Bahamas unveils national park to protect endangered Atlantic Coast birds
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP)_ The Bahamas has unveiled a new national park to help protect the winter homes of endangered Atlantic Coast shorebirds.
The Joulter Cays National Park covers nearly 114,000 acres (46,140 hectares) of uninhabited islands and sand flats northwest of Nassau. The designation will prohibit sand mining and recreational and commercial uses of that area.
The National Audubon Society said Tuesday it worked on the park’s proposal along with the Bahamas National Trust.
The Joulter Cays are a popular winter destination for 13 bird species including piping plovers and red knots.
More than 50 per cent of bird species in the Bahamas migrate from the U.S. and Canada.
The national park is one of several new ones created as the Bahamas aims to protect 6.18 million acres (2.5 million hectares) of land.
www.audubon.org
Alwin Marshall-Squire is the Editor-in-Chief of S-Q Publications Inc., overseeing editorial strategy for GTA Weekly, GTA Today, and Vision Newspaper. He leads the publications’ mission to deliver bold, original journalism focused on the people and communities of the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, and the global Caribbean diaspora.
Also writes for GTA Weekly and GTA Today.
