Fishing ban extended for the Nassau Grouper

BYM Marine Environment News
December 17, 2011

Dr. Guy Harvey applauds decision but says more needs to be done.

A groundswell of public support generated by Guy Harvey¹s latest film The Mystery of the Grouper Moon has prompted the Marine Conservation Board of the Cayman Islands to extend a ban on fishing the Nassau grouper spawning aggregation site near Little Cayman.

The Board, this week, voted to extend the current moratorium another eight years after reviewing extensive research conducted by REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation) and Oregon State University and a public education campaign supported by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) and the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DOE). The existing ban, in place since 2003, was due to expire at the end of the year. The penalty for catching Nassau grouper in a spawning aggregation site between November and March is up to one year in prison or up to $500,000 in fines.

"The Cayman Islands are celebrating the 25 anniversary since the formation of the first marine park here, so it is fitting that such a strong conservation effort has been made by the MCB and that common sense has prevailed," said Dr. Harvey.

In filming the research work being conducted by REEF, Guy Harvey and award-winning filmmaker George Schellenger created a compelling and informative 45-minute documentary The Mystery of the Grouper Moon. The film's purpose was to document the research and make the results available in layman's language to the residents of the Cayman Islands. The documentary (for a preview go to http://www.guyharvey.com/home.php?id=5) was shot entirely in the Cayman Islands and was supported by REEF and the DOE. The GHOF also supported the education campaign with custom artwork.

 

More work, however, needs to be done, according to Dr. Harvey, an internationally celebrated marine artist and a professor of marine biology, who makes his home in the Cayman Islands.  See the whole story here.

Plastic-free Saturdays begin

Caymanian Compass
December 7, 2011

Beginning this weekend, every second Saturday of each month will be plastic bag-free days in the Cayman Islands. 

Last year, local supermarkets replaced their nondegradable plastic shopping bags with biodegradable alternatives and started charging 5 cents per shopping bags in a bid to cut down on the number of bags ending up in Cayman’s landfill. 

That first phase of the Cayman BECOME campaign brought an initial reduction of as much as 80 per cent in the number of plastic bags sold in supermarkets. Prior to that, an estimated 12 million plastic bags were being disposed of every year in Grand Cayman. 

Now the Corporate Green Team Network is embarking on the next phase to cut down on the amount of plastic finding its way to Mount Trashmore.

Starting this Saturday, 10 December, on every second Saturday of every month, supermarkets will not hand out any plastic shopping bags, in a bid to encourage shoppers to either bring their own bags from home or purchase environmentally-friendly, re-usable bags. Read the whole story here.

Eco-initiatives in the Caribbean

The Boston Globe
December 4, 2011

The new spa at Jalousie Plantation on St. Lucia was built from indigenous woods.

Hotels around the globe are making significant efforts to "go green." Though many Caribbean resorts have been slow to embrace the green movement, the majority of them have spent the last few years playing catch-up. Whether it’s relying on local farmers and fishermen for produce, creating awareness about marine ecology, using earth-friendly construction materials, or offering travelers “give-back’’ initiatives, it’s clear the islands are engaged in some impressive environmental activity. Here is a look at programs aimed at maintaining and protecting Caribbean landscapes.

Locavorism

With more conscientious chefs putting down roots, the reliance on local farms has blossomed. Eric Ripert’s Blue at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman (Seven Mile Beach, 345-943-9000, www.ritz carlton.com) carries a “fish fund’’ to patronize local fishermen and farmers, and offers 20 seats at “Lunch in the Kitchen,’’ where the chef de cuisine shares the highlights of the catch of the day. Read whole story here.

Why Republican attacks on environment laws are flawed

The Guardian
Tuesday 15 November 2011

In recent months, some in Congress have been waging a whole-scale war against the Environmental Protection Agency. By now it has reached comical dimensions, with three separate bills aimed at preventing a so-called EPA "dust rule" that has never even existed.

The spectacle would indeed be funny, if it wasn't deadly serious. Republicans in Congress and in the GOP presidential debates are seeking to defund an already cash-strapped EPA under the pretense of caring about the federal deficit and are trying to hamper the agency by arguing that its rules hurt the economy.

Quite to the contrary. We have 40 years of data to show that a cleaner environment goes hand in hand with solid economic growth. Read the whole story here.

Losing ecosystems will be costly

By: Norma Connolly | norma@cfp.ky
Caymanian Compass
15 September, 2011

Putting an economic value on the Cayman Islands’ ecosystem and its marine wildlife could be the argument that convinces the government and opponents to conservation of the importance of preserving the environment, attendees of a public meeting on marine parks heard this week.

John Turner of Bangor University’s School of Ocean Sciences, who is working with the Department of Environment on a study of the Cayman Islands’ marine parks, said a study of the value of the world’s ecosystems in 1997 showed they were worth US$33 trillion per year, almost double the whole world’s annual gross domestic product.

He said a rough calculation of the value of single stingray locally was US$600,000 per year and that coral reefs were valued at about US$6,000 per hectare per year.

He was responding to a suggestion from audience member Suzanne Bothwell, who said if people understood the economic impact of losing the local marine ecosystem, they would more fully support conservation measures. Read more...

What if the Sea Level Rose?

Hannah Reid
Caymanian Compass

Every native of Cayman Brac knows where to go when their island is threatened with rising waters. Even to this day, Brackers will retreat to the bluff during hurricanes.

But what if the sea level rose, not temporarily due to a hurricane, but permanently as a result of climate change?

While the 150 foot bluff gives Cayman Brac an average height above sea level of 56 feet, Little Cayman only has an average height above sea level of approximately nine feet and Grand Cayman is barely out of the water with an average elevation of only six feet.

According to a report released in 2010 by the National Climate Change Committee, titled The Green Paper: Towards a Climate Change Policy, even a moderate increase in sea level could have a considerable impact on these low-lying islands.

Read more...