Signs warning people not to litter or face a fine or imprisonment will be erected all over the Cayman Islands in a bid to tackle the ongoing rubbish problem.
MP Heather Bodden, parliamentary secretary for Minister of Tourism and Ports Kenneth Bryan, announced the initiative on Thursday evening, 21 April.
The national anti-littering signage campaign is part of the efforts of the 2022 Cabinet-appointed Cayman Islands Beautification Task Force, made up of members from all districts.
The first phase of the project will include installation of signs at the various ports of entry to ensure visitors know the rules surrounding littering, Bodden said.
They will be placed at Owen Roberts International Airport in Grand Cayman and Charles Kirkconnell International Airport in Cayman Brac, at the general aviation building at Owen Roberts and the islands’ sea ports.
Notices will also be placed on existing beach access sign posts “to remind everyone using our beaches that littering is a crime”, the parliamentary secretary said.
Under phase two of the project, anti-littering signs will be placed in every district along frequently used roadways and in areas with known illegal dumping sites.
The task force is consulting with the National Roads Authority, the Public Lands Commission and the Department of Environmental Health to ensure it is placing signs in areas of visibility and need.
Less litter-aware
Bodden was speaking during the mid-term constituency meeting organised by Bryan, who is the George Town Central MP.
She said Cayman residents are becoming less litter-aware, adding, “There’s been a shift in culture from where we all used to pitch in to help keep Cayman clean.”
She urged the public to put their rubbish out in proper garbage bags, and to keep their homes and gardens clean.
“When I was growing up, having unsightly garbage on or around your property was a sure way to get your name carried down on the original Marl Road,” she said.
Under the Cayman Islands Litter Act people who dump litter in a public place commit an offence and are liable upon conviction to a fine of $500 or imprisonment for six months.
The Ministry of Tourism and Ports has submitted a Cabinet paper developed by the task force recommending an amendment to increase the fine from $500 to $1,000.
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A few years my wife and I were in Tokyo, Japan.
The streets were spotless but there were no litter bins to be seen.
How was this possible?
I was told that Japanese children are taught from kindergarten upwards to be good civic citizens, to never litter and take their trash home with them.
No beer bottles thrown out of car windows to shatter on the bike path or sidewalk.