On February 24, 2025, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) publicly defended its decision to grant a 21-year lease to Bahamas Moorings Ltd. for operating mooring services in Exuma. The announcement appeared to come as a reaction to growing concerns over the company’s activities in the area. At the time, the OPM maintained that the lease was in line with environmental preservation efforts, suggesting that moorings are beneficial to protecting marine life and reducing damage to the ecosystem.

‘Deal’ is Dead

On February 25 2025, a mere 24 hours later, the government announced that the agreement with Bahamas Moorings Ltd. was “dead.” This swift turnaround came in the wake of public outrage and revelations that Bahamas Moorings Ltd. had begun installing moorings without obtaining the necessary environmental and regulatory approvals. According to the OPM, the lease required the company to meet specific conditions before proceeding, conditions which had clearly not been met.

The Secret Agreement Unravels

The controversy deepened when it was revealed that an employee from the Office of the Prime Minister had acted as a witness to the lease agreement. The OPM launched an internal review but provided no clear answers as to how such a significant lapse in oversight occurred. The question on many minds was: Who exactly gave Bahamas Moorings Ltd. the green light to install moorings in Exuma’s waters?

Chester Cooper’s ‘Pleased’ Response

 Exuma and Ragged Island MP, Chester Cooper, responded to the deal’s collapse with a curious mix of relief and foresight. “I’m pleased with the outcome,” Cooper said, noting that the outrage among Exumians was not surprising to him. He emphasized the importance of “doing things the correct way” — with full environmental approvals, safety measures, and local consultation. His comments, however, raised more questions than answers. As Deputy Prime Minister and a representative of Exuma, why did he not appear to have been involved in or aware of the approval process? Did no one in the government think to consult him before proceeding with such a consequential deal?

A Ministerial Disconnect

Prime Minister Philip Davis, as the minister responsible for lands, had approved the lease for Bahamas Moorings Ltd. The company had ambitious plans to install 250 moorings over 4,000 acres at 49 locations in Exuma. However, the contradiction between the Prime Minister’s approval and Cooper’s assertion that “there is a correct way to do things” is glaring. Was this a case of bureaucratic miscommunication, or was there a deliberate attempt to bypass proper procedures?

A Convenient ‘Review’

In the aftermath of the scandal, the OPM announced a review of existing mooring fields in The Bahamas. The review aims to assess which mooring fields have proper leases, environmental clearances, port approvals, and Cabinet-level endorsements if necessary. While this might appear to be a progressive step, the timing of this review is highly suspicious. It suggests a reactive approach designed to cover up the original missteps rather than a genuine commitment to transparency.

The Bigger Outstanding Questions

1. Who signed off on the deal without ensuring the proper approvals were in place?
2. Why did the government not announce the deal publicly before the installations began?
3. Was the Deputy Prime Minister truly in the dark about the agreement?
4. How could an OPM employee act as a witness to the agreement without senior officials’ knowledge?

The Bottom Line: A Close Call for Exuma

Ultimately, it was the vigilance of the Exuma community that halted what could have been a severe overreach by the government. The promise to now conduct consultations and regulatory checks is not an achievement — it is the bare minimum that should have been done from the start. The entire episode reeks of a government caught with its hand in the cookie jar, now scrambling to reset the narrative.

If the right-thinking citizens of Exuma had not spoken up, would we ever have known about this clandestine agreement? Who will be held accountable for attempting to pull a fast one on the Bahamian people? These are the questions that demand clear, honest answers from those in power.

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