Senators passed a bill to allow park officers to hand out on-the-spot tickets yesterday.

The Bermuda National Parks Amendment Act 2009 updates the National Park Act 1986 and creates a host of new parks as well as ten new marine parks.

Introducing the bill Junior Minister Marc Bean said there were 109 parks in the Bermuda system comprising more than 1,000 acres in total.

But he said people were abusing parks through vandalism, motor bike scrambling, theft, illegal camping and squatting.

The law creates four classes of park amenity parks, marine parks, nature reserves and recreational parks.

The Opposition United Bermuda Party voiced support for the bill despite some qualms.

Senator Jeanne Atherden said Bermuda did not have a national parks plan and that parks were sometimes threatened by Special Development Orders launched by Ministers.

And she said municipal parks were not subject to the act. "In an island this small we should be able to identify all the parks and opens spaces."

She also raised concerns that various parks came under various departments but Sen. Bean pointed out that they all remained under the Environment and Sports Minister. And he said private park land could not be brought in under the act.

Independent Senator Walwyn Hughes said the act weakened control and protection of some areas such as nature reserves and he said the definition of a nature reserve should spell out what sort of activities could happen there.

UBP Senator Michael Fahy said bills were often passed beefing up enforcement powers but the enforcement never happens.

And he said Ministers needed to make sure they didn't help destroy park land.

Last March expansion work at the Bailey's Bay Cricket Club, done by the Works and Engineering, impinged on both national parkland and coastal reserve.

Native vegetation was cleared to make way for the 18 foot asphalt road, while rubble was dumped at the head of a small bay zoned as parkland.