated male ought to have known even if he was under the influence, he should have had a designated driver or make arrangements not to drive,” the senior magistrate said.

“While the court accepts that (Dean) made an effort to become clean, it is ‘one death too late’. However, the court encourages (Dean) to continue his counselling and attempts at dealing with his alcoholism and drug addiction if that is the case.”

As a result, Magistrate

CLARENCE BODIE, 55, died in September Vogt-Evans fined Dean $10,000 for killing in the course of dangerous driving and sentenced him to one year in prison. He faces an additional year if the fine is not paid.

Dean was further sentenced to two months in prison each for driving while under the influence of alcohol and driving an unlicensed vehicle. He is further fined $400 and sentenced to three months in prison for driving while not covered against third party risk insurance, and fined an additional $1,000 for fleeing the scene.

Concerning the last fine, Dean faces three months in prison in default. Magistrate Vogt-Evans ordered that the sentences be served concurrently, meaning Dean will only serve a year in prison.

In April, Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF)

marine Kranstone Simms was fined $10,000 for causing the death of his friend Bernard Antonio “Nardo” Saunders when the car they were in went out of control and flipped over in February.

A day later, 25-year-old Hartman Role was fined over $10,000 for causing the death of a passenger, Latura Penn, when the car

he was driving smashed into a utility pole in February.

In May, Magistrate Vogt-Evans fined Ricardo Butler $10,000 for hitting and killing a motorcyclist with his truck in April. Two other men, Elton Hart and Roscoe Johnson, were fined in connection with a traffic accident that claimed the life of pedestrian Leon Cooper in March.

Hart was fined $10,000 for killing in the course of dangerous driving and also had his driver’s licence suspended. Johnson was fined $5,950 for dangerous and reckless driving; driving while not covered against third party risk insurance; and driving without a driver’s licence.

Last October, RBDF marine Christin Reckley was fined $20,000 for killing 37-year-old Maude Augustin and 23-year-old Stevan Devallon in her uninsured car in the Marathon area. Reckley was one of five people at the time who were charged with vehicular offences, including hit and run incidents and killing in the course of dangerous driving.

And last February, Wendy’s employee Maronique Paul was fined $12,340 for her car hitting, rolling over and consequently killing 52-year-old Malcus Ashe on Carmichael Road. The vehicle was unlicensed and uninsured.

Editorial View - Page 4

PAGE 4, Friday, December 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

jamaaltheartist@gmail.com

PM AMUSED BY PLP CALLS FOR RESIGNATION

Published daily Monday to Friday

Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES

News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax

(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348

WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com

@tribune242

tribune news network

They deserve a medal AFTER Hurricane Dorian, the stories were horrific.

Day by day, The Tribune catalogued what people went through during the storm and in its aftermath. Some of the things that people faced took the breath away – a horror that those of us who weren’t there can barely imagine.

Imagine then what the first rescuers had to deal with.

Venturing out in still dangerous conditions, not knowing how many people they would find alive, not knowing how many dead bodies they would see.

Indeed, not knowing whether their own lives would be at risk as they waded through flood waters, searched through devastated buildings, risked disease as well as physical injury.

“You have made me proud,” said Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday of all those who served on the frontline or helped in the aftermath, “You have made your country proud.”

Every person who went to Abaco and Grand Bahama – and those already there – may have contributed to keeping someone alive.

As we enter this Christmas season, for those of us who have relatives who went through the worst of the hurricane, as you hold them a little tighter and thank

God for their survival – thank too the rescuers who played a part in getting them to safety.

“The bigger story,” said Dr Minnis, “is about the many public officers and agency workers on the ground throughout Abaco and Grand Bahama, who came to the rescue of fellow citizens, who helped to maintain law and order, who showed courage in the midst of a terrible crisis.”

There will certainly be things that could have been done better after the storm – and that is for us to learn before we face any future hurricanes – but that has nothing to do with the bravery of the people on the ground.

They are heroes. It is fair to say they deserve a medal.

So why not give them one? Why not create a medal for service, just as there are medals elsewhere in the world for individual battles – but this one for saving lives?

A medal for our Dorian heroes, that they may be united in a bond over the years, a fellowship that will help them through in the dark days when they remember the horrors they saw.

We raise our voice alongside that of Dr Minnis. To the heroes, you have made us all proud.

Change the law - and don’t drink under the influence THE facts are shocking. A pilot was high and drunk when he got behind the wheel of a car, and hit and killed a father walking in the street. Worse, if there could be worse, he then fled the scene, trying to get away with his crime. He didn’t get very far, crashing into a utility pole further down the road.

So what’s the penalty? A year in prison. A fine of $11,400.

What kind of justice is that for a family who have lost their 55-year-old father.

He is gone from their lives for ever. He will not be with them this Christmas.

The man responsible for his death will be back home for next Christmas.

