Topic: Department of Environment
Cayman’s first protected areas approved by Conservation Council
Plans to turn part of the Barkers peninsula into a national park, protected from development, have taken a step closer after the approval of 11 pieces of land on Grand Cayman and Little Cayman as the islands’ first protected areas.
Cayman Brac iguana cull nets results
In the latest issue of the Department of Environment’s Flicker newsletter, Research Officer Jane Haakonsson’s update on the fight against green iguanas on the Brac sheds light on the growing problem the island faces from this invasive species.
Contract hunters registered for iguana cull
The Department of Environment has begun registering contract hunters for a four-month islandwide cull of green iguanas.
Help sought in hunt for eagle ray poachers
Environment enforcement officers are seeking public assistance to catch rogue fishermen believed to be responsible for killing at least two eagle rays.
Waterfront development approved by planning board
A small tourism development on the George Town waterfront has been granted “after the fact” planning approval despite objections from the National Roads Authority, the Department of Environment and a neighboring landowner.
No joke, first sea turtle nest found on April 1
The first sea turtle nest of the 2017 nesting season was found on April 1 – April Fool’s Day – setting a new record for the earliest nest ever recorded on Cayman Islands’ beaches. The Department of Environment’s turtle program coordinator Janice Blumenthal said, “When the nest was reported, we suspected an April Fool’s joke as we have never had a nest this early."
Butchered eagle ray found in East End
A fisherman made the gruesome discovery Friday of an eagle ray, with its wings sliced off, floating in the shallows off East End. Joel Jefferson said it appeared as though the ray’s wing-like pectoral fins had been cut off and the animal thrown back in the water and left to die.
Iguana cull to start in May
A cull manager will be recruited on a short-term contract to take charge of a four-month blitz on Cayman’s invasive green iguanas, starting in May. The project involves contract cullers who will be paid $2-a-head, and more casual community participants, who will be paid in raffle tickets.
Bodden Town-Rum Point road proposed through mangroves
A new road that would cut through the Central Mangrove Wetlands to link Bodden Town to Rum Point is under consideration.
EDITORIAL – ‘Lizard Lottery’: Gambling with Cayman’s image
The Department of Environment’s “dead iguana raffle” has to be one of the most bizarre, and ill-advised, schemes ever to emanate from the minds of civil servants – anywhere.
Public to cull iguanas and compete for cash
Cayman Islands residents could be asked to kill green iguanas in return for raffle tickets in a new initiative to deal with the invasive pests.The DoE had outlined plans for a $425,000 four-month culling program targeting the exploding population of green iguanas.
EIA recommended for Dart beach rock removal
An environmental impact assessment should be carried out before Dart Real Estate is allowed to move beach rock from the shallow coastal waters off Seven Mile Beach, the Department of Environment has advised.
Coral nurseries thrive in Grand Cayman waters
Coral nurseries floating in Grand Cayman’s coastal waters have performed better than expected, according to reports from dive groups.
Two arrested for suspected conch poaching
Two West Bay men were arrested on suspicion of marine offenses following a police search in the Barkers area Monday. The Joint Marine Unit was asked to help the DoE in tracking two suspected conch poachers who were spotted in a canoe in the North Side.
Cargo ship owners sue port over reef damage
The owners of a cargo ship that struck a coral reef in George Town harbor, causing significant damage to a popular snorkeling and diving site, are suing the Port Authority, alleging it was partly responsible for the accident.
Environmental summer internships open
Students who want to help protect turtle nests, survey coral reefs and find out more about and help with environmental issues on Grand Cayman may have an opportunity to do so this summer.
EDITORIAL – Why would anyone stab a nurse shark?
The recent video of a Cayman Brac scuba diving instructor removing a large kitchen knife from the head of a nurse shark has drawn thousands of views and sparked near-universal condemnation from commenters who, like us, are astonished that a human being could be so cruel to an innocent and graceful animal.
