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By Keith Archibald Forbes (see About Us) exclusively for Bermuda Online
To refer by e-mail to this file use "bermuda-online.org/environ" as your Subject
Bermuda today is the third most densely populated place on earth, with an estimated resident population at year-end 2005 of 68,500, in its 20.75 (twenty point seven five) square miles or 3,301 permanent residents per square mile.In terms of population per square miles, this is only exceeded by Monaco with 15,921 and Singapore with 6,891 persons. After Bermuda comes Vatican City with 2,200 per square mile; Malta, with 1,229; Puerto Rico, with 1112 (yet often written about in USA, including by the National Geographic, as one of the most densely populated places in the world); Bahrain, with 1,042; Maldives, with 1,036; Bangladesh, 962; Taiwan, with 699; Mauritius, with 647; and Barbados, with 642. In contrast, note the very low populations per square mile of the United States of America - from where over 85% of its visitors come; then Canada; United Kingdom (632); Japan (870); Netherlands (1002).
In January 2006, the number of dwellings reached 34,850 in its mere 20.75 square miles. Bermuda has a total of 13,268 acres of land, of which residential land takes up more than 4,900 acres. golf courses use 777 acres and national parks take 800 acres.
Bermuda, with its 69,000 resident population in its mere 20.75 square miles, an equivalent number of cars and other motor vehicles and the highest per capita income in the world, churns out more garbage per person than the population of Manhattan.
Thus Bermuda has to takes some unusual measures in some areas to try to preserve its resources for residents and visitors. There have been some successes but also some failures. This file gives some details of what has been done and what still needs to be done.
| 1970 Bermuda Plan | Open Space 6,469 acres | Residential 4,407 acres | Other 1,014 acres |
| 1992 Bermuda Plan (most current) | Open Space 4,446 acres | Residential 5,700 acres | Other 1,744 acres |
But the United States Government has not come to the Island's aid
in the clean-up of its own former military bases. Its Department of Defense was informed
of the commitment of the UK Government. There are two sides of the story. The
American side is that it is not prepared to clean up the former base lands unless there is
a "clear and imminent" damage problem. This is why it has declined to date to
undertake remedial measures to rectify all the very serious environmental problems its
military forces caused in Bermuda in more than 50 years of their rent free
throughout usage of so much of Bermuda's scarce land from 1941 to 1995.
But the USA, not Bermuda, built most of it from scratch, at huge expense to American, not Bermudian, taxpayers, beginning in 1940. The total cost then was over US$42 million. The USA does not believe it has to pay twice. The USA is worried that if it has to clean up its environmental damage caused in Bermuda, it will have to do the same in other countries at immense cost. Also, at absolutely no cost to Bermuda, it developed an airport from scratch - when the area was still nothing but small islands - and thus created modern tourism for Bermuda.
The Bermuda side is that the USA does
not have the right to pollute the rest of the world. Bermuda is a unique circumstance
because of its tiny size. It does not have a large land mass to hide the stuff and there
is clear danger to both visitors and locals from known pollutants. The residue from them
is deep underground and is affecting the ground water.
At Morgan's Point, the site of the US Navy Annex from 1941 to 1995, it has been established that the US Navy pumped raw sewage into the system of caves underneath the entire base. The caves are also full of old oil which has leaked from storage tanks. The US Navy left there tons of hazardous heavy metals like mercury, lead and cadmium.
Cleaning up the mess and pollution left behind after the military base closed is a small part of the enormous problem. The rest is the huge potential liability afterwards that has been the main reason why the area has not been developed yet.
Airport Waste Management
Facility. (Shown in picture opposite). Otherwise known as the Airport Dump. Its hours are April to October, Monday to Saturday, 7:30 am to
7:30 pm. Closed on Sunday. Not
mentioned in the Bermuda Government's official airport website. Can be seen clearly by visitors
when they arrive by air. A metallic landfill
land and sea waste dump, used for dumping on land and deliberately into the
ocean - specifically into Castle Harbour - all types of cars, appliances,
computers and peripherals (monitors. printers, etc) refrigerators, etc. It
also takes acoustic tiles; air conditioning ducts;
appliances (for example, washing machines, refrigerators, dryers, stoves); bulky
metal goods (for example, bed springs, machinery sand wire); automobiles and
related (trucks, buses); motor bikes; pedal bikes; ceramic and vinyl floor
tiles; construction and demolition debris; crash helmets; dry wall; electrical
and electronic goods (for example, water heaters, televisions, computers and
peripherals; empty gas cylinders; empty fuel storage tanks; empty metal paint
cans; fiberglass; mirrors and large pieces of glass (such as sliding glass
doors); motor vehicle tires; PVC pipes, fittings and furniture; rubble and bulky
rubble; SKB roofing; water filled fire extinguishers.