Leaving the scene suggests he knew he was in the wrong. Being a pilot, he should also have known better than most the dangers of using a vehicle while under the influence. He had alcohol and marijuana in the system. Yet he chose to get behind the wheel rather than call

a taxi. And he hit and killed a man. He didn’t even have a licensed vehicle or third party insurance.

The family of victim Clarence Bodie are entitled to feel despair. Despair at a system that leaves them with so little.

The magistrate pointed out an increasing trend of people leaving the scene after crashes. Well, let’s stop it.

Change the law. Increase the penalties.

If we can change the law to stop people using mobile phones while driving, we can certainly increase the sentences for killing while driving under the influence and leaving the scene.

There is one more thing we should learn from this. Every reader who is horrified reading about this case, please remember over the festive season: Don’t take a chance. Don’t drink and drive.

Taxi drivers will take you home safe and sound. Don’t risk your life. And don’t destroy someone else’s.

Commonsense was lacking on my travels EDITOR, The Tribune ON A recent trip to one of the family islands, I had received my ticket from the airline on which I was flying and went to clear security. I handed my ticket and driver’s licence to the security officer who, after staring at both for what seemed like 10 seconds, announced that my driver’s licence had expired. I said that I was aware of that, but what was the problem.

I was informed that you have to have a valid driver’s licence or other valid ID in order to pass through security. I informed the lady that I was not driving to North Eleuthera and surely the purpose of providing some form of ID was to enable her to know that the person holding the ticket was the person to whom it was issued.

The security person then called her supervisor to confirm her insistence on

my having a valid driver’s licence. I would like to think that the supervisor supported the position of the officer so as not to embarrass her and for no other reason.

Several persons who I did not know overhead the conversation and came up to the officer and said “this is Mr Lightbourn” but to no avail as she continued to insist on being provided with a valid ID. To add to this ridiculous situation, she acknowledged that she can see from the driver’s licence that I am the person to whom the ticket was issued.

If I had had time to spare and didn’t locate my new driver’s licence, I think that I would, notwithstanding my calm nature, have had the place for myself.

I am not aware of it being stated anywhere that as a matter of law that it is a requirement of inter-island flights that the passenger is the holder of a VALID ID.,

although if it is, I would like to be referred to it.

I would hate to think that anyone has missed a flight because some over zealous security officer, lacking in common sense, would refuse a passenger access on the basis that whatever form of ID they carried had expired, notwithstanding that it was clear from the ID, which was produced, that the ticket holder was in fact the correct person.

I am wondering whether this way of thinking has arisen as a consequence of the KYC mindset which has overtaken the nation and which is rapidly driving everyone to drink. Nevertheless, be that as it may, it is evident that common sense is a flower that doesn’t grow in everyone’s garden!

RICHARD R. H. LIGHTBOURN Nassau, December 5, 2019.

Too much information missing for my liking EDITOR, The Tribune THE vast improvement in media (press and electronic) coverage in our Bahamas is commendable.

As an avid reader and listener I am concerned about the absence of information on certain matters, in particular those documented herein.

RESOLVE and the debtors of Bank of The Bahamas. Any progress with payments. The huge amount of unpaid government revenue, estimated at $1b from real property tax, National Insurance dues, Corporate taxes, the school loans and monies owed to Bahamas Customs.

A visit to our Courts would show the number of persons sued by banks, etc, for the non-payment of debts. Our millionaire debtors are not being exposed to the courts. We have been renting space for government offices for decades and continue to so. There appears to be no plan to eradicate this practice.

Many of us have commented about the huge number of government vehicles seen on our streets, at places of entertainment and beaches. In the past recommendations were made to have a Public Service Committee investigate

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net and report on, which persons in the service needs a vehicle to perform their duties and not just travel to and from work and for private use. It was also suggested, that there be a motor-pool system in each Ministry, with vehicles and drivers provided to accommodate public servants having to travel on duty.

The cost involved at present for fuel and maintenance must be immense.

Grant loans to public servants to purchase vehicles.

During my years in the Police Service I paid to use a Force vehicle and was eventually granted an interest free loan to purchase a vehicle and was paid for mileage on duty.

The government in opposition had promised to discontinue the practice of granting public service licence plates to persons, who do not own the vehicles, but rent the plates to vehicle owners.

In February, 2019 a boat left Haiti with 97 persons on board and capsized off Abaco. Reports are, that there were 18 survivors and 21 Haitian residents

identified bodies that were recovered. We were told, that there would be an investigation.

With, that many person (39) to be interrogated it was expected the human traffickers would have been exposed. Investigators would have at least received information about the name of the boat, how much was paid for the trip – to whom and where and the principals, including the captain and crew identified.

We have not received any information on the investigation from the Haitian government, whose nationals were killed or from our law enforcement agencies to date.

