Gillam Bay is one of the last remaining undeveloped coastal ecosystems on Green Turtle Cay, Abaco.

For generations, it has protected our shoreline, supported wildlife, sustained local fisheries, and offered residents and visitors an unspoiled place to experience the natural beauty of The Bahamas. Today, that irreplaceable landscape is at risk.

It is not only a place of extraordinary natural beauty but also one of significant ecological importance. Here you'll find thriving mangrove forests, natural wetlands, bonefish habitats, marine life, migratory birds, and a rich diversity of native plants and animals that depend on this fragile environment. It's also a rare place of calm and solitude for locals and tourists alike—a shining example of truly undisturbed natural beauty.

Today, families walk Gillam Bay’s shoreline from sunrise to sunset. Children play in the shallow, crystal-clear waters while visitors come to experience one of the few remaining undeveloped beaches in Abaco. Gillam Bay Beach is a clear example of why Green Turtle Cay is unlike anywhere else. Once this character is altered, it cannot be restored.

 

 

Gillam Bay is a critical nesting site for an astonishing variety of migratory birds. It is also a prime nursery for juvenile fish and conch—marine life that depends on this unspoiled area to successfully populate our waters and provide essential food and an income source for our local community. It is also a documented wintering habitat for plovers, which are protected under the Wild Birds (Protection) Act in The Bahamas; similar coastal wintering sites elsewhere in Abaco have been designated as national parks or reserves in recognition of their ecological importance, underscoring the significance of this type of habitat. 

Beyond supporting wildlife and offering indescribable beauty, Gillam Bay serves as a natural buffer against storms and erosion and represents an irreplaceable part of our island's identity. As part of the natural heritage of The Bahamas, it is valued not only by those who call Green Turtle Cay home, but by Bahamians across our nation and visitors from around the world who have come to appreciate its unspoiled beauty. Protecting Gillam Bay means preserving a legacy for future generations.

A proposed large-scale development threatens to permanently alter this sensitive environment—and, with it, one of the beauty spots that draws tourists here in the first place. Many Local Bahamian citizens, longtime visitors and second-home owners have expressed that this development would fundamentally change the character of Green Turtle Cay and could influence whether they return in the future.

 

Plans for this development were first signalled in 2022, when a road bringing water and electricity was extended to the developer's existing business on No Name Cay. Since then, the scope has grown considerably: The broader Green Turtle Cay community first learned the full scope of the proposal during a town meeting held on 16 July 2026. The proposed development is a single-story clubhouse with a restaurant and bar, 9 villas, an administrative office and a ‘back-up house facility’. This is to be developed on approximately three acres of Crown land, which the developer has been granted permission to build on 40%. Community members have raised questions regarding the process through which development rights for the site were granted and have requested greater transparency surrounding those decisions.

A recording of that town meeting can be watched here: Watch town meeting here! link

The sequence of events raises important questions about compliance with the established approval process and should concern anyone who values transparency, accountability, and the rule of law, regardless of their position on the development itself. And if procedural deficiencies are identified after irreversible work has commenced, the consequences may be significant for the community, the developer, the environment, and public confidence in the regulatory process.

 

 

According to the project’s own development plans, portions of the proposed site are located on sand accretion—the natural accumulation of sand through coastal processes. These dynamic coastal landforms naturally shift over time, particularly during hurricanes, storm surge events, and periods of coastal erosion. This raises important questions about the development’s long-term stability, its resilience to storms and sea-level rise, and its potential impact on the surrounding coastline. Given these characteristics, the site warrants careful scientific evaluation and transparent public review before any irreversible development proceeds.

The project’s Certificate of Environmental Clearance does exist and was displayed to attendees during the 16 July 2026 town meeting, as seen in the meeting recording. However, despite repeated requests from members of the community, the certificate and any supporting environmental documentation have not been made publicly available online. Under the Environmental Planning and Protection Act, 2019, approved environmental assessments are required to be published by the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection. Residents should not have to rely on a brief in-person viewing at a town meeting to understand what has been approved for a development in their own community.

We recognize the importance of investment and economic opportunity in The Bahamas. But development should never come at the expense of transparency, local consideration, and our environment. Sustainable development requires that environmental protection, community interests, and economic growth exist together—not that one be sacrificed for another.

Many local Bahamian citizens, residents, and stakeholders alike have serious, justifiable concerns about whether every statutory requirement, environmental review, and public consultation has been properly completed before this project proceeds. These questions deserve clear, transparent answers, and decisions of this significance should be made only after all legal processes have been fully satisfied.

We respectfully call upon the Government of The Bahamas and all relevant authorities to:

-Ensure the current construction pause by local government remains in place until all local permits and compliance requirements have been fully satisfied and while any legal review is underway. Should the local council not have the legal authority to do so directly, we kindly ask that it support and advocate for such a pause with the appropriate government agencies.

-Ensure full legal and regulatory compliance at every level of government before any further work proceeds.
Publish the Certificate of Environmental Clearance and all supporting environmental studies and technical documentation for public review without further delay.

-Commission an independent review of the environmental assessment and approval process to ensure all statutory requirements were properly satisfied.

-Consult independent environmental scientists and relevant conservation organizations to evaluate potential impacts on wetlands, mangroves, groundwater, marine habitats, fisheries, wildlife, and coastal resilience.

-Consider the cumulative environmental impacts of this and future developments—not merely the footprint of this single project.

-Give meaningful time and weight to the concerns and local knowledge of the people of Green Turtle Cay and the wider Bahamian public, including the precedent set by the existing seawall failure at the entrance to Gillam Bay.

-Require enforceable commitments from the developer to minimize environmental disturbance, protect sensitive habitats, and preserve public beach access in accordance with Bahamian law.

This petition is led by a collective of Bahamian citizens who believe Gillam Bay is a national treasure worthy of protection. It reflects the voices of Bahamians who care deeply about preserving our country's natural heritage, and who want decisions affecting our islands for generations to come to be made with transparency, accountability, and respect for the law.

We welcome the support of everyone who values Green Turtle Cay—including members of the Bahamian diaspora, second-home owners, visitors, and friends of The Bahamas. Your support shows that Gillam Bay is appreciated far beyond our shores. But first and foremost, this petition is a call from Bahamian citizens asking their government to safeguard an irreplaceable part of our nation's natural heritage. If you can sign and comment as a Bahamian citizen we would greatly appreciate you raising up your voice!

Once an irreplaceable coastal ecosystem is destroyed, it cannot simply be rebuilt. The decisions made today will shape Green Turtle Cay for generations to come.

Although we support development throughout The Bahamas , we DO NOT support development OF ANY KIND in this incredibly environmentally sensitive area.

Please sign this petition and help protect one of Green Turtle Cay’s last truly wild places before it is too late !

!! Please be advised !! Any money collected from change.org does not go to the Save Gillam Bay collective, it goes to change.org. Please do not donate if you meant to give money to us as it only goes to change.org for their website work.