Activists cheered the new law approved Tuesday. They had demanded more protection for sharks after a local seafood company announced last year that it planned to export shark meat and fins to Hong Kong.

The ban applies to an estimated 243,000 square miles (630,000 square kilometers) of water surrounding the archipelago. It has one of the most diverse and thriving shark populations in the world.

The government also increased shark-fishing fines from $3,000 to $5,000.

The Bahamas attracts $78 million a year in shark-related tourism

• Ideally located on West Bay Street, overlooking Nassau Harbor
• Across from popular Junkanoo Beach, with its 1,500 feet of white sand
• A short walk to Nassau’s authentic Straw Market and duty-free shopping
• Just a half mile from downtown Nassau’s business and financial centers
• Minutes from the Port of Nassau and beautiful Paradise Island
• Only ten short miles from Nassau International Airport (NAS)

Website: www.nassau-hotel.com

New Year’s Day. January 1. Public holiday. Junkanoo parade on Bay Street is a kaleidoscope of sound and spectacle.
Staniel Cay New Year’s Day Cruising Regatta. January 1. Exuma. Visiting crafts test their speed. For information, please call (242) 355-2060.
Polar Bear Swim. January 1. Nassau/Paradise Island. Featuring a beach party and the customary (snowbirds) swim in the sea amongst giant ice cubes. For information, please call (242) 322-6504.
New Year’s Sailing Regatta. January 1 & 2. Montagu Bay. About 40 locally built sloops compete, and onshore Bahamian dishes are sold. For information, please call (242) 394-0445.
Nassau Classic Car Festival. Early January. Nassau/Paradise Island. Featuring a showcase and parade of classic cars. For information, please call (242) 302-2010.
Dansa Awards. Mid January. Nassau/Paradise Island. Bahamian version of the Academy Awards, recognizing outstanding talent in theatre. For information, please call (242) 393-2437.
Supreme Court Opening. Mid January. Nassau/Paradise Island. Ceremony opening the annual session of The Bahamas Supreme Court. The internationally renowned Bahamas Police Force Band provides the music.
Bahamas Princess Resort & Casino Crystal Pro-Am Golf Tournament. Mid January. Grand Bahama Island. One of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the Caribbean, teams are composed of one professional and three amateurs going for $100,000 in cash prizes and awards. For information call (242) 352-9661.

February

The History of Transportation and Communication in the Bahamas. All February. Presented by the Archives Department. For information call (242) 393-2175.
Farmer’s Cay Festival. Early February. Exuma. Yachtsmen cruising The Exuma Islands meet, and a home-coming for the people of Farmer’s Cay. For information call (242) 355-4006.
Annual Valentine Massacre Regatta. Mid February. Nassau/Paradise Island. A full day with lots of fun activities. For information call (242) 394-0445.
George Town Cruising Regatta. Late February – Mid March. Exuma. A popular sailing regatta, attracting over 500 visiting yachts annually for a week of fun and festivities. For information call (242) 394-0445.
Spring Break Season. Late February – Early April. College and high school students celebrate in the islands. For information call (242) 322-7500 ext. 4247.

March

Bacardi Rum Cup. Mid February. Nassau/Paradise Island. Two days filled with sailing competitions and special performances by the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band. For information call (242) 322-4822.
Hope Town Heritage Day. Mid March. Abaco. A special fun day. For information call (242) 366-0033.
George Town Cruising Regatta. Late February – Mid March. Exuma. A popular sailing regatta, attracting over 500 visiting yachts annually for a week of fun and festivities. For information call (242) 394-0445.
International Dog Show and Obedience Trials. Mid March. Nassau/Paradise Island. Two-day display of canine talent and discipline. For information call (242) 393-1360.
Spring Break Season. Late February – Early April. College and high school students celebrate in the islands. For information call (242) 322-7500 ext. 4247.