We have not received any information on the Court action taken that stopped the much needed demolishing of the shanty town months go. The public is still awaiting an itemised accounting of the expenditure of $21m for two carnivals and $650.000 on the Musical Festival that did not take place.

The building adjacent to the Paul Adderley and the Baseball Stadium are both mysteries. Media coverage of the above is needed.

PAUL THOMPSON Sr Nassau November, 2019

I was sorry to see the Christmas tree changed EDITOR, The Tribune.

EVERYONE’S entitled to their opinion. I think the sea-themed decorations on the Christmas tree in downtown Nassau were delightful and I’m sorry they were removed.

The conch shell, starfish and seahorse ornaments celebrate our natural resources – treasures from

the beautiful Bahamian sea.

The display was especially significant in the face of climate change and the threat to our marine life, particularly the Queen conch.

Not to mention, these are assets that draw countless of visitors to our shores every year.

From an economic point

of view, it’s good to see more and more Bahamianmade ornaments on the shelves of local arts and craft stores and at the various Christmas festivals.

I am sure tourists would love to buy them as souvenirs.

ATHENA DAMIANOS Nassau December 5, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 6, 2019, PAGE 5

MITCHELL QUESTIONS DAMES OVER GIBSON FALLOUT

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell criticised National Security Minister Marvin Dames for defending Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson and Assistant Superintendent of Police Debra Thompson amid backlash over their handling the investigation into former Cabinet minister Shane Gibson.

During Mr Gibson’s bribery trial, the lead police

investigator admitted it was an error to meet key witnesses to synchronise their statements, something Supreme Court Justice Carolita Bethel also said was “very wrong”. ASP Thompson testified during Mr Gibson’s bribery trial that this is a common practice and that Commissioner Ferguson and Director of Public Prosecutions Garvin Gaskin were aware it happened in the case.

Her testimony prompted outraged from Mr Gibson’s legal team and the PLP has called for an investigation.

FRED MITCHELL Mr Mitchell told reporters at a press conference yesterday it appears the government’s response to every serious criticism about their conduct in

office is to make light of it.

“Now you have the minister of national security in the press this morning saying he has the utmost confidence in the integrity of these officers. With the greatest of respect that is not a matter for him to pronounce on because he himself is implicated in these investigations so he’s being a judge in his own courts,” he said.

“We’ve called for him to resign because he has been judicially condemned, it is the appropriate thing for the attorney general

to step down and if the prime minister adopts their behaviour then he must follow them.”

Mr Mitchell said the leader of the opposition indicated on Monday night that he’s going to ask for a formal inquiry into some of the revelations that came out in Mr Gibson’s case.

He said: “In the Shane Gibson case...a police officer admitted to (changing) witness statements, that is a serious issue and it’s not a joke.”

National Security Minister Marvin Dames told

the Nassau Guardian on Wednesday he had the utmost confidence in ASP Debra Thompson and Commissioner Ferguson, saying they had high integrity.

Last week, a jury acquitted and discharged Mr Gibson of all of the 15 counts of bribery that he faced. Gibson had been accused of soliciting and accepting more than $200,000 in bribes from Jonathan Ash as a condition for expediting payments the contractor was owed by the Christie administration.

US warns Bahamas to be careful of China

By RIEL MAJOR Tribune Staff Reporter rmajor@tribunemedia.net

WHILE the United States supports the partnership between The Bahamas and China, US Under Secretary for Political Affairs David Hale has encouraged the government to “review the financing terms carefully” of any Chinese assistance offered.

Mr Hale said the US wants to have a robust trade and economic relationship that benefits both China and the United States. “(As) long as it’s based on free, fair and reciprocal principles. We expect that other countries would want the same. I would emphasise though there are principles for free, fair and reciprocal. We also understand the countries will seek Chinese investments.

“But, we encourage our partners at all times to review the financing terms with Chinese companies carefully to ensure that all deals and contracts in case of The Bahamas in fact serve the interest and needs of the Bahamian people, transparency and accountability I think are key principles in that regard.”

It is not the first time US officials have warned local officials about China’s influence. In September,

US Senator Marco Rubio wrote in an opinion piece in The Miami Herald that argued the US cannot allow China to exploit this country’s recovery and rebuilding after Hurricane Dorian for its own nefarious purposes and gain “a foothold just 50 miles from the coast of Florida”.

Mr Hale spoke to reporters at a press conference yesterday. He was in the country to meet with government officials, including Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, to discuss the US’ emergency response after Hurricane Dorian and continued support.

When asked if the US would consider granting American citizenship to Bahamians displaced after the storm, Mr Hale said their focus is to help the Bahamian government rebuild and reconstruct The Bahamas so that Bahamian storm victims can “restore their lives with dignity and restore their prosperity.”

He was also asked to weigh in on the situation facing undocumented Haitian migrants, many of whom were left displaced after shanty towns on Abaco were destroyed

by Dorian. After a short reprieve, the Minnis administration resumed repatriation exercises to Haiti and has said storm

victims would not be exempt from the law.

