Baker’s Bay Golf & Ocean Club, Guana Cay, Abaco Island
Locals have been fighting for nearly two decades to protect this tiny island gem of Guana Cay from the ravages of massive development. From 2004 to 2009, the Save Guana Cay Reef Association fought what was at the time an unprecedented 5-year legal battle against the Baker’s Bay project, which burned entire forests and tore up extensive mangrove systems to clear the way for their resort and second home complex, while run-off from the golf course caused significant damage to one of the most extensive and pristine reef systems in the Bahamas.
The case took place before the founding of Save the Bays, however many of our directors and in particular future members of the STB legal team took leading roles in the fight, which became a major impetus for the formation of our group a few years later. Although the case was ultimately dismissed, important lessons were learned and key strategies developed which led directly to STB’s later successes in court.
Meanwhile, Save Guana Cay Reef has become a key community partner of STB, and the groups continue to work to gather to monitor and document the ongoing devastation of the once beautiful reef.