Environment

Two months after launching its public record, The Bahamas Academy of Sciences (BAS) has translated five decades of research into active policy and engagement. The organization has published its first peer-reviewed paper and delivered a strategic policy brief to the government to improve national scientific capacity. The Academy’s inaugural publication in *Gulf and Caribbean Research* analyzed 12,113 scholarly records from 1975 to 2025. The study highlights deficiencies in groundwater and renewable energy research. In September, BAS President Dr. Krista Sherman presented findings to the Hon. Zane Lightbourne, Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources. This brief proposes ten strategic priorities, including a national environmental data repository. BAS representatives also brought expertise to Climate Week, emphasizing the vulnerability of the archipelago’s islands to sea-level rise. The Academy’s public awareness campaign concludes its collaboration with local creators on 30 November. Upcoming initiatives include a classroom event for students, the launch of a video-podcast series, and a practical statistics course scheduled for early 2027.

In an opinion piece published on September 25, 2026, Ed Forbes argues that the Turks and Caicos Islands must realign national priorities to focus on marine conservation rather than niche pursuits. He contends that the territory’s economic future depends on protecting its natural assets through structured research and enforcement. Forbes asserts that while tourism relies on healthy reefs, government commitment has lagged behind growth. He identifies critical deficiencies, including a lack of accessible public boat ramps, sufficient moorings, and dedicated beach cleanup services. Furthermore, he questions whether limited educational resources are being directed toward skills with the greatest long-term impact. The author notes that environmental laws remain ineffective without stronger political will. He writes, "Protecting these priceless natural assets demands more than good intentions." Consequently, he warns that upcoming partnerships, such as those with MSC cruise lines in Grand Turk, require careful preparation regarding infrastructure pressure. The author concludes that policymakers must re-evaluate what knowledge is essential for the success of local children. He suggests that educational investments should be guided by evidence and long-term development goals. Ultimately, Forbes calls for a balanced approach that supports both environmental stewardship and responsible entrepreneurship to ensure the islands' future prosperity.

Health Minister Kyle Knowles says derelict vehicles are a growing hazard across the Turks and Caicos Islands, with the Environmental Health Department receiving an increasing number of reports about abandoned cars. Government is examining a more coordinated approach to identifying, removing and disposing of them. Knowles attributed the rise partly to the growing number of vehicles in the country and the shorter lifespan of some third-party used vehicles. He said abandoned cars become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, fire hazards, havens for criminals and environmental threats when leaking oils seep into the ground. He said "there has to be a process as to how they're decommissioned", with the scrap metal policy covering much of the disposal, the littering policy letting Environmental Health penalise owners, and police able to tow and impound at the owner's cost. New vehicle stickers with barcodes could help authorities trace owners faster, and severely derelict cars are marked with a large orange X before disposal. Knowles said the various government mechanisms must work together, and urged owners to be community-minded, telling authorities if they cannot afford to remove a vehicle so it is not treated as abandoned.

In an opinion piece published on September 15, 2026, the author warns that Providenciales faces a crisis due to unregulated roadside mechanic yards. The article describes a one-kilometre stretch of hazardous industrial activity and discarded vehicle parts, urging the government to enforce existing laws to restore order in local communities. The author argues that these operations violate multiple statutes, including the Business Licensing Ordinance and the Physical Planning Ordinance, which require mechanics to work from inspected, fenced, and environmentally contained locations. These unregulated sites create environmental hazards like groundwater pollution and fire risks while depressing property values. Unlike regional neighbors that enforce strict zoning, the author contends that Turks and Caicos suffers from a lack of planning discipline rather than a lack of legislation. The proposed three-phase plan begins with immediate containment. Phase I, spanning 6 months, calls for freezing new licenses and removing abandoned vehicles within 14 days of notice. Subsequent phases involve relocating mechanics into designated automotive zones with subsidized leases and establishing a national recycling program. The author concludes that while restructuring the sector will take up to 36 months, the government must act now to ensure community safety and national dignity.

In this opinion piece, the writer argues that Turks and Caicos Islands' tourism-driven development is destroying the natural environment that sustains it, calling the government's celebrated milestones—2 million visitors in 2025—a paradox that erodes the core tourism product. The piece notes Premier Charles Washington Misick's declaration that the challenge is "how to govern tourism growth" and Tourism Minister Zhavargo Jolly's warning that tourism "only works when people feel like it belongs to them." It lists environmental costs: coastal degradation at Northeast Long Bay and Chalk Sound, depleted conch and fish stocks, uncontrolled landfills in Providenciales and Grand Turk, and generic architecture replacing indigenous vegetation. The Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR), Turks and Caicos Reef Fund (TCRF), Marine Police, and National Trust are described as under-resourced guardrails. The writer proposes a three-year phased solution within existing TCI law—freezing mega-resort approvals on Grand Turk, linking tourism licensing to conservation, redistributing growth to North, Middle and South Caicos, and reforming cruise tourism with daily passenger caps—and concludes that the country must stop consuming its own product and empower the institutions designed to protect it.