Salt Creek mangroves nominated as protected area
Public access to a small section of mangrove wetlands in West Bay is being touted as a potential solution for the successful maintenance of a natural area which is among six sites on Grand Cayman slated for consideration as protected areas under the National Conservation Law.
Lionfish culling tournament this weekend
Lionfish cullers will take to the reefs of Grand Cayman this weekend to take part in an islandwide tournament. Foster’s Food Fair has donated $20,000 to the Cayman United Lionfish League to help combat the invasive fish species.
Contest puts spotlight on conservation
Students across Cayman are being invited to take part in a contest that will have the winners take part in the release of juvenile Cayman parrots into the wild this March. The Department of Environment, the Cayman Turtle Centre will be holding its annual Cayman parrot release on March 3.
Barkers National Park plan revived
Plans to turn part of the Barkers peninsula into a national park are included in an initial list of proposals for the Cayman Islands’ first protected areas.
Turtle Centre rejects DoE, animal rights critics
As the Cayman Turtle Centre moves toward its annual January breeding pond assessment and further releases of animals into the wild, new questions have arisen about the health and safety of its programs. A Dec. 10 release of 36 green sea turtles went ahead before the DOE cleared protocols.
Rescued red-footed booby dies at Turtle Centre
Norman the red-footed booby, who was rescued on a British beach and flown by plane to Cayman, died at the Cayman Turtle Centre on Christmas Day, the Department of Environment confirmed Tuesday.
Baby turtles released on Christmas Day
Baby turtles that hatched over the Christmas holidays were released into the ocean on Christmas Day. The hatching near The Palms condo complex in West Bay is a late one, said Lucy Collyer of the Department of Environment.
Cayman’s conservation success story told in New York
A new exhibit highlighting the Grand Cayman blue iguana’s recovery from the brink of extinction has opened at the Bronx Zoo in New York.
Iguanas with taped limbs spark cruelty concerns
Reports of green iguanas with their limbs tied up with electrical tape and left to die are raising concerns in Grand Cayman. One iguana was found with its limbs tied and its mouth taped. Another was left with its arms fastened behind its back by the road side in West Bay.
Ship owner accepts liability for Eden Rock damage
The owner of the cargo ship that ran into Eden Rock reef two weeks ago has accepted liability for damage at the site, according...
Lady Hair is a plant to know
In the Department of Environment’s November/December Flicker Bulletin, the Terrestrial Resources Unit research officer Jane Haakonsson wrote about one of Cayman’s lesser known plants, found in the eastern districts which, though pretty, packs a nasty punch.
Eden Rock reef crash: DOE says Port in charge of replacing channel markers
When a cargo ship crashed into the Eden Rock reef on Friday, causing substantial damage, Cayman’s Department of Environment says it faced “considerable scrutiny and criticism” for the lack of channel markers around the reef.
Business targets green iguanas for export
A Cayman Islands business is processing iguanas for sale to local restaurants and seeking an export license to sell the food as a delicacy to clients in the United States.
Ship dropped local pilot weeks before Eden Rock crash
A cargo ship captain had decided to drop pilot services for the George Town port weeks before it crashed into Eden Rock, shearing off large sections from the top of the popular George Town reef.
EDITORIAL – Time for Cayman to get serious on animal issues
If there is any hope of tackling Cayman’s ubiquitous problems with animals, someone with power, probably in the Legislative Assembly, must take definitive command of the situation. It may not be a glamorous assignment, but it is an essential one for a problem that is getting increasingly worse.
Sea turtle revival continues, despite increase in poaching
The revival of nesting sea turtles in Grand Cayman continued in 2016, despite a reported increase in poaching incidents. Across all three islands, volunteers counted a total of 430 nests: 305 in Grand Cayman, 89 in Little Cayman and 36 in Cayman Brac. The figures represent a record total for Grand Cayman.