When asked to weigh in, Mr Hale said: “The United States and the Trump administration of course is focused as well and so we sympathise with any country dealing with the consequences of irregular migration.

“So, we know that this is a concern here and it’s important that whatever is done is in accordance with international norms.

“I’ll be going to Port-auPrince tomorrow and I will describe what I learned when I was here in The Bahamas and encourage that kind of supportive work together.”

Mr Hale said the US is proud to be a close neighbour of The Bahamas and will continue to offer its support.

“We are proud to be close geographic neighbours and strategic partners with common perspectives on a range of issues,” he said. “Today I felt warmly welcomed by the prime minister and the minister for national security who is acting minister for foreign affairs. I assured them of America’s support (of) the people and the government of The Bahamas as you continue to recover after the devastating effects of Hurricane Dorian.

INVESTIGATION ORDERED AT DEPT OF CORRECTION AFTER TWO INMATES DIE BAHAMAS Department of Correctional Services Commissioner Charles Murphy said officials are investigating a report of prisoners finding fine pieces of glass in their food.

Yesterday, a prisoner told The Tribune he found small pieces of glass broken up in the food the correctional facility provided him. He alerted guards and they took the plate of food away from him.

“I don’t eat their food anymore,” the prisoner told this newspaper via

COMMISSIONER MURPHY telephone. “I gone to the prison doctor, doctor told me this is a serious matter.”

Commissioner Murphy said he has heard the claims

and is having the matter investigated.

He also confirmed that officials are awaiting autopsies of two inmates who died in the last week, one at the correctional facility and the other at the hospital.

He said foul play is not suspected in their deaths.

“One inmate fell sick and was taken to the hospital and passed there,” he said. “The other died in his dorm.”

It is not the protocol of the correctional facility to alert the public when inmates die.

US Under Secretary for Political Affairs David Hale yesterday “As a component of our support I just concluded meeting that many hardworking women and men who are implementing our assistance. America has provided these implementing partners over $34m USAID to help meet the humanitarian needs throughout the country.”

He continued: “They outlined the work they are doing to assist efforts related

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

to shelter, health care, logistics, water and sanitation on Grand Bahama, Abaco and New Providence. Most of these partners will continue their work in the areas most affected by the storm well into 2020. As The Bahamas moves into the reconstruction phase, we are committed to helping galvanise the immense generosity of the US private sector.

“The commitments of the prime minister, minister of national security are partners at the Ministry for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction and my colleagues at the American Embassy reflect the enduring partnership to America and The Bahamas. We will continue to work together for the shared prosperity and security of our two countries.”

PAGE 6, Friday, December 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

DORIAN CAUSED HUGE WATER DAMAGE IN MARCO CITY

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 2,500 homes in the Marco City constituency sustained water damage as a result of flooding during Hurricane Dorian, according to area MP Michael Pintard.

He has organised the

Marco City Coalition which is assisting families with restoration and relief efforts in his constituency.

Mr Pintard said that relief workers have been able to help many families by distributing building materials for home repairs, as well as water, food, and care packages to constituents.

He said some homes in the area had up to eight feet of flood water. He thanked those who have contributed to the relief efforts.

“We are busy with a project restoration for Grand Bahama,” Mr Pintard said. “More than 2,500 homes in Marco City were flooded anywhere from a couple

inches of water, all the way to eight feet. As a result of all your contributions, we have been able to touch many families.”

He also commended his team in Marco City for their continued dedication.

“They have tirelessly spent their time and resources to assist residents,

and many of their own homes have been damaged.

But nevertheless, they have sacrificed their time whether I was present or away officially on government business,” Mr Pintard said.

He said the demand for drinking water is extremely high.

“We will continue with

our water distribution over the next several months.

We have a very serious challenge where city water has not yet returned to normal,” he said.

The island’s fresh water supply was also significantly impacted when storm surge flooded the well fields, resulting in salty tap water.

‘You have made your country proud. You have made me proud’

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis on a visit to Abaco.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff from page one officers and individuals from various government agencies who played an important role in the midst of Hurricane Dorian,” Dr Minnis said.

He recalled that just over three months ago the country experienced one of the most catastrophic events in its history and that of the Atlantic, when Hurricane Dorian made landfall.

“On Abaco, in many of the Abaco cays and on Grand Bahama it seemed as if a series of bombs exploded,” he said.

To members of the disaster committee he said: “Because you have been so intimately involved either before, during or after Dorian struck, you know well the extent of the devastation, including the loss of life and the displacement of hundreds of people.”

He also acknowledged that

Minnis pays tribute to those who served on the frontline while there has been tremendous progress in the past three months, “we still have a very long road to go in terms of ongoing recovery and reconstruction. “But we must rebuild stronger and with more resilience.”

