Rick Crawford
I recently had the pleasure of spending a few days at Abaco Lodge in the Bahamas. The Lodge is owned by Oliver White and is located on the famed bonefish flats, the Marls. The scenery was tropical, the vibe was laid back and the bonefishing was excellent. I do believe that bonefish live in the most beautiful places, and Abaco is no exception. I was down there to perform a sustainability assessment on the Lodge, and was also able to get in some fishing.
During the process of assessing the Lodge, one of the sustainability strategies Abaco Lodge is already implementing is eliminating single-use plastics from their guiding operation. Oliver gave me a tour of the Lodge and their facilities, and I learned that living on an island has it’s own unique set of challenges. For example, while there is a waste management system in place on Abaco, there is no recycling facility, which is why Oliver and Abaco Lodge decided to do kick plastic from their guiding operation because of the negative impact plastic pollution has on fisheries around the world.
They installed a reverse osmosis (RO) water system, which allows them to extract salt water and turn it into fresh, drinkable water. The RO system also has the environmental benefit of lessening the amount of plastic water bottles Abaco Lodge would need to purchase for its guest, which would ultimately be sent to the landfill.
The Lodge also provides each guest with a reusable water bottle which is replenished daily, and there is a water cooler in the lounge area so I was able to refill my bottle anytime throughout my stay. As I would find out the next day while fishing, all of the Maverick skiffs are equipped with a reusable water bottle for each angler and a larger YETI Rambler One Gallon Jug to refill bottles as needed while fishing.
To give you a conservative rough estimate of the impact the RO system has…let’s say there on average are 14 guests per week at Abaco Lodge, and between its peak season (March 1 – June 30) and high season (October 1 – February 28) is open for 39 weeks out of the year. I think a modest estimate would be that every angler would drink 7 bottles per day, then below would be the impact:
14 guests x 7 bottles/day x 39 weeks = 26,754 plastic bottles/year
That’s a lot of plastic bottles that would otherwise be sent to a landfill, especially when you consider what happens to the landfill waste on Abaco when a hurricane rolls through and the negative impact that has on our fisheries.
I was able to get in some bonefishing and I can’t say enough about the fishery at the Marls. We saw everything from schools of 10-20 bonefish cruising to large singles tailing in the sand. The Marls is a large National Park that is about 300 square miles and is covered in mangroves and large flats making it a perfect habitat for bonefish, although there are opportunities for permit and tarpon too. The fishery appears to be quite healthy, and according to one of our guides, is getting healthier thanks to it being designated a National Park in 2015. In addition to kicking plastic, Abaco Lodge also supports the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s Bahamas Initiative and a number of other conservation initiatives.
If you are looking for the perfect place to bonefish that also aligns with your own values as a conservationist and sustainable angler, then Abaco Lodge is the place for you. You can book your trip today by clicking HERE.
Take Action
You may be reading this and asking yourself, why is it important to refuse single-use plastics? Because we are putting the world’s marine life and fisheries at risk. A more comprehensive list on plastic pollution can be found HERE.
It also happens to be Plastic Free July, so here are a couple ways to take action and protect what you love:
- 5 Things You Can Do to Refuse Single-Use Plastics
- Take the Pledge at Plastic Free July
I am psyched to be working with Abaco Lodge to improve its environmental performance, so stay tuned and be sure to follow Abaco Lodge on its sustainability journey because who doesn’t want more bonefish and less plastic!