Department of Environment reminds public not to poach
The Department of Environment has asked the public to pay close attention to open and closed seasons for a variety of marine species in Cayman’s waters. The seasons have been put in place as a means of ensuring the long-term sustainability of Cayman’s marine resources
Dart plan to remove beach rocks faces opposition from DoE
The Department of Environment is objecting to the Dart group’s plan to remove beach rock from the shallow coastal waters off Seven Mile Beach, citing potential far-reaching long-term impacts on the natural attraction.
Conch and whelk season opens
The annual conch and whelk season, which opened on Tuesday, Nov. 1, continues until April 30, 2017, according to the Department of Environment. The department advises that only queen conch can be taken. The catch limit is either five conchs per person or 10 per boat (with two or more people), whichever is fewer.
New policy for vetting genetically modified imports
Future applications to bring alien species, including genetically modified organisms, into the Cayman Islands could face environmental impact assessments, similar to that required for major developments, under a new policy being devised by the National Conservation Council.
Injured Brac owl undergoing treatment
Things are looking up for an injured owl making a recovery at a local veterinary practice.
Cuban migrant boat remains where it ran aground in January
Twenty-five people from Cuba landed at Beach Bay on Jan. 31 aboard El Arca. The migrants were traveling to Honduras when their boat ran into trouble and landed on the beach in Bodden Town. Those men and women have all since been taken back to Cuba, but their boat remains grounded on the rocks and sand in Beach Bay.
Ten-mile highway extension faces environmental roadblock
A 10-mile highway extension providing swift access from George Town to a planned golf resort in the eastern districts will require an environmental impact assessment before it gets the green light, the National Conservation Council ruled Wednesday.
Museum makes plea for missing maritime trail signs
Cayman has lost some of its Maritime Heritage Trail signs.
The signs, painted white and bordered in cobalt blue, sport the image of a schooner...
Conch shell stalls a familiar sight in Cayman’s eastern districts
The roadside stands displaying an array of the beautiful shells of the queen conch the Cayman Islands are known for are a familiar sight to motorists passing through the eastern districts. The shells on offer are carefully cleaned and buffed to a shine, providing an attractive memento of a seaside vacation that also offers reminiscences of a time gone by.
Coral nursery on Cayman Brac yields promising results
An unusual project taking place in the waters of the Brac is producing some encouraging results. The Cayman Brac Coral Nursery is part of an initiative that the Department of Environment started in May 2015. Permits were issued to dive shops willing to participate in the project, four on Grand Cayman, one on Little Cayman, and one on Cayman Brac, and the nurseries began in early 2016.
Brac examines green iguana invasion
A meeting held on the Brac this week on the green iguana problem gave residents the opportunity to learn more about the status of the invasive reptiles on their island. The meeting on Monday, Oct. 17, at the Aston Rutty Centre was organized by the Department of Environment.
After Smith Cove ‘saved,’ is battle for Barkers next?
Just days after sealing a deal to buy part of Smith Cove, government is facing calls to purchase another piece of oceanfront real estate to protect it from a planned development. A private landowner is going before the Central Planning Authority on Wednesday.
Brac sets meeting on iguana invasion
Residents of Cayman Brac are invited to attend a community meeting on Monday evening to learn more about the invasion of their island by green iguanas. Staff from the Department of Environment, along with guest speakers Mike Vallee and Edward Houlcroft from Little Cayman’s “Green Iguana B’Gonna” efforts, will lead the discussions and give advice on how to prevent the green iguana population from exploding.
Little Cayman’s tiny snails in the spotlight
Recently, researchers from the Department of Environment found that the numbers of these rare snails once on the brink of extinction have risen significantly since researchers recorded fewer than 100 of them in the mid-1970s.
Points system devised for protected land
A detailed scoring system has been devised to assess nominations for land to be protected under the new National Conservation Law.
EDITORIAL – Cayman’s great iguana glut
Don’t blame Fred Burton. He’s a good guy bearing really bad news.
Report reveals staggering scale of iguana problem
Contract hunters would need to cull nearly 200,000 green iguanas per year at an estimated cost of more than $1 million to make an impact on the exponentially increasing population of the invasive species.
