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Lawyer for the Over Yonder Cay development Romauld Ferreira submitted an appeal to the Subdivision Development Appeal Board in March over the granting of site plan approval to the Yntegra Group for its Rosewood Exuma project on Sampson Cay, citing a substantively flawed and defective procedure for the public hearings regarding the Rosewood project.
THE NASSAU GUARDIAN - One week after the Yntegra Group broke ground on its Rosewood Exuma project on Sampson Cay, the Save Exuma Alliance (SEA) released a statement yesterday saying it will continue to campaign against what it sees as a “vastly oversized project that will destroy the Exuma cays”.
THE NASSAU GUARDIAN: On September 8, 2025, The Nassau Guardian published an opinion piece by Eric Carey, former Executive Director of the Bahamas National Trust and CEO of ONE Consultants. In this powerful article, Carey examines the proposed Yntegra–Rosewood project on Sampson Cay and lays out the stark choice facing The Bahamas: continue chasing destructive mega-developments or embrace a future built on sustainability and local resilience.
THE TRIBUNE: On September 5, 2025, The Tribune published a powerful open letter from Kim Aranha to Sampson Cay. Her words capture both the beauty of the island and the heartbreak of what’s at risk. With personal memories woven into a plea for its protection, this letter speaks directly to the soul of why Sampson Cay must be preserved.
Community leaders in Exuma are in shock after learning of plans to build a massive seawall – 390 feet long and 40 feet wide, rising four feet above the water: longer than a football field and wider than a tennis court.
THE TRIBUNE: More than 6,200 people have signed a petition calling for an immediate halt to the permitting for the proposed Yntegra Rosewood Hotel project until there is further review of the full extent of environmental impact.
THE NASSAU GUARDIAN: Keiran Miller, owner of tour company Staniel Cay Adventures, is concerned about how the Rosewood Exuma project by Miami-based investment firm Yntegra Group will put pressure on the natural environment, on infrastructure, and on community relationships.
EYEWITNESS NEWS: S.E.A. members have voiced concerns that the project could negatively affect the tourism brand of the Central Exumas, which is based on low-impact, sustainable tourism.
OUR NEWS: Not everyone is rolling out the red carpet for Yntegra Group’s Rosewood resort. The Save The Exuma Alliance, local business owners and Bahamians, have stepped up their pressure campaign to try and get the government and developers to slow down and re-think some of the plans.
The Save Exuma Alliance (S.E.A.) argues that Miami-based Yntegra Group’s resort proposal, which includes a Rosewood Exuma hotel, over 90 structures, and two megayacht marinas — risks destroying a fragile ecosystem. Plans call for dredging through a 15-acre seagrass meadow at Sampson Cay.
SEA Member David Hocher spoke to Eyewitness News about safety concerns and risks associated with introducing commercial shipping traffic to the North Bay at Sampson Cay Exuma. Noting that Yntegra’s/Rosewoods Sampson Cay Project would bring heavy, constant traffic into the pristine recreational bay to service Yntegra’s service dock.
THE TRIBUNE: On August 5, 2025, Bahamian PhD student Zoe Olivia Brown submitted a letter to the media raising urgent concerns about the proposed Rosewood–Yntegra development at Sampson Cay. Studying at the University of Oxford, Zoe’s research focuses on how small island nations like The Bahamas rely on healthy ecosystems for food security, coastal protection, and economic resilience.
A tragic accident that left two young girls dead when a barge slammed into the small sailboat they were on during a summer sailing camp in Miami has triggered fears among Bahamians, reigniting concerns over a proposed development in Exuma that would allow supply ships and barges to ply areas popular with swimmers and small boats.
A Grassroots coalition in the Exumas is calling on the Bahamian government to urgently crack down on reckless boating, citing a surge in dangerous incidents tied to the explosion of boat traffic around popular tourist attractions.
The Save Exuma Alliance (SEA) issued a sharp warning this week following a July 1 incident in which a man snorkelling just 20 feet from shore was struck by a speeding 20-foot Boston Whaler.
SKIFT MAGAZINE
A plan for a new ultra-luxury resort in the Bahamas is drawing backlash from local groups and environmentalists, who warn the development could damage vital marine ecosystems that help fight climate change.
The proposed resort, Rosewood Exuma…
THE TRIBUNE
A Bahamian ecologist is calling for greater environmental protection of marine resources in the central Exumas given their “unique and exceptional coastal environment” that aids the climate change fight.
#Alannah Vellacott spoke out…
ZNS NETWORK
One of the founders of a fast-growing alliance of Exuma businesses, island operators and residents is calling for a commitment to environmental stewardship in the Central Exuma cays, questioning whether the proposed Yntegra Rosewood project was a right fit for Big Sampson Cay…
THE TRIBUNE
…As Bahamians, we are relying on the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, and on your leadership, to protect the fragile ecosystem surrounding Sampson Cay and the North Cut from irreversible harm.
The Environmental Impact Assessment submitted by the developers remains deficient…
THE TRIBUNE
THE government’s environmental agency is still reviewing a controversial proposal for a $200m ultra-luxury resort in Exuma, which has stirred opposition from some residents and a nearby development.
#The Rosewood Exuma Resort, proposed by the little-known Yntegra Group for development on Big Sampson Cay,
THE TRIBUNE
An Exuma resort developer and its advisers yesterday denied any involvement with videos that the Deputy Prime Minister asserted have defamed him and plan to file police complaints themselves.
Bob Coughlin, the Turtlegrass Resort & Island Club developer, in a statement said he had no participation in, or connection, to the videos despite Chester Cooper, minister of tourism, investments and aviation, naming him as the person responsible for their creation and release.
THE GUARDIAN
A coalition has been formed to oppose the development of a Rosewood resort on Sampson Cay, according to a press statement on the group.
That group, calling themselves SEA (Save Exuma Alliance), say they want to be assured by the relevant government authorities that safety and environmental issues will be dealt with before a resort is allowed to be built on the island.
ZNS NETWORK
More than 1,180 individuals have signed a petition calling on the Bahamas government to halt all certificates and permits for the construction of a Rosewood hotel and residential development announced for Big Sampson Cay, Exuma, until “key deficiencies” could be addressed, citing irrevocable impacts on seagrass meadows and other environmental concerns.
The Nassau Guardian
Developer of Turtlegrass Resort and Island Club Bob Coughlin told Guardian Business that he will further delay the development of his resort until he receives confirmation on whether or not Yntegra’s Rosewood project will be allowed to move barges back and forth through the north bay between Sampson Cay and Over Yonder Cay.
The Nassau Guardian
Turtlegrass Resort and Island Club’s environmental consultant Eric Carey launched a petition asking Bahamian environmentalists and concerned citizens to urge the government to protect the marine ecosystem of Sampson Cay in the Exumas, by not allowing investment firm Yntegra to dredge on the island where turtlegrass, baby conch and turtles thrive, according to a press statement on the petition.
The Tribune
HUNGRY for jobs and community development, Exuma residents at a town hall meeting Tuesday night brushed aside a wealthy developer’s environmental complaints concerning a nearby project but questioned why the Davis administration wasn’t getting more involved in resolving the dispute.
BahamasLocal.com
Recently Launched Petition Urges Government to Halt Massive Dredging in Big Sampson Cay, Exuma, Preventing Irreversible Damage.