GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas -- Wife of Prime Minister Philip Davis and representative of the Office of the Spouse of the Prime Minister, Mrs. Ann Marie Davis is helping to put much-needed focus on the important roles of mangrove ecosystems and why restoring and replenishing the mangroves in and around Grand Bahama is vital for the island’s future.

Mrs. Davis, accompanied by Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey, visited Coral Vita Saturday, October 29, 2022 for the finale of the first round of Mangrove Mania. Spearheaded by Waterkeepers Bahamas and Coral Vita, the Mangrove Mania competition is a community engagement and outreach effort to help restore and replenish Grand Bahama Island’s mangroves. Participants are required to safely collect mangroves from local beaches or other designated mangrove locations, and care for them until they are ready for outplanting.

Teams comprising a cross section of the Grand Bahama Island community participated in the event and together were able to exceed the goal of gathering 30,000 propagules, successfully harvesting and readying nearly 33,000 seedlings – 14,000 of which were from red mangrove trees collected in the last three months. Nine teams were rewarded, and awarded, at Saturday’s closing out ceremony for their efforts.

Mrs. Davis, giving kudos to Waterkeepers Bahamas for its key role in ensuring the participants knew what they needed to do to harvest and how to properly manage the seedlings for good survival rates, said she was happy to share in the success of the competition.

“This competition helped to promote the importance of mangroves in The Bahamas. As healthy mangroves, they are natural defense systems. Mangroves are also nurseries for marine life and birds – and vibrant backdrops for outdoor learning classrooms,” explained Mrs. Davis, adding that healthy mangroves can also provide lucrative sources of income and sustainable livelihoods for future generations of Bahamians.

“Fishermen can maintain their catch of fish, shrimp and soft shell crabs…. Mangroves provide nutrition and protection to sea life so our fishermen will be happier when mangroves are planted everywhere and are healthier,” she said. “Mangroves are a powerful carbon-safe. They suck up carbon dioxide from the air, store it in their roots and branches and they will keep it there and keep absorbing....  Studies have found that mangrove soils hold more than 6.4 billion tons of carbon globally."

Also a strong proponent for the preservation of The Bahamas’ natural environment, Minister Moxey too shared her enthusiasm for the competition’s success, noting that it has brought a heightened awareness to the dire condition of Grand Bahama’s mangroves which were extensively damaged during the onslaught of hurricane Dorian in 2019. “What these nine teams have accomplished is commendable.  I commend Waterkeepers Bahamas for its innovation."  

Minister Moxey continued: "Waterkeepers team has been working diligently to educate Bahamians of the vital role that mangroves play in the protection of our islands against incidents like flooding, storm surges, and the encroachment of the ocean on our shorelines. Unfortunately, these occurrences have become more frequent to small low-lying island nations like The Bahamas, as a consequence of climate change, and the Grand Bahama residents who have lived through hurricanes, Frances, Jean, Wilma, Floyd, Matthew and Dorian can attest to this better than most.

“Initiatives like Mangrove Mania reinforce the urgency for all citizens of The Bahamas, and residents, to do their part to protect our mangroves – an important, critical ecosystem. So on behalf of the Government of The Bahamas and the Ministry for Grand Bahama, I congratulate all of the teams represented here today. You are amazing and you’re all winners in my book, Let us continue to support the efforts of Waterkeepers Bahamas as we collectively forge ahead to recover, rebuild and revolutionize our beautiful Grand Bahama Island,” she said.

Officially launched back in May of this year, Mangrove Mania is expected to continue over the next few years. With climate change and a desire to reduce the impacts of hurricanes and other natural disasters a priority of the Davis Administration’s first term in office, the competition is considered timely.

Mrs. Ann Marie Davis, wife of Prime Minister Philip Davis and representative of the Office of the Spouse, promoting the importance of mangrove ecosystems in The Bahamas during the closing out ceremony of the Mangrove Mania competition at Coral Vita on Grand Bahama Island Saturday, October 29, 2022.

Mrs. Ann Marie Davis and Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey are among those in government supporting local efforts to preserve The Bahamas' natural environment. They are pictured in the audience (centre right) at the finale run of the first round of Mangrove Mania, a community engagement and outreach effort to help restore and replenish Grand Bahama's mangroves.