Bahamas Court Case Pits Resorts Against Each Other, Threatening U.S.-Listed Queen Conch Nursery
A legal battle in the Bahamas Supreme Court is underway between rival resort developers, with the habitat of the U.S.-listed threatened queen conch caught in the middle. Miami-based Yntegra Group plans to dredge approximately 1.26 acres of North Bay at East Sampson Cay for a service dock for its Rosewood Exuma resort. Two neighboring developers, Turtlegrass Resort & Island Club and Over Yonder Cay, have filed a lawsuit to overturn the project's environmental approvals, arguing that the public consultation process was flawed and the project's combined environmental effects were not adequately assessed. Scientists from Shedd Aquarium have identified the area as a significant nursery for juvenile conch, recording one of the highest densities in a 2019 survey. The court's decision will focus on the legality of the project's approval process, not directly on the harm to the conch.