According to the prime minister, the lighthouse at Hope Town on Elbow Cay remains as a symbol of hope during the rebuilding efforts.

However, he said a major story from Hurricane Dorian that needs to be told more fully is the hard work and dedication of scores of

public officers and citizens who gave their all during and in the aftermath of the storm.

“We are grateful for the help offered The Bahamas by foreign governments and international partners,” he said. “We are still working with a number of international groups. But this is only part of the story.”

He added: “The bigger picture, the bigger story is about the many public officers and agency workers on the ground throughout Abaco and Grand Bahama, who came to the rescue of fellow-citizens, who

helped to maintain law and order, who showed courage in the midst of a terrible crisis.”

Work is ongoing on the ground on Abaco, the cays and Grand Bahama led by many public officers in the midst of difficult circumstances, he said. “So it is important that we are all here today to acknowledge and to thank all of you who played a part during Hurricane Dorian,” the prime minister said.

He said there are always things that could be done better during a crisis, but it is important to acknowledge and show gratitude

for all the good things that were done. “I am heartened by the number of international partners who praised the good and relatively quick response of the country in the face of Hurricane Dorian,” the Killarney MP said.

“Some of this response was due in part to the work that you did.”

He noted that history may not record each name and person in detail in terms of what they did “but history will recall what we did together.”

Editorial View - Page 4

GOVT LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVE HOUSING FOR VICTIMS

By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net

SOCIAL Services Minister Frankie Campbell said yesterday the government is looking at various housing alternatives for displaced hurricane victims as shelters are set to close at the end of this month.

“There are former employers that we’re talking to who may want to assist us with taking their former employees to help them with the clean-up process,” he said.

“There may be some persons who have families in different islands who are willing to take them in with some assistance from social services. So, there are a number of alternatives that are being examined.

“I can’t say that we have the alternative housing

ready and available, but we are examining all possibilities, which also include transitioning some persons even to islands that they would not have come from and from islands necessarily that have not been affected (by Dorian)... But, (we want) to give as much assistance as we can to ensure that some level of normalcy is returned.”

The Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium, among other sites, has been housing storm victims since Hurricane Dorian displaced thousands of residents from Abaco and Grand Bahama in early September. Only two shelters on New Providence now remain open, and last month Mr Campbell revealed the government is hoping to have those shelters deactivated before the holidays and

help storm victims transition back home.

However, in an interview with The Tribune on Sunday, Chairman of Disaster and Reconstruction Committee John-Michael Clarke noted the government’s family relief centre will not be fully complete until March 2020.

The temporary housing initiative, which is expected to accommodate some 1,000 people, was established by the government in late September to assist displaced families, after Hurricane Dorian ravaged Abaco and Grand Bahama.

According to Mr Clarke, 40 of the government’s 250 dome structures in Abaco are expected be open to displaced families before or by early January. “(And) by March, those 250 domes should be

fully installed and that’s provided that the manufacturer of those domes is able to meet their timelines because they’ve given us certain timelines as well,” he added.

However, it is still unclear which persons will be given top priority to live in the domes.

Speaking on the matter yesterday, Mr Campbell said: “I’m not privy to the information about how many domes may or may not be available. However, we are looking to assist persons who can help us find alternatives (for housing).

“Shelters has always been somewhere where you go when it starts to rain and a day or two afterwards, you go back to your home. So, this is not what any of us had in mind so the sooner we can resolve this would

FRANKIE CAMPBELL be better both for (shelter residents) and for the persons who are looking after (the shelters),” he said.

As of November 24, there were 585 people reported

by Social Services Department to be living in shelters in New Providence, with 457 in Kendal GL Isaacs Gym and 128 at Bahamas Academy.

By having all shelters closed by the end of this

year, Mr Campbell suggested that it will allow for shelter victims to return to a life of normalcy.

“We’re giving housing assistance and we’ve increased the value of rental assistance that we give to persons who were affected by the storm compared to what we gave in the past. We’re giving as much assistance as we can to ensure that some level of normalcy is returned,” he continued.

“We’re just trying and hoping that we can bring about the kind of change and transition that enable us to address certain needs without having to have persons in the shelters.”

Mr Campbell could not reveal, however, how much money will be spent by the government to help victims as they return home.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, December 6, 2019, PAGE 7

• SENATOR Dr Mildred Hall-Watson was elected as the Senate’s newest president yesterday morning.

Juanianne Dorsett, an attorney and former Fox Hill MP, was elected to serve as vice-president.

Dr Hall-Watson resigned as vice-president and has filled the vacancy left by Katherine Forbes-Smith who resigned as Senate president last week. Mrs Forbes-Smith stepped down from her post to become the managing director of the Disaster Reconstruction Authority.

Dr Hall-Watson is an obstetrician/gynecologist.

