BEST chairman Stuart Hayward has called for stronger measures to protect Bermuda’s trees and animal species.

Addressing the Rotary Club yesterday he also urged caution over new plans to build a series of marinas across the Island.

Mr Hayward advocated an ‘aggressive planting schedule’ to boost tree numbers across Bermuda.

And he spoke of the recent victory of BEST and Hamilton residents who successfully fought against plans to uproot trees from Ewing Street.

The Bermuda Environment Sustainability Taskforce chairman suggested more robust rules needed to be implemented to protect the Island’s fauna and flora.

He added: “Rather than planning to replace a tree after it has been cut down, we would prefer to see an aggressive schedule to plant trees.

“Save Open Spaces (SOS) has thousands of tree seedlings and over a thousand rare yellowwoods, I understand.

“Here’s an innovative idea; how about a policy that if you buy a car you have to plant and nurture a tree as a way of compensating for the carbon your car will emit?

“In addition to trees, we need better protection for other species that are fellow-inhabitants of this Island; species like the longtail, the skink and the cahow and, of course, bluebirds.”

Mr Hayward confirmed that BEST had been consulted about plans to dredge the Island’s shipping channels to accommodate bigger cruise liners. But he vowed to keep an eye on the progress of the work.

He said: “With some issues, we know something’s coming down the pipeline, but there isn’t enough for us to get traction.

“One example is the proposal to dredge the shipping channels.

“We have been consulted about the Environmenal Impact Assessment but the project is creeping along below the radar screen.

“We just have to keep our eyes open.”

Recent plans to build new marinas at both ends of the Island, as well as Hamilton and Morgan’s Point, also came under the BEST microscope.

Mr Hayward said: “There’s the multiple plans for mega-marinas at Dockyard, Morgan’s Point, St George’s Harbour and the Fairmont Hamilton Princess.

“The big problem is there’s an absence of policies and regulations that would consider the cumulative viability and effect of four marinas, all chasing an “iffy” market.

“Imagine us building four separate airports on Bermuda.

“We’re trying to encourage the authorities to be asking several questions: are there sound business plans that justify multiple major alterations to our coastline, massive landfills and other combined environmental impacts and is there a mechanism within the current regulatory structure to look at the environmental impact, not just of a single marina, but all of them together?”