April

Family Island Regatta. Late April. Locally-built sloops, representing each of the major Islands of the Bahamas, compete for the “Best In The Bahamas” title. For information call (242) 336-2430.
Bahamas Heritage Festival. Late April – Early May. Nassau/Paradise Island. This section of the Great Bahamas Seafood Festival is a cultural affair, featuring traditional music and story-telling. For information call (242) 302-2072.
Spring Break Season. Late February – Early April. College students celebrate in the islands.

May

Bahamas Heritage Festival. Late April – Early May. Nassau/Paradise Island. This section of the Great Bahamas Seafood Festival is a cultural affair, featuring traditional music and story-telling. For information call (242) 302-2072.
Long Island Sailing Regatta. Late May- Early June. Long Island. Forty to fifty locally built sailing sloops, representing each of the major Bahamian islands compete for prizes. Festive atmosphere onshore featuring entertainment by native rake & scrape bands, sporting activities and the sale of native dishes. For information please call (242) 394-1535.

June

Whit Monday. Early June. Public Holiday.
Labor Day. Early June. Public Holiday.
Long Island Sailing Regatta. Late May- Early June. Long Island. Forty to fifty locally built sailing sloops, representing each of the major Bahamian islands compete for prizes. Festive atmosphere onshore featuring entertainment by native rake & scrape bands, sporting activities and the sale of native dishes. For information please call (242) 394-1535.
Pineapple Festival. Early June. Eleuthera. A four-day celebration of the Eleuthera pineapple. Featuring a Junkanoo parade, craft displays, dancing, a pineapple recipe contest, tours of pineapple farms and more. For information please call (242) 332-2142.

July

Miss Commonwealth Beauty Pageant. Mid July. Nassau/Paradise Island. Young Bahamian beauties vie for the coveted title of Miss Commonwealth Bahamas. For information call (242) 322-4252.
Independence Day. July 10. A public holiday [The Islands Of The Bahamas]. Festivities, parades and celebrations take place. For information call (242) 322-1312.
Beer Festival. July. Exuma. During full moon in this month. Lots of fun and pizza. For information call (242) 355-4006.
Bahamas Body Building Championships. Mid July. Nassau/Paradise Island. A national event, attracting muscled body builders from all major Islands of the Bahamas. For information call (242) 325-1519.

August

Emancipation Day. August 3. A public holiday. Commemorating the emancipation of slavery in 1834.
Coca-Cola Bash. Mid August. Grand Bahama Island. A highlight of the Emancipation Holiday (a public holiday). For information call (242)352-7333.
Miss Bahamas Beauty Pageant. Mid August. Nassau/Paradise Island. Young Bahamian beauties vie for the coveted title of Miss Bahamas. For information call (242) 393-4041.

September

Bahamas Atlantis Superboat Challenge. Late September. Nassau/Paradise Island. A major international power boat race. For information call (242) 322-7500.

October

Discovery Day. October 12. Public Holiday.
North Eleutera Sailing Regatta. Mid October. Five days of sailboat racing. Festival features native dishes and entertainment. For information call (242) 394-0445.
26th Annual McClean’s Town Conch Cracking Contest. Mid October. Contest to see who can extract the most conchs from their shells in the shortest time. For information call (242) 342-8044.
International Cultural Weekend. Mid October. Festival featuring entertainment, food, art and crafts. For information call (242) 302-2076.

November

All Abaco Sailing Regatta. Early November. For information, please call (242) 394-0445.
Bahamas Wahoo Tournament. Mid November. Hosted by the Bimini Big Game Fishing Club. For information, please call (242) 347-3391.
Andros Community Awareness Week. Late November. Cultural show featuring the lifestyle and culture of Androsians with native dishes, music, Junkanoo, dance and story telling. For information, please call (242) 368-2286.