It is far below American, British, Canadian and European standards. In those countries, computer monitors, which contain up to 8 lbs each of lead as well as mercury, are considered toxic trash and are banned from being dumped in landfills. But not in Bermuda, where there is nowhere else to dispose of them. It is not known whether it, as a British Overseas Territories airport, operates under the advice and consent of DEFRA in the United Kingdom, which - in the UK - does not allow this. Its proximity to the airport in Bermuda would not be allowed by airports and their regional or national authorities in American, British, Canadian and European areas. Europe, USA, United Kingdom, etc. It is not known - or not said - whether in Bermuda this metallic debris affects aircraft navigation systems. But it is of serious concern to some Bermuda environmentalists that cars, trucks, computers, motorcycles, tires and refrigerators are routinely dumped here, leeching the water, in amounts averaging 700 truckloads a week. There are fines for improper sorting and disposal of waste. Unfortunately, the Bermuda Government, owner of this airport dump, has been cited by the Bermuda Government's Auditor General for repeatedly violating the Bermuda Government's environmental laws.
Algae. There has been a steady creep of algae in the sea and harbor bottoms. Shellfish beds have been smothered. Possible causes include cesspit leaching and use of fertilizers.
Animal waste. This should not be put out for household garbage collection. Instead, it should be allowed to dry in newspaper, then wrapped in polyethylene, taken by car or truck to Tynes Bay Public Drop-Off, or installed in a yard drain for animal waste to go into an existing cesspit, or flushed down a toilet.
Anti litter laws. They are supposed to penalize those who litter Bermuda's municipalities, open spaces, parks, and roads, and allow their horses to foul the beaches or highways. But the laws are hardly ever enforced and are not effective.
Annual Garbage Clean-Up Campaigns on land and sea. Led by the Keep Bermuda Beautiful (KBB) organization, these always conclude with at least 25 tons of garbage cleaned up from the environment by individuals and groups of residents from all walks of life. The worst litter problem of all - more than all the other litter problems put together - is broken glass. It seems to be a sport of Bermudian teenagers to break glass bottles anywhere and everywhere. There is no "bottle or can bill" - no legislation that slaps an automatic extra charge on bottles or cans and thus creates an incentive for individuals to get a refund on the empty container when they have taken it back. This has been urged time and time again by USA environmentalists., but apparently resisted time and time again by the principal soft drinks manufacturers whose products are sold in bottles or cans or both. As a result, many areas have broken glass and cans from the products of these principal manufacturers and their Bermuda agents littering the countryside. Once Bermuda was known for its incredibly clean environment, but no more. Nowadays, visitors frequently see beaches, the Bermuda Railroad Trail and parklands strewn with broken glass and debris.
Asbestos removal. A serious problem in Bermuda, with more asbestos than anywhere else in the world per square mile. In its 20.75 square miles in total land area there are 411 huge asbestos containers the Bermuda Government would love to get rid of but cannot. They include 150 container loads of asbestos collected from buildings on the former US Naval Air Station. In December 2003, it was announced that the British Government, via the international firm of WS Atkins, is advising the Bermuda Government on the problem. Currently, the Waste Management Section of Bermuda Government's Department of Works & Engineering is responsible for the administration of all activities relating to the receipt of waste asbestos. It includes the Ministry charging owners of commercial buildings a very hefty fee - currently, more than US$ 6,000 - per 20 foot container load, or US$0.60 per pound for a loose load, for collecting asbestos. So far, more than 390 container loads of commercial asbestos have been collected and stored, ready for disposal. Some have been stored for years at the Public Works & Engineering Quarry overlooking Castle Harbor, putting people living nearby on potential jeopardy. The international environmental agency Green Peace threatened to blacken Bermuda's name abroad if Bermuda dumps this asbestos well out to sea, as it is legally allowed to do by international conventions.