Enforcement officers fighting poaching
Environment officials are concerned about an apparent rise in poaching despite new legislation increasing the powers of conservation enforcement officers and providing new legal protection for a variety of species.
Cayman to host international fisheries conference
Up to 300 delegates from more than 80 countries are expected in the Cayman Islands for the 69th Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute Conference.
EDITORIAL – Force of ‘nature’: An activist on the public payroll
Any “environmentalist” worth his or her salt is a fierce soldier, eager to take up arms against perceived adversaries. Remember that if your battle cry is “save the environment,” it must be saved from someone — that is, other humans.
Full National Conservation Law now in force
The final sections of the National Conservation Law, including a legal requirement for threats to the environment to be considered in planning decisions, came into force Monday.
Nesting turtle rescued from poachers
A large nesting turtle was rescued after being dragged off a West Bay beach by poachers – the fifth recorded instance of suspected turtle poaching this year.
Judge explains mosquito project decision
When lawyers of opponents to the genetically modified mosquito project filed an application for a stay and judicial review on July 13 – a review that could have ended the project – Justice Ingrid Mangatal suddenly had more than 598 pages worth of evidence and documents to review.
Sunbathing turtle makes rare appearance on beach
Beachgoers got a rare treat last week when a large sea turtle dragged herself out of the ocean and on to Seven Mile Beach.
Cayman’s great green iguana hunt
In the shade of a pair of ironwood trees on a long abandoned farmer’s lot, Herman Myrie shoulders his Benjamin .22 caliber air rifle and fires into the foliage.
EDITORIAL – Iguana hunters battle Cayman’s ‘green horde’
The green iguana is rapidly becoming the most successful land-dwelling species in the history of the Cayman Islands. (Emphasis on the word “rapidly.”)
Sister Islands seabird study kicks off
A new project collecting data on the seabirds of the Sister Islands is already yielding some interesting results.
Cull to tackle Cayman’s 500,000 green iguanas
A weeklong green iguana culling trial kicked off this week in a bid to control the population, which has been estimated to have reached half a million on Grand Cayman.
Reef restoration from Carnival anchor drop nears completion
When the Carnival Magic dropped its anchor in the wrong spot on Aug. 27, 2014, it destroyed about 16,000 square feet of coral reef off the George Town waterfront. Now, almost 20 months later, the restoration work by a dedicated group of volunteers is almost complete.
Sharks to be celebrated at June 4 festival
An event to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the introduction of shark protection laws in the Cayman Islands will be held next week.
Turtle farm restarts release program
In a surprise move, the Cayman Turtle Farm released 15 green sea turtles at Barkers Beach at the weekend, marking the renewal of a program suspended since 2012 after international questions about the animals’ medical fitness.
Immigration: Cuban boat in South Sound will be moved
An abandoned Cuban boat that has been beached in South Sound since May 6 will be removed within a few days, Cayman Islands Immigration Department officials said Monday.
EDITORIAL – ‘Tip of the spear’: The Conservation Council’s conflicts
When it comes to the National Conservation Council and its potential conflicts, we feel that concerns over fishing methods and fish species may end up being just “the tip of the spear.”
Enormous recovery for green sea turtles
Green sea turtle nests have registered an enormous recovery on Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts, as well as, according to Cayman’s Department of the Environment, on local beaches.
Mangrove planting proposed to help tackle Kaibo erosion
The Department of Environment is proposing to plant mangroves in a bid to stop erosion of Kaibo Public Beach, attendees of last week’s North Side District Council meeting heard.
Fieldwork for iguana survey wraps up
Things appear to be looking up for Cayman’s wild blue iguana population.
Restoration completed of reef damaged by Paul Allen’s yacht
The Department of Environment and Paul Allen’s company Vulcan, Inc., on Friday announced the completion of a joint restoration project aimed at helping to speed the recovery of coral in West Bay damaged by Mr. Allen’s yacht in January.