King Charles III praised the Turks and Caicos Islands for environmental protection, democratic growth, and steps taken to reduce violent crime as the territory marked 50 years of ministerial government. In a message shared on Sunday, August 30, 2026, by the Governor's office, the monarch commended the premier and residents on the first observance of Constitution Day. He noted that democratic institutions have developed over decades, pointing to the 2024 renaming of the House of Assembly as the Turks and Caicos Islands Parliament. Addressing conservation, he stated that the U.K. government's Blue Belt Programme reflected a shared commitment to environmental protection. He also commended the territory's Marine Protected Areas, the expansion of fully protected no-fishing zones, and scientific research conducted earlier in 2026 by the Royal Research Ship James Cook. Moving forward, the territory will celebrate Constitution Day annually on the last Monday in August. The new holiday commemorates the 1976 adoption of the constitution alongside National Flag Day celebrations and community events.

A new training programme to certify local flats fly-fishing guides will open economic opportunities and support marine conservation across the Turks and Caicos Islands, especially in the sister islands. Her Excellency Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam celebrated the territory's first cohort at Beaches Turks and Caicos on Monday, August 24, 2026. The course was developed by the Turks & Caicos Fly Fishing Association Ltd. and TCI Community College, with funding from the UK Government’s Darwin Plus Programme and assistance from The Bahamas Fly Fishing Association. Flats fly-fishing uses artificial flies in shallow coastal waters to target species such as bonefish, providing an alternative to harvesting them. Governor Daniel-Selvaratnam noted the initiative turns conservation into practical livelihoods while safeguarding local fisheries. The certification ties into broader environmental commitments, including the UK Blue Belt Programme and the territory's duties under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which covers more than 144,000 acres across North, Middle, and parts of East Caicos. Governor Daniel-Selvaratnam urged the new guides to set high standards for the industry as ambassadors and environmental stewards as the sector expands.

Commercial fishers across the Turks and Caicos Islands landed 35,384.4 pounds of crawfish during the first three days of the 2026–2027 spiny lobster season. Catches were brought into docks on Providenciales, South Caicos and Grand Turk despite difficult weather conditions. South Caicos led all islands with 25,681 pounds brought in across the opening period, including nearly 15,000 pounds from 37 vessels on the first day alone. Providenciales recorded 8,488 pounds, while Grand Turk recorded 1,215.4 pounds. Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, Minister of Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs, noted that the early numbers demonstrate that “this season looks very promising.” Compliance checks found most catch to be legal, though officers in Providenciales seized 47 undersized and moulted crawfish on the first day and an estimated 22 pounds combined on the second. Officers also used Inshore Vessel Monitoring System tracking to rescue a disabled vessel and a fisher in distress. The lobster season runs through March 31, 2027. Unregistered fishers who still need to sign up can contact the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management by phone at (649) 338 4177 or by email at arponteen@gov.tc.

In an opinion column published in August 2026, commentator Ed Forbes calls for accountability from utility provider Pelican Energy TCI Ltd., previously known as FortisTCI, over promised solar projects across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Forbes questions the status of an $8 million investment announced in June 2023 for solar-plus-battery microgrids intended to power approximately 30 percent of North and Middle Caicos and 91 percent of Salt Cay. Forbes points out that groundbreakings took place in July 2023 with initial completion targets set for 2024 and 2025, but the public lacks clear information on whether the systems are operating. While Pelican Energy commissioned a 414-kilowatt rooftop solar system at Salterra Resort in South Caicos, Forbes argues residents deserve a roadmap showing what has been built versus what is delayed, especially as the company generated $118 million in revenue in 2024. Pelican Energy is now seeking planning permission for a 10-megawatt solar farm and battery microgrid on approximately 20 acres in Providenciales. Forbes urges the government to move faster, agreeing with Minister for Innovation, Technology and Energy Hon. Jay Saunders that moving away from diesel requires planning, but arguing that officials should offer low-interest loans, grants and tax incentives so homeowners and small businesses can install solar systems and sell excess power to the grid.