Asbestos burial. On June 23, 2007 it was reported by The Royal Gazette that Bermuda is planning to bury its 550 containers of asbestos at the Government quarry. Works and Engineering Minister Dennis Lister said the asbestos was stored in shipping containers at two locations — with 420 at the Government quarry and 130 at the former US Baselands in Southside. Responding in written answers to parliamentary questions from Shadow Works and Engineering Minister Jon Brunson, Mr Lister said Government had approved a report by Atkins Consulting of the UK that recommended disposal of the stored asbestos through burial at the Government quarry. He said: “The Ministry of Works and Engineering will soon be seeking approval for a consultant to complete the engineering design of the disposal facility and the manner of transferring the asbestos from the shipping containers into this facility.”
Automobile restriction policies have limited the number of vehicles on the roads to 87 percent of the local population to one automobile per household, but there are now easily more automobiles - as well as mopeds and scooters which are not restricted in how many an individual may have - per square mile than in any other country. They are faster, noisier, more illegally tampered with and deliberately carelessly and dangerously driven or ridden than ever before. They cause accidents galore, frequent traffic jams, great apprehension and injuries to visitors who venture out on rented mopeds yet are unfamiliar with them. The automobile restriction law does not apply to the Bermuda Government. Its employees - 13 percent of the entire workforce - can use government cars as well as their own. One effect of this, which other consumers in Bermuda do not have, is that their spouses or adult children can use privately-owned cars to go to work or for leisure or both. The restrictions on the size of cars applying uniquely in Bermuda, no-where else in the world, do not apply to the Governor, Premier, Consul General of the USA, Bermuda Government cabinet ministers, funeral directors and a few disabled who can afford PC-licensed vehicles. They are allowed to have bigger cars.
Beaches. Residents and visitors should be aware that periodically - as reported by The Royal Gazette - sewage spoils prime South Shore beaches public and private. Unsightly and potentially disease-carrying balls of sewage wash up. If problems persist some beaches could be closed until the situation is brought under control. The grey, golf-ball size lumps of human waste are created from when sewage pumped offshore in outfall pumps a mile or so from Hungry Bay and from large hotels in the Parishes of Paget and Southampton. They look innocent, but once squashed they stink of human waste. The effects of the sewage have been noticed at South Shore beaches from Elbow Beach west and east, all the way to the Mid Ocean beach. Sewage outfall pipes are in plain view at the eastern end of Elbow Beach. The sewage problem arises because Bermuda is both physically isolated and one of the most densely populated countries in the world per square mile, yet with no sewage farms to treat sewage on land instead of at sea, as other countries do. A major contributor to the problem is the grease that comes from outfall pipes going from the City of Hamilton to Hungry Bay. The screening system used is not a treatment system and grease from the city's many restaurants mingles with other waste to form the golf ball-sized clumps of sewage. All waste pumped out to sea beyond the reefs is completely untreated. This includes radio-active waste from X-rays and other machinery at - and all other waste from - King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. (In the United Kingdom and Europe, Canada and United States of America, it is forbidden to dump such radio-active and other hospital waste into the ocean). It was hoped the high salinity of the sea and its volume would dilute the effects and achieve a rapid die-off. But when grease mingles with sewage, it prevents any breakdown and instead carries the sewage to shore. A sewage treatment plant in the city or nearby is a solution but no one in Bermuda wants it near them. To date, the Bermuda Government's Ministry of the Environment has not initiated any measures to ensure the safety and health of residents and visitors to UK, European, Canadian and American standards.
Bermuda Audubon Society. For years, this organization has gone to great lengths to keep endangered, indigenous, native and visiting birds flying into and over Bermuda.
Bermuda cedar replanting. In the 1940's and 1950's a massive blight struck and felled most of Bermuda's native cedar (an indigenous juniper) trees. They were originally replaced with casuarina, an Australian pine. However, over the last two decades, there has been a large scale replanting of more disease resistant Bermuda cedar.
Bermuda Development Plan 2008
The Draft Bermuda Plan 2008 was released to the public in June 2008 and residents have until October 3, 2008 to comment.
The 1992 Bermuda Plan will be replaced by the new one. Among the differences are tighter Residential housing regulations and clearer Rural zoning. The Base Lands Plan 1996, West End Development Plan 1984, and Pembroke Marsh Plan 1987 have also been superseded by the new Bermuda Plan. The Draft Bermuda Plan 2008 is now the operative development plan for the Island. All new planning applications received are now subject to its policies and provisions The statutory consultation period of two months has been extended to four, "to give the public more time to review." The Bermuda Plan 2008 will then guide all development until 2015. Government says the Draft Bermuda Plan 2008 was influenced by requests for rezoning by members of the public as well as stakeholders and statutory bodies. It was also shaped by the Sustainable Development Strategy and Implementation Plan.Bermuda has a finite land mass, and to that end the Draft Bermuda Plan 2008 strives to balance the need to accommodate appropriate development with the need to conserve and protect natural areas for future generations.