HENFIELD SHOCKED TO BE ON LOAN LIST

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

SENATOR Ranard Henfield has been included on a list of people with outstanding delinquent loans to the Education Loan Authority.

His name was included alongside 98 others in a notice published in a local newspaper yesterday.

“We have not been able to contact the following persons by telephone or

any other means and wish to bring to your attention the following persons with outstanding delinquent student loans,” the notice said.

When contacted yesterday, Mr Henfield said he was shocked, saying his loan was paid off more than a decade ago. “This is news to me,” the government appointed senator said. “I’ll reach out to them to clarify if their records reflect my final payment back in 2004.”

GOVERNOR GENERAL VISITS SANDILANDS

GOVERNOR General CA Smith met patients and staff of Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre during his annual Christmas visit under the theme, “A Season to Give Thanks For All Things.”

Photos: Letisha Henderson/BIS

WOMAN FOUND IN WATER

POLICE are investigating the circumstances surrounding an alleged drowning that occurred on Wednesday.

Shortly after 2pm, a group of people were snorkeling in waters off Green Cay near Rose Island, when a woman was discovered unresponsive and floating in the water. She was retrieved from the water and transported to hospital where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.

Nassau Tyre & Battery Fox Hill Road and Step Street

Holiday SALE

UP TO

50%

OFF

WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

The ELA started giving loans around 2000.

In 2017, Education Minister Jeff Lloyd said $156 million was owed to the programme with 4,700 loans issued for 26 disciplines at that point. The default rate was 75 percent.

In January, Mr Lloyd said said the delinquency recovery rate of $60,000 to $80,000 per month needed to be increased to $400,000 to $500,000 if the authority could put a dent in what is owed.

Warning that his and the ELA’s “patience has simply run out”, the minister slammed the “stubborn and recalcitrant” defaulters who refused to enter even settlement discussions, adding that they faced having their credit standing “permanently tarnished” when The Bahamas’ firstever Credit Bureau goes live within the next view years.

Last year ELA Chairperson Miriam Emmanuel said

nearly 500 borrowers paid off their student loans through the government’s student loan repayment incentive programme which was established in February 2016.

To that date some 3,938 loans worth $42.56 million had been awarded to borrowers in New Providence, she said, with another 669 loans worth $7.41m awarded in Grand Bahama while 126 loans worth $1.39m were awarded in the Family Islands.

PAGE 8, Friday, December 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Why we need to grasp the benefits of medical marijuana

WITH Prime Minister Minnis’ recent stance, supporting legalising and decriminalising marijuana in The Bahamas, medicinal marijuana and its benefits to both patients and providers should also be tabled.

The state of Missouri offers an excellent model on how medicinal marijuana can be beneficial to numerous portions of society.

Interest in medical marijuana use has far exceeded expectations only five months into Missouri’s new programme.

Missouri issued close to 22,000 medical marijuana cards since July 4, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Researchers with the University of Missouri’s Economic and Policy Analysis Research Center previously estimated that the state wouldn’t reach that many patients until 2021.

“We have always predicted that the numbers would be far larger than the MU Economics study predicted,” said Dan Viets, who leads the Missouri Cannabis Industry Association.

Missouri voters in 2018 legalised medical marijuana in the state. Patients with cancer, HIV, epilepsy and other conditions can apply for state-issued medical marijuana cards with a doctor’s approval.

We have numerous Bahamians who suffer the ravages of the aforementioned diseases, and should have the option of medicinal marijuana as a form of treatment.

The Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association estimates that there could be at least 122,000 medical marijuana patients by the end of 2022.

Spokesman Jack Cardetti says that estimate is based on trends in states such as Colorado, where 2 per cent to 3 per cent of the population received cards after medical marijuana was approved.

The state health department plans to start awarding licences for businesses to grow, dispense and make marijuana-infused products by January.

Nearly 700 groups filed a total of 2,163 marijuana businesses applications in Missouri. The state will issue only 60 licenses to grow pot, 86 to make marijuana-infused products and 192 to open dispensaries.

Now, for all the naysayers against medicinal marijuana, legalisation and decriminalisation and the subsequent benefits.

For those who fear a widespread abuse of marijuana by the populous, if it is legalised, decriminalised and used medicinally, a recent University of Missouri study found that there likely won’t be enough demand to support 60 marijuana farms in the first three years of the programme.

However Cardetti said an abundance of cannabis growers will ensure patient access and spur competition.

“We think that’s good for patients, and we think that’s good for the industry,” Cardetti said.

I think a model like this, in regards to legalising medical marijuana, should be taken into account by the present administration, as it could be beneficial to Bahamians on multiple groundbreaking levels.

It all starts with a simple idea WHO among us hasn’t at one moment or another thought, “If only I were younger” or “If only I had more financial backing, I could do such-and-such” or “Why doesn’t someone create a business to do (xyz)?”

