Vendor: “I Don’t Want to Move; This is All I Know”

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NASSAU , BAHAMAS –

Vendor
“Me and my whole family passed down through this beach. It has sentimental value to me. Come on, dogs, get treated better than this.”

Vendors on Cabbage Beach say their livelihoods are hanging in the balance after a meeting aimed at addressing their concerns was cancelled Wednesday.

The vendors say they’re still waiting for answers on how they’ll be accommodated as the Four Seasons Ocean Club Residences project moves forward.

The issue first sparked outrage on August 27th, when a fence was erected along the beach.

The Ministry of Tourism intervened, and the fence was removed, with talks expected to follow on the way forward for the vendors.

But now, the vendors say those talks appear to be stalled, leaving them uncertain about what comes next.

Vendor
“You asked us to write up a personal. I wrote up a personal, and I sent it to the group, what we have, and I sent it. I let Miss Sanders email it to you, Minister Glenys, Mrs. Glenys Hanna Martin. I don’t know what’s going on, but we need some results. This is our livelihood. We are the Bahamian people. This is where we come.”

The 27 vendors have been pushing for clarity, including written guarantees that they’ll be able to return to Cabbage Beach once construction is complete.

There have also been reports of a $10,000 relocation offer, but vendors say that money falls far short of what it would take to replace the businesses and livelihoods they’ve built over decades.

Vendor
“Ten grand for what? To do what? Huh? What I’m gonna do with ten grand? You understand? You taking my livelihood. I don’t want a handout.”

The government has identified Goodman’s Bay, Cable Beach, and Bay Street as possible temporary relocation sites.

But vendors say those options come with problems of their own, including crowding and concerns about whether they’ll be able to earn a living in those locations.

Vendor
“The beach they want to send us, they getting ready to close down. You understand? So what you telling us? We must relocate for one year or two, and then when y’all do it to the next beach, then what? We back to square one?”

And there’s another major concern, what happens when the project is finished.

Vendors say they’ve been told only 10 stalls could be available for the 27 licensed vendors, a prospect that has only deepened their frustration.

Now, they’re calling on the prime minister to step in.

Vendor
“We are your people. Who’s standing up for us, boy? We need a voice, and we need to hear from the prime minister also.”

Vendor
“You promised. You promised us that nobody will ever be able to take this from us. But now, where are you?”

The vendors say they have yet to receive a clear explanation or a timeline for when discussions will resume.

When we reached out to the Ministry of Tourism about the breakdown in communication, no direct answer was provided.

However, in a statement, the ministry said the disruptions are in accordance with environmental advice to address severe beach erosion.

The ministry also says discussions are underway and that it will work to consider the needs of all stakeholders.