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Tuesday, November 18, 2025
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Briland operator: Two-year ban threatens Bahamas-US ‘conflict’ By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A BRILAND tourism operator has warned a Florida court that imposing a two-year ban on “competing” with its former partner will directly conflict with a Supreme Court Order and has no standing due to an $800,000-plus Bahamian tax debt. Julian ‘Shaq’ Gibson, operator of the Conch & Coconut tour operator, destination management and visitor “concierge” business, in legal papers filed
with the south Florida federal court argued that shutting his company down for 24 months - as demanded by his ex-US partner, Pablo Conde - would cause “irreconcilable conflict” with a Bahamian court Order issued that very same day. For Justice Simone Fitzcharles, on November 14, 2025, ordered that Mr Conde and his US-domiciled companies be barred from interfering or intervening with Mr Gibson and the latter’s Harbour Island-based operations until the full trial over the disputes created
by the “messy dissolution” of their business partnership occurs. The Order also prevents Mr Conde from filing a winding-up petition, and/or seeking to put Conch & Coconut’s Bahamian operations into liquidation, over a demand that he be paid $855,774 representing sums allegedly due under a ‘lease and buyback’ deal where Mr Gibson purportedly agreed to acquire the business and its assets from his US partner via a series of payments to be made over a ten-year period. And Mr Gibson, in his separate November 14, 2025, legal filings
with the Florida court, argued that Mr Conde has no standing or grounds to seek a two-year ban on Conch & Coconut’s Bahamian operations from competing with him because it is the ex-US partner who has breached the deal by failing to pay more than $800,000 in past due Bahamian taxes. The ‘lease and buyback’ deal commits Mr Conde to settling all outstanding VAT and Business Licence fee debts with the Department of Inland Revenue, but he previously refused to pay on the basis that the taxes demanded were “grossly inflated”
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• Conch & Coconut chief: Defer to Supreme Court • Bahamas judge bars exUS partner’s ‘interference’ • No ‘compete ban’ basis due to $800k unpaid taxes and he - and Conch & Coconut are actually owed $100,000. Mr Gibson, demanding that the dispute with Mr Conde be resolved in The Bahamas and not the south Florida federal courts, argued that the latter should not interfere with the Supreme
LEGAL - See Page B4
BCA chief: Building Code Sarkis and CCA ordered into mediation woes led to Arawak Cay ‘catastrophe’ on $1.8bn damages • Nassau hotels-owning entity to ‘participate’ • ‘Good faith attempt’ to resolve 10-year fight • Developer battles to collect from contractor By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net BAHA Mar’s contractor and Sarkis Izmirlian have been ordered to “make a good faith attempt” to resolve the latter’s bid to collect on his now-$1.8bn damages award via mediation that will also involve the entity that owns two Nassau hotels. Christine Gravelle, chief judge at the New Jersey federal bankruptcy court, in a November 13, 2025, order called on Baha Mar’s original developer, China Construction America (CCA) and its Chinese parent to resolve “all or
Sarkis Izmrlian some of the issues” stemming from the former’s successful New York claim for fraud and breach of contract over his ousting
NEGOTIATE - See Page B4
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
BUILDING Code violations and non-existent enforcement “contributed to the entirety of the catastrophe” that Arawak Cay suffered on Sunday, the Bahamian Contractors Association’s president argued yesterday, adding that regulatory agencies had “breached their duty of care”. Leonard Sands, speaking out after the early morning blaze destroyed seven Fish Fry eateries, causing an estimated $1.5m in total damage and threatening several hundred livelihoods, told Tribune Business it was “amazing” that former “shacks” had been allowed to evolve
into fully-fledged restaurants without having to meet Building Code requirements to operate the latter. Pointing out that the law mandates restaurants seating more than 20-25 guests must install water sprinkler and fire suppressor systems, he asserted that the failure to enforce these measures at the Arawak Cay Fish Fry not only aided the spread and scale of Sunday’s blaze but potentially placed the Bahamian public “at risk”. Mr Sands said the fire had again exposed the inability of government regulatory agencies to “enforce anything”, and said the blame lay with successive FNM and PLP administrations given that Arawak Cay has been
Arawak Cay Fish Fry fire in existence for more than 30 years as both a tourist attraction and destination for Bahamians and residents. Noting that Arawak Cay is continuing to expand, especially to the east, the BCA chief challenged whether any regulatory agency has taken responsibility for controlling this. He added that the inability of many Fish Fry restaurants and building owners to obtain insurance for their properties
highlighted the location’s “high risk” nature. And, citing comments by both Prime Minister Philip Davis KC and Sebas Bastian, the PLP’s Fort Charlotte general election candidate, that the fire provides an “opportunity to start with a clean slate”, Mr Sands urged the Government to work with the BCA on Building Code-compliant plans that would redevelop Arawak Cay’s western end in a sustainable way.
BLAZE - See Page B5
Environmentalists urge fines for looted barge’s grounding By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net ENVIRONMENTAL advocates yesterday called for fines and penalties to be levied against the parties responsible for the barge that grounded off Abaco as they voiced fears “there’s significant damage to the reef” on which it became stuck. Oliva Patterson, executive director of Abaco-based Friends of the Environment, told Tribune
Business it was “unfortunate” that last week’s looting of the Brooklyn Bridge had diverted attention away from the potential impact its grounding may have for the area’s reef ecosystems as well as the livelihoods of local fishermen and tour operators. Emphasising that environmental advocates do not condone the removal of goods from the barge, she added that it was vital whoever was responsible for its grounding finance
any reef restoration and clean-up necessary, asserting: “If we have legislation in place to do environmental fines we need to put it into action.” Dr Rhianna Neely-Murphy, the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection’s director, in messaged replies to this newspaper’s inquiries said that an assessment team will assess the impacted reef - located in the channel between Nunjack Cay and Ambergris Cay - today
to determine the extent of any damage. “A team is heading to Abaco tomorrow to begin the reef assessment,” she said last night. “Damage to coral reefs can incur a fine of $20,000. We will know more about the damage after the assessment is completed.” Ms Patterson said The Bahamas is “highly at risk” of suffering events such as the Brooklyn Bridge’s grounding due to its
STUCK - See Page B5
Fire-ravaged Arawak Cay owners to ‘return stronger’ By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net RESTAURANT owners whose businesses were destroyed by Sunday’s Arawak Cay fire yesterday pledged to rebuild and resume operations after suffering an estimated collective $1.5m in damages and losses. Goldie’s Conch House, which employs about 70
staff, said in a statement it will “rebuild, return and come back stronger”. The restaurant also extended sympathy to fellow business owners impacted by the fire and said updates on the restoration process will be shared in the coming days. “Goldie's has always been more than a restaurant; it's a gathering place, a family legacy and a piece of the Bahamian story. Seeing it impacted in this
way is truly heartbreaking, but we are choosing hope. We are choosing resilience. And we are choosing to move forward with determination,” said Goldie’s. “This chapter is painful, but it is not the end. We will rebuild, return and come back stronger. In the days ahead, we will share updates on our progress and ways you can support or get involved. For now, we ask for your continued
prayers as we begin the process of restoration.” Rodney Russell, president of the Arawak Cay Conch, Fish, Vegetable and Food Vendors Association, and owner of Red Snapper, which was partially lost to the fire, also revealed plans to rebuild his business. Mr Russell estimated his losses at $300,000, and damages across the strip at collectively $1.5m. He
REBUILD - See Page B2