March 17, 2014

Dear Sir,

After attending the Bermuda Zoological Society’s Youth Conference last week, I feel compelled to write this letter purely out of concern for the way which Bermuda seems to be going; somewhere which appears to value politics more than our environment. It is extremely worrying that, even after the results of a public consultation, which showed that 80 percent of our population agreed with the creation of the Blue Halo zone, we are still no further forward in its creation.

It seems obvious to create the zone, a ring on the outer rim of our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) which would serve to be one of the largest fully protected marine reserves in the world. As if the preservation of the Sargasso Sea ecosystem, one which, among other functions, provides invaluable breeding grounds and migration routes for a multitude of species, is not enough, the reserve will also deliver second-hand benefits to Bermudians. The Blue Halo has the potential to provide the boost in tourism we have been in need of for years by making us the centre of eco-tourism, the fastest growing sector of the industry.

The placement of the ring would leave sites for recreational and commercial fishing already used by the island’s inhabitants untouched, leaving the only argument against its creation to be the possibility of a marine mining industry. This extremely costly practice is a mineral retrieval process which takes place on the sea floor, attempting to garner mineral ores such as silver, gold, copper, manganese, cobalt and zinc.

The economic viability of the practice is uncertain. This is due to the improbability of actually finding any of the minerals mentioned above, as well as the fact that a large quantity of raw ore must be gathered to reap any return due to the costs of refining it.

Though the reality of its economic return is unclear, the damage it will cause to seabed environments is; causing increased toxicity of the water column and increased sediment which, due to decreased water clarity, could have a catastrophic impact on photosynthetic organisms (such as corals) in our waters.

On March 11, 2014, Premier Craig Cannonier signed the Hamilton Declaration, making Bermuda part of a group of nations who have agreed to conserve the Sargasso Sea ecosystem. This document is the first step in protecting the ocean around us, but is not legally binding and is nowhere near the end result. The next logical thing to do is to move forward with the Blue Halo project and act on what we have agreed to in the declaration.

We are sitting in the middle of a golden rainforest which provides an ecosystem that our oceans would not be able to function without, somewhere which, if it is protected, promises to put us among the top global advocates for the environment, and so I hope that Bermuda can move forward and do what is right to protect the Sargasso Sea for present and future generations.

FAE SAPSFORD

Somersfield Academy

Editor’s note: Miss Sapsford is 16 years old.