The Plan is based on three strategies to promote and provide for conservation, development, and social opportunity. They are a Conservation Strategy, Development Strategy and Social Strategy. Among its objectives, Government says it wants to encourage development on brownfield, 'cluster housing' schemes, and "a range of housing types including affordable housing, special needs housing and group housing." The Zoning Maps designate the lands of Bermuda into four types, namely Development Base Zones, Conservation Base Zones, Conservation Areas and Protection Areas. Under each, the land is then classed into further zones and areas, each of which has specific regulations. The Draft Bermuda Plan 2008 Planning Statement and Zoning Maps are available at the Department of Planning website at: www.planning.gov.bm. The public can also view the Plan at the Planning Department, Parish Post Offices, the Bermuda National Library, and at a series of public exhibitions. Guidance notes are available and Technical Officers are also on hand to assist the public with any queries via e-mail, the telephone or in person.2008 Bermuda Plan summary
Government outlines areas of note in the Draft Bermuda Plan 2008 as:
Conservation area policies and the conservation base zone - aim to protect habitats, woodland, agricultural land, open space, islands, coastal areas and recreational areas.
Protection area policies, to protect historic buildings and areas, caves, water resources, airport lands and approaches;
Promotion of controlled development - an example is the new Mixed Use development base zone in St. George's, Southside and Dockyard, creating 'Community Centres' in which residents can live, work and play
More affordable housing, with residential policies to allow higher residential densities in areas close to commercial and mixed use centres. Also to allow smaller, compact lot sizes in appropriate areas;
Utilities policies, to encourage the use of renewable energy sources;
Tourism flexible policies, to ensure the Island's tourism product can meet the demands of an ever-changing industry;
Accessibility policies to ensure development is accessible to all, also allowing group housing and housing for the elderly.
For more information on the draft 2008 Development Plan and to voice your feedback as a resident, visit www.greenrock.org or www.planning.gov.bm.
Bermuda Land Crab - two types - are endangered, from overcrowding - far too many people in such a small land mass.
Bermuda National Parks. Can be found in every Parish.
Bermuda National Trust. Has done much to help preserve the environment.
Bermuda's new Protected Species Act 2003. Became law on 1st March 2004. The new act calls for a proactive approach to the protection of local species threatened with extinction, and their habitats. Birds are afforded a certain amount of protection under Bermuda's Protection of Birds Act 1975. All local laws are enacted solely by the Bermuda legislature.
Bermuda Reef Ecosystem Assessment & Mapping (BREAM) project. Over several years it conducted the first extensive mapping of Bermuda marine parks and reef areas.
It has concluded that Bermuda has managed its reefs better than practically any other country on the planet, so 99 percent of its reefs are amazingly healthy. Unlike the Caribbean, where coral reefs have been ravaged by human contact and disease over the past decade, Bermuda's reefs are near-pristine thanks to a long history of Government protection and sound management. Scientists have spent the past few years studying in great detail the amount of living coral cover, the types of corals, algae and fish species on Bermuda's reefs. The results are very positive. They believe, based on all their data, the reefs are in a very healthy condition. Bermuda's fish pot ban, coupled with the fact 100 percent of its reefs are classed as marine protected areas within a 200-mile zone, has been largely responsible for the health of the Island's coral reefs. Bermuda has been affluent and fortunate enough to preserve its reefs and the delicate ecosystem they support. In July 2008 Bermuda enacted new legislation aimed at protecting Bermuda's coral reefs for future generations. Maximum fines for breaking regulations under the Fisheries Act 1972 leap from $5,000 to $25,000, with the maximum jail sentence up from one year to two years, under the Fisheries Amendment Act 2008. Offenders targeted in the updated law included people who steal "ornaments" from reefs. The legislation also includes repeals to parts of the Fisheries Amendment Act 2006.Bermuda Singer - a noisy but harmless large beetle - has now died out in most places from overcrowding - far too many people in such a small land mass. It used to nest in cedar trees.
Bermuda Skink is now endangered, from overcrowding - far too many people in such a small land mass.
