Today, it may seem like a long time ago, but the 2019 Hurricane Dorian was one of the most intense storms to hit the Bahamas, devastating much of the Bahamas, its communities, and habitats. Several years later, Harrison Buck of Pandion Creative, wanted to tell the story of rebuilding through Bahamian guide, MEKO. The film is slated for release in the coming months, but continue reading to hear from Harrison about Meko, the Bahamas, habitat restoration efforts, and more!
Flylords: Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas’s infrastructure but also so much of the natural habitats and ecosystems. Can you just try and describe the level of destruction to the island community and the struggles Meko went through?
Harrison: It’s hard to overstate the level of destruction and the scale. There are a few factors at play. First you have the wind. The storm had sustained winds at 220mph, while the storm itself crept at 1 mph. Few homes had roofs, trees were trusting and snapping. I think an important thing to remember when looking a the destruction of hurricane dorian is that this island, the flora, fauna and the people are all very used to huge storms. They happen every year. That is what makes this storm so scary–just how badly it affected everything. So, the second factor contributing to the level of destruction from Dorian is the water. Grand Bahama sits at sea level. They have normal tides, spring and neap tides and king tides. King tides are when the moon align with winds and tide to create a supremely high tide. It was the fact that this behemoth of a storm rolled in on a king tide. The water was well over the tops of people houses, or lifting them off of the foundation. The flooding damaged every single story floor of every building on the island. The local animal rescue center was where every person sent their pets, that building was one story and flooded them all. The medical record building, everyone’s homes all totally flooded. The other wild impact of the water, aside from the horrible drowning and flooding, contaminating water supply, subsequent malaria outbreak, massive oil spill, 12 months without electricity, etc was the impact on the local ecology. Mangroves live in salt water and are fully accustomed to being submerged, but not for 3 days. That drowns a mangrove, and the high water killed them all. Mangroves are critical to the biodiversity as well as the physical integrity of the islands themselves. The high water and wind not only killed all the mangroves but rearranged the rivers, tide pools, channels everything. So, the generational knowledge of the channels and fishing areas is no longer relevant, forcing the guides to completely relearn the area they knew by heart.
Flylords: Rightfully, much of the news coverage of Hurricane Dorian focused on the human destruction that you discussed. However, the ecological toll was immense, too. How have the Bahama’s habitats changed and their fisheries impacted?
Harrison: The part that I didn’t discuss above is that the fish left! It’s only until very recently that we have seen larger double digit fish or larger schools. Much like the guides, the fish all have to re-learn these areas and how they move around them. Still, you don’t really see any birds, which is a trip. They all left and are slower to come back.
Flylords: What is going on to jumpstart the ecological restoration process?
Harrison: Mangroves. Groups like Bonefish and Tarpon Trust are planting a bunch but they are also retaking hold naturally. We believe the health of the mangroves dictates and narrates the health of the fishery. As they come back, there is a home for the animals and places to hide, eat, and spawn. Structurally they are critical to stabilizing the sands and allowing other plants to take root and keep the shoreline from eroding.
Flylords: What can be done to increase the resilience of these island communities?
Harrison: Their entire economies rely on tourism.The island communities that are healthiest have the most money staying in the hands of Bahamians. If a guide works for a foreign owned outfit, that is one paycheck. If a Bahamian owns the operation the way Meko does, thats a paycheck for his business manager (Wife Samantha), Chefs (mother and aunt) second guide (father) cleaners (cousins). See what im saying? It is directly supporting the entire community.
Flylords: Ok, while hurricanes are not a new thing….climate change is definitely part of all of this. Storms are becoming more violent, sea levels are rising, coastlines are eroding, ocean chemistry is changing, and fisheries are showing rapid signs of change. In your discussions with Meko and other Bahamians and through your own observations, how else is climate change affecting these island communities?
Harrison: It’s every one of those things, and having just got back from the Bahamian Fly Fishing Industry Association Homecoming last week in Nassau, I can tell you all of those symptoms of climate change are happening across the entire nation, all 700 islands in the Bahamas. If the water chemistry changes, the fish change the habits and the guide industry hurts in numbers and understanding. Fish behavior changing from chemical shift in the water is a huge deal. Chemicals in the water are directly changing fish behavior at scale. When the water temps are higher the fish act differently, and the storms are worse. When the mangroves are destroyed there is no biodiversity, protection, or stability so they leave, which hurts everyone.
View this post on Instagram
Flylords: Ok, some Meko questions: how did you decide to make the film and tell Meko’s story?
Harrison: I Met Meko on a fishing trip in 2012. We hit it off, and I knew I wanted to do more with him. I made a film in 2014 called the Tightest Line that was about 5 different fly guides all over the continent, and Meko was one of the guides from the piece. I knew after that he had much more to the story, so in 2017 we started production on this. We have been through a ton on our own and together over the last 7 years. I am honored to call him a friend and partner in this. I love working with him and getting to be close with him his family and community is truly special for me.
Flylords: How can folks watch Meko? Also, how can they help support mangrove restoration for the Bahamas?
Harrison: We are working on selling the film to get distribution right now and should have some updates on where you can see it very soon. As far as Mangrove Restoration, you can check out the Bonefish And Tarpon Trust, they are the ones putting the mangroves back in the ground one at a time by hand. We calculated our carbon footprint from production and offset all our carbon by having BTT plant 400+ mangroves in the East End of Grand Bahama.
Bonefish & Tarpon Trust Begins Large-Scale Mangrove Restoration Project In The Bahamas
https://flylordsmag.com/keep-fish-wet-bonefish-in-our-hands-initiative/
Last Updated on December 30, 2024 by Zane Jeka