December

Authentic Bahamian Christmas Trade Show. Mid December. Nassau/Paradise Island. Assortment of high-quality and unique products by Bahamian manufacturers. For information, please call (241) 302-2063.
Police Band Christmas and Classic Concert. Mid December. The world famous Royal Bahamas Police Force Band performs traditional Christmas and classical pieces. For information, please call (242) 322-2020.
Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade. December 26. Public Holiday. National street festival. For information call (242) 394-0445.
Christmas Sailing Regatta. December 25 & 26. Montagu Bay. Locally built boats race. For information, please call (242) 394-0445.

Area: Great Abaco

Address:
Contact: Mr. David Knowles
Chief Park Warden
Bahamas National Trust
Abaco
The Bahamas
Telephone: (242) 225-4479
Email: bnt@bnt.bs

Overview

This National Park, comprising 22,500 acres in Southern Abaco near Hole In The Wall, has been designated a preservation area by the Bahamas Government and is managed by The Bahamas National Trust. Included are 5,000 acres of pine forest – the nesting area and habitat of about 1000 endangered Bahama or “Abaco” Parrots. The parrots once lived on as many as seven islands in The Bahamas, but now only exist in Abaco and Great Inagua. 
 

The forest is valuable to the parrots for several reasons: during the breeding season, parrots feed on the seeds from the pine trees, which provide a rich source of protein for developing chicks, and they nest in limestone cavities on the ground of the pine forest. They are known to be the only species of parrots throughout the islands of the Caribbean that nests in the ground.  This works against them, though, because they become vulnerable to predators like wild cats, wild boars, crabs and snakes, plus heavy rains during the nesting period can flood parrot nest holes, killing young chicks.
 
A subspecies of the Cuban Amazon parrot, the Bahama Parrot is 12-13 inches in length and its white head and mostly green body make it easily recognizable. In fact, the Bahama Parrot’s scientific name (Amazona lecocephala bahamensis) literally means, “white headed Amazon parrot from The Bahamas.” It has patches of red feathers on its cheek, throat and sometimes its abdomen; its flight feathers, usually hidden from sight when it is perched in a tree, are a beautiful cobalt blue. Another distinctive feature of the Bahama parrot: it has two toes facing forwards and two facing backwards – a configuration known as zygodactylism.
 
It is said that Columbus was so struck by their numbers when he made landfall in The Bahamas in 1492, he wrote in his log, “Flocks of parrots darken the sun.” The Bahama parrot was recognized as the official mascot of the 500th Anniversary of Columbus’ Landfall in the New World in 1992. Bahama parrots bones found on New Providence have been dated back to the Pleistocene Era, more than 50,000 years ago.
 
The Bahamas National Trust reports that there are now less than 3,000 Bahama parrots remaining in The Bahamas. These birds are protected under the Wild Bird (Protection) Act and it is illegal to harm, capture or offer these birds for sale. Stringent rules and regulations are enforced in the event that anyone tries to harm the parrots. The Convention for the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) list the Bahama parrot in Appendix I meaning that it is a species that is near extinction or very endangered.

Originally inhabited by the Lucayans, a branch of the Arawakan-speaking Taino people, The Bahamas were the site of Columbus’ first landfall in the New World in 1492. Although the Spanish never colonized The Bahamas, they shipped the native Lucayans to slavery in Hispaniola. The islands were mostly deserted from 1513 to 1648, when British colonists from Bermuda settled on the island of Eleuthera.

The Bahamas became a Crown Colony in 1718 when the British clamped down on piracy. Following the American War of Independence, thousands of pro-British loyalists and enslaved Africans moved to The Bahamas and set up a plantation economy. The slave trade was abolished in the British Empire in 1807 and many Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy were settled in The Bahamas during the 19th century. Slavery itself was abolished in 1834 and the descendants of enslaved and liberated Africans form the bulk of The Bahamas’s population today.

By the terms of GDP per capita, the Bahamas is the third richest country in the Americas (following the United States and Canada), the richest one that lies south of the Mexico – US border, as well as the richest one in the world whose population is predominantly of African origin.