Bermuda Tree frogs - not unique to Bermuda but tiny noisy frogs by night from May to October - are a national symbol. One of the several species has died out.
Bermuda Toad is now endangered, from overcrowding - far too many people in such a small land mass.
Bermuda Turtle Project. It has been studying and tagging turtles in Bermuda's waters for 40 years in 2008. Bermuda is an important area in the western Atlantic region for these animals, and partners with conservation groups world-wide in efforts to protect them.
The data generated during field trips and by using tags and transmitters has tremendous value in finding out more about these turtles and learning where they go next. During these field trips each year, more than 200 juvenile green and hawksbill turtles are caught and tagged in the programme which is jointly funded by the Bermuda Government, Chevron International, the Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC), BZS and its US-based affiliate, the Atlantic Conservation Partnership. Some of these turtles are also fastened with satellite transmitters. All the information gathered is vitally important to scientists to learn more about sea turtles and their regional migrations. For the past 13 years, the Bermuda Turtle Project has also offered biology and conservation of sea turtles courses for 106 students from Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada, India, the Netherlands, UK, US, Central and South America. Foreign participants in the BTP programme learn about sea turtles during the annual ten-day field trips and often return to set up similar conservation and research efforts in their home countries. The project includes a Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre run out of the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo. Hundreds of sick and stranded turtles including those injured by motorboats, nets and fishing line have been rescued and brought to the centre, and many have been rehabilitated and returned to the wild. To find out more about the Bermuda Turtle Project, visit www.cccturtle.org/bermuda/index2.Bio-oxidizing process for hospital waste. Bermuda's King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, Bermuda Government owned, can dispose of solid waste - syringes, bandages, body parts, blood and tissue, etc. - with a state of the art bio-oxidizing process. It produces gases which will be able to heat the hospital's boiler, water and laundry, to save on energy costs.
Bottles. Currently, there is no law on the return of glass bottles to place of purchase. Broken glass caused by deliberate bottle throwing is a very serious litter problem in Bermuda and a potential threat to locals and visitors.
Building code policies. They now ensure that agricultural lands and those designated as woodlands cannot be developed privately or commercially, except when approved by the Minister of the Environment on a discretionary basis. Applicable legislation are the Bermuda Plan 1992 and Development and Planning Act 1974.
Christmas Trees. All are imported - at an average retail cost of US$60 a tree - in late November or early December after first being inspected by the Department of Agriculture & Fisheries. After New Year's Day, usually on or about the second Wednesday in January, they are collected by a garbage truck and taken away to be turned into chips for a public garden.
Compost production. The Marsh Folly Waste Treatment Facility was launched in April 1995 by the Bermuda Government's Ministry of Works and Engineering. It is a 25 acre "compost production" center to reduce the amount of local food and horticultural waste and turn it into usable composting. It currently receives some 8 metric tons of organic waste and 35 tons of horticultural waste a day. Food waste alone now represents some 22 percent of Bermuda's total garbage. Restaurants must transport their food waste here. Many Bermudians also have compost bins in their gardens to convert discarded foodstuffs into usable garden additive.
Conservation Services of Ministry of the Environment. Office of the Director, P. O. Box CR 52, Crawl CR BX. Phone 293-1785 or fax 293-2716.
Crematorium. None are allowed in Bermuda. Instead, graveyards are full, not surprising in a country where the population is the third highest in the world per square mile. In family plots, corpses are buried on top of the last. But family members may have their loved ones cremated overseas.
Dog licensing and spaying. All dogs in Bermuda must be licensed annually, whether puppies or adults. The annual registration year starts on June 1. Owners of all dogs have a license fee. Anyone keeping a dog without a license is guilty of an offense and can be fined. Dogs are not required to be micro-chipped. All who keep dogs - and any other animals - are expected to be humane, kind and considerate. Newcomers should not import any animal from overseas if they cannot take it back with them when they leave, without quarantine.
Dumps
Electric Vehicles. These are exempted from normally very high import duties on vehicles. This is an encouraging sign but the cost of electricity to consumers is far too high to make it practical.
Emissions. Currently, there is no law regulating them. The worst offenders are 2-stroke motor cycles, diesel trucks and buses.
Environmental Authority. Bermuda Government appointed. Members under the Clean Air Act 1991 are shown in the alphabetical list in Bermuda Government Boards
Environmentally friendly products, pesticides. Grocery stores and garden centers stock them routinely. One very good thing that Bermuda grocery stores and supermarkets do routinely, copying consumers in the USA and Canada, is to issue large reusable brown paper bags for consumers to use. It is a practice that should be followed but is not by UK-based supermarkets and convenience stores.
