National

Restoring Hope: Grand Bahama’s Blue Economy In Action

FREEPORT, GRAND BAHAMA – Javan Hunt is the Special Projects Coordinator with Waterkeepers Bahamas, one of several local NGOs operating out of Conservation Cove in Grand Bahama.

Published

8 months ago

May 22, 2025

Kendeno Knowles

FREEPORT, GRAND BAHAMA – Javan Hunt is the Special Projects Coordinator with Waterkeepers Bahamas, one of several local NGOs operating out of Conservation Cove in Grand Bahama.

The site was born out of disaster following Hurricane Dorian, and has since transformed into a vibrant hub for climate resilience.

Hunt and his team have planted more than 60,000 mangrove propagules in impacted areas like Dover Sound, where mangroves were nearly wiped out.

He says erosion has taken a visible toll in places such as Smith’s Point and Williams Town.

But here’s the challenge: Hunt says many Bahamians still don’t fully grasp just how critical these ecosystems are, or how much more vulnerable we become without them.

Javan Hunt – Coordinator, Special Projects, Waterkeepers Bahamas
“Talking about it and actually seeing it is a completely different ball game.”

At the center of this movement is Blue Action Lab.

Rupert Hayward – Founder, Blue Action Lab
“You know we’re doing it. We’re actually getting it done.”

During a recent Community Day event at Conservation Cove, founder Rupert Hayward told Our News that Blue Action Lab is proud to support environmental projects like Waterkeepers Bahamas, Coral Vita, and Mangrove Mania.

However, Hayward notes that these efforts can only succeed when there’s real community buy-in.

Rupert Hayward – Founder, Blue Action Lab
“We’ve asked the people of Grand Bahama to come down to Conservation Cove to engage in the learnings that we have here, to learn about conch, to learn about coral restoration, and mangrove restoration.”

Kendeno Knowles – knknowles@cablebahamas.com
“How would you convince people to get involved, especially those who may not fully understand the critical nature of what we’re dealing with?”

Javan Hunt – Coordinator, Special Projects, Waterkeepers Bahamas
“To get out of those bubbles and come visit a place like this, Conservation Cove. Community Day is so important because it got folks through those doors.”

And for Hunt, and so many others on the frontlines of restoration, that first-hand experience is a powerful reminder: while nature has the ability to protect us, we must protect it first.