Dear Editor,

I read with some trepidation the Antiquities, Monuments & Museum Corporation and Ministry of Tourism’s plans to establish Preachers Cave in Eleuthera as a National Heritage Tourism Park.

Having recently documented the decline and desecration of Clifton Heritage Park, due in no small part to littering and illegal dumping, I am of the opinion that it would be a huge mistake to entrust the archaeological treasure which is Preachers Cave to a similar style of management.

Our historic monuments and antiquities, particularly those in Nassau, have suffered from neglect and decay for decades; the Queens Staircase completed in1794, the Nassau Public Library built in 1797 and the Hog Island Lighthouse built in1817- just to name a few.

The Bahamas’ track record for preserving our national treasures is abysmal and it would be criminal for Preachers Cave to become the latest casualty added to this ever-growing list of decaying buildings and landmarks.

The government needs to take a hard look at the laws & policies in place for the management and preservation of our antiquities and of our environment in general as it is long overdue for them to be given the proper care and respect they deserve. I might also add that the laws and penalties for littering and dumping are in dire need of modernizing and serious enforcement.

Sincerely,

Ian Mabon.

February 21, 2018