Exclusive Economic Zone. A 200-mile area around Bermuda for fishing and related marine purposes. In it, Bermuda's Ministry of the Environment has been assessing the economic viability of long-line fishing, which involves hanging hundreds of baited hooks from a huge line, to harvest mainly swordfish and tuna. In February and March 2007, the American-owned 90-feet long steel ship Eagle Eye II made journeys within the zone on behalf of the government to give Bermudian fishermen the opportunity to learn new techniques that can help expand the local fishing industry and get more young Bermudians involved in fishing. The catch from her exploration and training missions were the property of the crew, but some of the catch was sold locally. Those in favor of long-line fishing say it will help local fishermen to take advantage of a strong migration of yellow-fin tunas heading through the Island’s waters. Thus fishermen have backed the move and claim it will boost the fishing industry. They say long-line fishing should have been brought to the Island years ago. But wildlife campaigners are calling for measures to protect sea turtles, cahows and other creatures potentially at risk from long-line fishing vessels. They claim environmentalists across the world campaign against long-line fishing, stating that many animals fall victim to “by-catching” when they accidentally get caught on the line’s hooks. In water surrounding Bermuda, it is feared sea turtles, cahows and even dolphins could be in danger of by-catching even if long-line fishing targets mainly tuna and swordfish. More than 300,000 seabirds are killed across the world each year as a result of long-line fishing. Environmentalists are calling for the Government to ensure methods to protect all such species are in place if the practice is introduced. Of particular concern locally are endangered sea turtles, which reside both in our waters and have migratory routes off shore. A second species of concern are dolphins, which have also recently been recognized as occurring in Bermuda’s waters and, in fact, within the 200-mile marine sanctuary.
Fishing policy in force.
In the early 1600s,
fishing in Bermuda was so plentiful that colonists relied on fishing for the
vast majority of their food. For over three centuries, the bounty of the sea
supplied Bermudians. Even in the 1950s and 1960s local fishermen supplied
two thirds of all fish consumed in Bermuda. Fishing became a specialized
industry. Numbers of fishermen increased. By the 1970s the first concerns arose.
A marked decline in the preferred fish became evident. By 1980, fishermen
could not catch enough to supply the demands of an expanding population facing
significantly declining varieties of fish. The situation has worsened each year
since then. Bermuda's Ministry of the Environment issued to commercial and other fishermen a chart for
fish legitimate to catch, together with new minimum legal sizes. It identifies the fish by
species and serves as a guide to fishermen to keep the fish or release them as required by
law. The minimum sizes for allowable species are to preserve younger fish stocks and stay
within United Nations rules for the 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone Bermuda has.
Some
species have been added to the Protected Species Order and cannot be taken at all. They
include the gag grouper (fine scale), Nassau grouper, red grouper, deer hamlet, green
hamlet, mutton hamlet, and the tiger rockfish. Fishermen are allowed to take only one
black or monkey rockfish a day and a daily bag limit of 30 fish a day has been set for
silk snappers, for sport fishermen only.
The ten a day limit remains for the red hind, but the season was cut by a month, now ending on August 31. A series of fish are measured from the lower jaw to the center of the fork. This restricts catches to larger, more mature, fish which have had a chance to breed. These, with their minimum new sizes for allowable catches, are the black rockfish (30 inches); monkey rockfish (20 inches); red hind (14 inches); hog fish (14 inches); yellowtail snapper (12 inches); and silk snapper (10 inches). The minimum catch size for blue fin tuna and swordfish have also gone up, although these are rarely caught locally. Under the 1972 Fisheries Regulations, spear fishing is illegal in waters in or less than 1 mile from shore and offenders caught will be fined up to US$5,000. Expect to see legislation in Bermuda in 2002 limiting the catches of blue and white marlin.
Fishing statistics and re-licensing of all commercial fishing vessels. The annual deadline for the first is the final working day in January. The second is from February to March.
Fish pots not of an approved type have been banned since 1990. This has been successful in bringing some species back that were in danger of extinction because they were caught and wasted in fish pots. Divers, sailors, snorkelers are supposed to help stamp out fish pot use by reporting any violations, but few will because of possible repercussions.