We dream about doing something else not necessarily because we want to give up what we are doing or even that we don’t like it. We ponder other options because we experience a momentary flash of biz brilliance that identifies a need.

We see a gap and say “if only”. Some of those unmet needs for products and services may seem mundane, others complex. The best ideas become legendary success stories because they were identified before the public even knew it needed it. Think Facebook, Uber, Airbnb.

So, on a beautiful

weekend morning, when I should have been swimming, walking or gardening, I challenged myself instead to sit still and focus on business ideas for The Bahamas. I pledged to drive away distractions like jumping up to change the load of laundry, plan what I am going to make for dinner or weigh whether the dog really needs a bath this Sunday. Here go five ideas: 1) Rent-a-valet service.

You’ve gone to a function at a hotel where you had to

valet park your car. So did 500 other people. It wasn’t a problem when you got there because you left your keys, went in and your car got parked in your absence.

But when the function ends and 500 people come pouring out at the same time, big problem. Now you are waiting for your car for so long you are kicking yourself for ever agreeing to attend the function in the first place. Here’s where the rent-a-valet service kicks in. The hotel doesn’t need six or 10 extra drivers every day but they do on

special occasions. So they call in the valet parking service which earns its money independently through customers. Owner of the pool of drivers ensures that every driver is licenced and carries insurance. The hotel is liability-free and there is no extra cost to consumer.

Rent-a-valet pool also works for parties and fundraisers at homes, meeting places and clubs when an extraordinary parking situation arises.

2) Nassau Harbour ferry service.

Traffic in Nassau driving you crazy? Do you sit on West Bay Street trying to get to Saunders Beach roundabout or on Eastern Road approaching Sans Souci and vow never to leave work or home at that hour again? Suppose there were a ferry service available that zipped you

to your office or destination and the ride was sheer pleasure? The harbour is Nassau’s natural highway and the Jackson Burnside study of historic Nassau 20 years ago identified five areas that would serve as parking depots. Maybe the idea makes too much common sense or maybe 20 years is just too short a time to make the sensible thing happen.

3) Wooden furniture and floor re-finishing, Grandma’s buffet need a little refinishing? Real wood floor need sanding and buffing? Good luck finding anyone with that skill in The Bahamas.

Something for BTVI to consider. Small investment for the right person who would rather see a 100-year-old handmade bureau brought back to life than traded for a pressboard wannabe. And

all those old wooden floors and no one to show them any love. Great one-person biz.

4) Made-for-market merchandising.

– Merchandising – that is, how goods are displayed in a store – is an art form, but while we have thousands of retail stores, only a handful of people in the country really know how best to display goods or create windows that inspire and invite. Those who do are very good, but most shops rely on someone who works there to also “fix up the shelves” or “put some stuff in the window for the season”. The field is wide open for young, creative talent who want to study and intern. It’s a nameyour-price skill.

5) Bahamasancestry.com – Need we say more?

CANDACE FINDS SOME STORIES WORTH HEARING WHO IS THE CULPRIT? IT’S not often that someone goes searching for folks over 80 to tell their story, but that’s exactly what a woman named Candace Brown did. Candace, one of the unsung heroes of the Fox Hill community, wanted to honour those in the community she believed were heroes while they were still alive and able to share a few words of wisdom. She set about interviewing 12 and compiling a calendar which she called Patriarchs and Matriarchs of Fox Hill 2019-2020 calendar.

The fact that it runs

mid-year to mid-year is an indication of the challenge of conducting the interviews, a fact she confesses to in the introduction. “I had Mr Johnson up and out of bed and also Ms Roker.

I interviewed Ms Burnside while she was still in bed

and Mrs Rahming-Smith just as she had gone to bed.

I interrupted Mrs MackeyMoss while she was cooking lunch and questioned Mr Wells as I gave him a ride downtown.”

And those were the easy ones. From Mrs Winfred

Mackey-Moss’s memories of an Eleuthera childhood having to “mash the rock to make the road” so a truck could get the tomatoes they grew to market to Roderick Wells having once been awarded a Mother’s Day plaque for “his tireless efforts of care toward his eldest son, who is disabled,” the calendar is a reflection of years when honesty, hard work and devotion to family were the cornerstones of life, helping to build an historic community that Fox Hillians to this day speak of with reverence.

DID someone say dinner was burned and had to be tossed out? Did they really mean to chuck the stove along with the roast?

In this era when there is so much awareness of the importance and value of a clean environment, we’d love to trace the culprit who deposited this rusty kitchen appliance along an otherwise scenic route on the east side of Yamacraw Hill Road?

And to add another layer of tragedy to this image, in the days of slavery, true outdoor kitchens were housed in a building away from the great house and equipped with a fireplace and brick oven, keeping the heat and the aroma of cooking contained to an outdoor area. A few remain in The Bahamas, including at Clifton Heritage Park and at the old Farquharson plantation in San Salvador.

