Environmental concerns running high

Cayman News Service
April 20, 2013

Concerns are running high about Cayman’s environment and its lack of protection according to a survey recently conducted by the National Trust among its membership. Of the 155 respondents surveyed in March, 99% said they felt it is important to preserve the history and environment of the Cayman Islands, while only a meager 3% of respondents said they felt that Cayman’s environment is adequately protected by current legislation. 97% of respondents said they believe the Cayman Islands needs more legislation to protect its environment, and 86% said they believe the Cayman Islands needs a law to protect places of historic importance.

“This survey confirms a substantial level of concern about the state of environmental and historic protection here in the Cayman Islands,” said National Trust Executive Director, Christina McTaggart.

McTaggart noted that 88% of respondents stated it was “very important” that the next Government enacts legislation protecting the history and environment of the Cayman Islands, and a further 11% felt that it was “important”.  Read whole story here.

Poor grade for environment protection

Cayman 27
11 April 2013

The Cayman Islands have received a poor grade for the protection of the environment. A report from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds says it’s because the islands do not have a National Conservation Law in place.

The Society gave Cayman a weak ranking among all British Overseas Territories for species protection, site protection, development control and accountability.

Minister of Environment Mark Scotland says his government hasn’t passed the law as its draft form still does not have general approval. Meanwhile, the Department of Environment says it is not surprised by the low ranking and the head of the DOE Gina Ebanks-Petrie is calling for urgent passage of the National Conservation Law.

Although the law has not been passed, the DOE says sea life is well protected under the recently amended marine conservation law.

Value of Mastic Trail assessed

Caymanian Compass

December 27, 2012

A visiting scientist from the United Kingdom has been evaluating the value of the Mastic Trail in Grand Cayman to determine exactly how much it means to the Cayman Islands.

Research scientist Michael MacDonald from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds spent three weeks in Grand Cayman in December assisting the National Trust for the Cayman Islands examine the Mastic Trail and its surrounding forest to see how valuable it is in terms of its carbon storage, water lens and tourism. 

“The idea behind what we are trying to do is look at conservation sites, for example, the Mastic Forest, to try to look at other things they provide in addition to conserving biodiversity – birds and plants,” Mr. MacDonald said. “The idea is to demonstrate the other things it provides, which we call ecosystem services.”  Read the whole story here.

OT director says CI needs environmental protection

Cayman News Service

November 30, 2012

 

The UK’s new overseas territories director has pointed to the environment as a crucial Caymanian asset that needs to be protected. Speaking during a brief press conference during a short visit to the Cayman Islands on Thursday, Dr Peter Hayes said that the protection of the environment in the territories is a major part of the new Whitepaper outlining the future relationship between Britain and its former colonies. He said that there would be help available to the OTs in this regard and he wanted to see the legislature also take action to protect the islands’ natural resources. He indicated that the UK saw the natural environment as the driving force in the success of the tourism product, so it had to be protected in order to protect the countries' revenue. 

Asked what he believed Cayman should be doing to improve its financial situation, the environment was the first thing the senior FCO technocrat pointed to.  Read the whole story here.

 

Experts advise giving ‘Stinky’ space

Caymanian Compass
October 8, 2012

Marine mammal specialists are backing the Cayman Islands Department of Environment’s message to the public to avoid interacting in the water with the lone male dolphin that has made his 
home in local waters.

Three experts from the United States, who visited Grand Cayman last week to observe the dolphin, nicknamed Stinky, say that it’s important that people resist the temptation to get in the water and swim, touch or feed the animal.

Their advice for divers who encounter the dolphin is to avoid interacting with him if possible. Read the whole story here.

Sandbar stingray population in decline

Caymanian Compass

July 23, 2012

Scientists have confirmed local anecdotal reports that the number of stingrays at the Sandbar are decreasing.

Brad Wetherbee from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Rhode Island, working in conjunction with the Guy Harvey Institute and the Cayman Islands Department of Environment, has been carrying out censuses on the local stingray population since 2002. In his last check in 2008, he found more than 100 stingrays at the Sandbar at any given time, but on his most recent trip this year, he counted or tagged just 61.

The numbers he found during similar censuses in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2008 showed consistent results, but when he returned to Grand Cayman in January this year, he was able to confirm that the reports of declining numbers 
were correct.

“In January this year, we went out ... to catch them and tag them. In previous years, we easily caught 100. This January, we caught 61,” said Mr. Wetherbee. This month, when he carried out another census, he found 57, he said. Read the whole story here.