Gasoline is lead free. All gasoline sold in Bermuda is now lead free, to minimize air pollution caused by motor vehicles. There is no exception to this rule. Motor vehicles are not equipped with catalytic converters but use special lead free blends imported by Exxon (Esso) and Shell. But because of huge Bermuda Government import duties on all fuels, retail prices for gasoline (petrol) are among the highest in the world, currently nearly US$6 a gallon. All 4 wheeled motor vehicles will have their emission levels tested for pollutants from 2003 when they are re-licensed.
Household garbage sorting. For the weekly curbside collection (twice a week from April 5, 1999), householders are expected (but not obliged) to pre-sort and put in separate, appropriately colored bags items destined for composting as household waste, and cans and bottles earmarked for recycling.
Illegal dumping. Prevalent in certain areas, such as on Vesey Street in Devonshire Parish.
Licensing Section of Department of Environmental Protection of Ministry of the Environment. Office of the Director, Botanical Gardens, P. O. Box HM 834, Hamilton HM CX. Phone 236-4201, fax 236-7582. E-mail agfish@ibl.bm.
Marine Resources Board. Bermuda Government appointed.
Motor cycles. There is no limit on how many an individual or family can buy. From 2003, there will be a ban on any more 2-stroke vehicles. There is also a limit on the number of decibels a vehicle should have. But it is far too late. Bermuda now has more noise on its roads than New York or Beltway traffic in Washington DC. The noise in Bermuda roads is mostly from illegally souped -up and speeding mopeds and motor cycles. It is dreadful and frightening to locals and visitors and getting worse, not better.
Oil spillage penalties. Owners of cruise ships and other vessels which have spilled oil in local waters have been prosecuted. On shore, householders and businesses risk prosecution if they dump used oils on land. Instead, there are special collection procedures in effect. A series of near-disasters from oil tankers grounded on Bermuda reefs in the early 1980s prompted the organization of a quick-response team and a review of the warning buoy system. Also, Bermuda's reefs are now registered in UK and USA.
Pollution has increased. The number of animals with cancer has increased significantly in recent years and was the main front page topic in the local Mid Ocean News newspaper of May 5, 2000. It has also caused severe mutation in and virtual extinction of some other small species of animals once common in Bermuda.
Recycling
Reef reserves and protected areas of wrecks around Bermuda. As with the fishing regulations, a new protected area of open water is now in effect around many areas. It began when the area around the Royal Naval Dockyard in Sandys Parish was closed off to make what is now known as the Snorkel Park and Beach - (right in the vicinity of a large former horticultural and metallic waste dump). In the year 2000, 29 areas where wrecks are located are affected and are shown on a map available from the Ministry of the Environment. As yet, despite hundreds of ships wrecked on Bermuda's reefs in four centuries - and narrow escapes from disasters in the 1970s, 1980s and beyond from oil tankers and grain carriers that could have caused immense ecological and environmental disasters and ruined the tourism industry, there is no legislation for huge fines against ships or ship owners for damaging the reefs. It would not prevent groundings but it would provide the resources to repair the damage. Hundreds of acres and hectares of Bermuda's reefs have been damaged by groundings, without any compensation and it will take up to 160 years for nature by itself to repair the damage.
School curriculum. Bermuda's natural history and importance of proper waste management techniques to continue environmentally clean natural resources are now included as subjects taught in local schools. But they are not effective, with the huge litter problem Bermuda now has.
Sewage disposal. There is no national sewage system, no sewage farms. Each house and commercial building or hotel has its own sewage pit. Sewage seeps into the ground. See under "water pollution."
All controversial, these allow government to grant waivers to normal planning applications and over-ride environmental concerns and issues.
Since 1997, 19 Special Development Orders have been made
For 66 luxury holiday apartments at Coco Reef. Paget. January 2008.
Toxins. Those released into the sea from Bermuda impact on local shores and beyond. They include from copper near boat yards, metals and other debris at the airport dump and beyond. In a partial response to this, toxic anti-fouling bottom paint for boats has been banned.
Waste disposal system. Operated by the Bermuda Government's Ministry of Works and Engineering, this currently includes 14 types of collection services and eight waste management facilities. They processed nearly 130,000 metric tons of waste in 2006 from a resident population of 68,400 and well over 700,000 visitors. The system can collect and dispose of a wide range of waste, including aluminum cans and structural aluminum, automobile batteries, copper, fluorescent light fixtures, discarded furniture, household batteries, PVC pipe fittings, waste paints, and waste oils. Exportation for recycling of metals, batteries, oils, plastics, etc. as part of the waste disposal process could make a marked additional favorable difference to the environment but its future is uncertain.