PAGE 10, Friday, December 6, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

FRANCE CRIPPLED

BY STRIKE

REEFS AND FISHERIES THREATENED

BY CLIMATE

PARIS Associated Press PARIS police fired tear gas at demonstrators yesterday as the Eiffel Tower shut down, France’s highspeed trains came to a standstill and hundreds of thousands marched nationwide in a strike over the government’s plan to overhaul the retirement system.

At least 90 people were arrested in Paris by evening as the protests wound down.

Police said 65,000 people took to the streets of the French capital, and over 800,000 nationwide in often-tense demonstrations aimed at forcing President Emmanuel Macron to abandon pension reform.

BERLIN Associated Press

A MAN stands on a traffic light during a demonstration in Paris yesterday

Pelosi and Biden lose their cool WASHINGTON Associated Press

HOUSE Speaker Nancy Pelosi and potential Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden both lost their tempers in separate incidents yesterday.

Pelosi warned a reporter: “Don’t mess with me” while Biden remonstrated with an 83-year-old man who questioned whether Biden’s son should have accepted a post with a Ukrainian energy company.

Earlier in the day, Pelosi had instructed the Judiciary Committee to write articles of impeachment — formal charges — against Trump for pressuring Ukraine to investigate Democrat Biden and resisting Congress’ probe.

The House speaker

insisted she brought impeachment proceedings because Trump’s conduct and the Constitution left the House no choice.

“The president’s actions have seriously violated the Constitution,” Pelosi said from the speaker’s office at the Capitol. “He is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit.

The president has engaged in abuse of power, undermining our national security and jeopardizing the integrity of our elections.”

But as the California Democrat began exiting a news conference, a reporter asked, “Do you hate the president, Madam Speaker?”

What followed was a remarkable display from the famously poised Pelosi.

She stopped near the

PELOSI AND BIDEN edge of the podium, jabbed a finger and said tersely: “I don’t hate anybody.”

Pelosi went on to call Trump a “coward” on gun policy, “cruel” on immigration and “in denial” on climate change.

“This is about the Constitution of the United States and the facts that lead to the president’s violation of the oath of office. And as a Catholic I resent your using

the word hate in a sentence that addresses me.’’

Trump tweeted that Pelosi “had a nervous fit.”

Biden had a tense exchange with a voter in New Hampton when he grew angry when a retired farmer queried the candidate about his son Hunter Biden accepting a lucrative post on the board of a Ukrainian energy company while Biden handled US-Ukraine relations as vice president. The voter, who declined to give his name, pressed Biden on why it was acceptable for Hunter Biden to capitalise on his father’s power while Democrats assail Trump for self-dealing.

“You’re a damn liar, man, that’s not true,” Biden boomed as the man continued to argue that “You

don’t have a backbone ... any more than Trump.”

When the man finally told Biden he wouldn’t vote for him, Biden replied, “I knew you weren’t voting for me.”

Separately, the man told the 77-year-old Biden that he worries the former vice president is too old for the presidency. Biden challenged the man to a pushup contest and an IQ test. The man later told reporters that he prefers Elizabeth Warren, a 70-year-old Massachusetts senator, for president.

Biden drew applause during the exchange from other attendees, a point the candidate noted afterward to reporters. “I didn’t lose my temper,” he said. “What I wanted to do was shut this down. You saw the reaction here.”

He added that he knows Trump will keep pushing the Hunter Biden story line in a general election campaign that promises “to be even meaner.”

A STUDY commissioned by 14 seafaring nations predicts that unchecked climate change could devastate fishery industries and coral reef tourism, causing hundreds of billions of dollars in losses by 2050.

The report to be published today on sidelines of a UN climate summit in Madrid says limiting global warming would lessen the economic impact for coastal countries but they also need to adapt to ocean changes.

The authors say fish will migrate to cooler waters as oceans heat up and become more acidic, jeopardising some fishing communities.

While regions near the equator will suffer fish stock declines, the report forecasts increases in Arctic and Antarctic Oceans.

Reef tourism is likely to suffer as corals die off, largely wiping out a multibillion-dollar industry in several countries by the end of the century, according to the report.

DESPAIR AS 58 MIGRANTS DROWN MAURITANIA Associated Press THE drowning of at least 58 migrants in the Atlantic Ocean off Mauritania sent despair through tiny Gambia yesterday while some demanded a crackdown on human traffickers after one of this year’s deadliest disasters among young Africans trying to reach Europe.

At least 83 survivors swam through rough seas to shore after their boat capsized on Wednesday.

They had been trying to reach Spain’s Canary Islands but diverted toward Mauritania as fuel and food ran low.

As the survivors, 10 of them children, recovered from shock, authorities continued to search for an unknown number of missing people. Mauritanian officials said 10 people were receiving “urgent” hospital treatment.