Water pollution from sewage disposal. Also see under "Beaches." There are no sewage or sewage treating stations in Bermuda. In almost all of Bermuda, sewage is not recycled and used for irrigation. Instead, it is dumped, untreated, into the sea by pipes, at the rate of over 1.7 million gallons a day. In other countries, but not Bermuda, effluent plants treat the water so it does not damage the land or water table. Bermuda does not have an anaerobic digester to break down the waste. It may be that the extremely high cost per kW hour for electricity in Bermuda is uneconomic, primarily because of the very high cost to consumers of the Bermuda Government's import taxes on all fuels. But dumping of sewage in local waters by cruise ships carries severe penalties imposed by the Bermuda Government. Instead, cruise ships must pipe their waste into special pumping out facilities provided on the docks. Every dwelling and building has its own ground cesspit or septic tank into which sewage is discharged, for dispersal through the rock and eventually into the sea.
Even in the city of Hamilton, sewage is not piped from individual houses as is common in USA, Canada, UK, etc. Instead, a pipe pumps the city's raw sewage to the Seabright Outfall located south of Hungry Bay, Paget. In 2008 it was discovered that sections of the pipe had been either exposed or damaged. Waste could be pumped directly into the ocean if the pipe springs a leak because no back-up plan is in place to handle the sewage in an emergency. According to a report compiled by Canadian consultant Associated Engineering in May 2008, the current system has had a number of maintenance issues. Problems with the inner section have included concrete protection erosion and complete exposure during extreme storm events. During a recent site visit, damage to the concrete embedment over the pipe in the near shore was observed. The Corporation of Hamilton continues to address damage to concrete embedment within this section of the outfall. The middle section of the outfall extends to a distance of 1,640 feet offshore and consists of a 14-inch nominal diameter HDPE pipe held in place with anchor chains. This section of the outfall traverses the inner reef and passes through an existing cave in the reef structure. During severe storm events, this section of the outfall has been exposed on several occasions. The existing outfall system has provided reliable service to the Corporation of Hamilton, but does require occasional maintenance. Problems with the inner section have included concrete protection erosion and complete exposure during extreme storm events. The middle HDPE section has also required maintenance and has cracked, requiring the use of repair clamps. The outer HDPE section has not required any known maintenance. The middle section of the outfall is considered the most vulnerable. Ocean and seabed conditions in the inner and middle sections make replacement of the pipe with a deeper buried pipe difficult. Fears have been expressed of a possible environmental catastrophe. The Corporation is now looking at drilling into the ground so that a pipe would be completely covered and protected. But that is a huge expense. In its report, Associated Engineering suggests a method known as Horizontal Directional Drilling as a possible alternative to the current system and identified a number of locations as possible "launching sites" - the current Seabright Avenue location, Ocean Avenue, Ariel Sands, Palm Grove and Devonshire Bay Park. The firm estimated that the cost of the project would be between $9.3 million and $12.6 million, depending on which site is selected.
The Bermuda Cedar is making a welcome comeback.
The Bermuda Longtail - not unique to Bermuda but a frigate bird that nests in cliffs by the sea - is a national symbol and so far as survived.
The Cahow population is slowly but steadily increasing. This native bird, found only in Bermuda, is no longer threatened with extinction. Until recently, it was thought to be extinct.
The native Bluebird population has increased, with an established, popular nest box program.
The Yellow crowned Night Heron has been successfully re introduced as a natural predator of land crabs.
Turtle conservation and research is underway and reaping benefits.
Reef fish populations have increased due to the complete ban on fish pots and the strict new fishing policy.
The Southampton Princess Hotel, Bermuda's largest, has its own sewage treatment plant. There, the effluent is treated and used to irrigate the hotel's landscaped grounds.
West Indian top shells have been reintroduced and are increasing in number, but are an endangered species.
While agricultural land, nature reserves, other open spaces and rural areas have declined in total acreage, the numbers of national parks, recreational and golf course areas and woodland reserves have been growing steadily in acreage.
Bermuda Bluebird Society at 238 0168 for assistance with questions and problems.
Bermuda National Trust at 236 6483 from 8:30 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday, for environmental concerns.
Keep Bermuda Beautiful at 295 5142 to
report any littering seen anywhere.
Last Updated: August
19, 2008
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