Topic: DoE
DOE: Sea urchins in distress
The Department of Environment has renewed a call for residents to alert it if they come across dead or dying long-spined sea urchins, as reports continue to grow throughout the Caribbean of a mass die-off of the creatures.
Suspected repeat poachers held with 194 conch
Nearly four months after being arrested for poaching, three men are set to return to court facing new charges for illegally taking 194 conch and other protected species, the Department of Environment has said.
First green turtle nest of season discovered
The green sea turtle nesting season is off to an early start with the surprise discovery of the first nest last week.
Man sentenced for taking parrot hatchlings
An East End man who took two hatchling Cayman parrots from their nest, which died ten days later, has been fined $2,000 and sentenced to 200 hours of community service.
Expected increase in sargassum poses threat to nesting turtles
As the all too familiar sargassum blooms wreck havoc on local coastlines the Department of Environment is advising property owners to get permission before commencing any mechanical clearing work on the beach.
DoE: Sharks unlikely to leave Sandbar, offer ‘unique’ experience
Department of Environment deputy Director Tim Austin says sharks are likely to continue to be seen at Stingray City and Sandbar which he says adds to the unique experience at the local Wildlife Interaction Zones.
DoE warns public against disturbing turtles
The Department of Environment has issued a strong warning against disturbing local turtles after groups of people reportedly interacted with a juvenile green turtle in distress on Seven Mile Beach.
Poacher facing jail for taking 43 conch
A poacher who as caught taking more than eight times the daily limit of conch, during closed season, has been warned that he could be facing jail time.
First turtle nest found for 2022
Cayman's 2022 turtle nesting season has kicked off with an early start following the discovery of the first loggerhead nest on 1 April.
Conservation and planning boards court showdown set for June
Two government entities, the National Conservation Council and the Central Planning Authority, are set to go head to head in court in June.
EIA paused for ReGen project at George Town landfill
Work on the Environmental Impact Assessment for the multi-million dollar ReGen project at the George Town landfill is on hold, Department of Environment Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie has said.
DoE to launch new green iguana culling programme
Department of Environment officials say they are looking to implement a scaled-down and cost-effective version of its green iguana culling programme.
Tiger shark spotted in waters off South Sound
The Department of Environment has confirmed sighting of a female tiger shark, however it said contrary to reports, the shark was spotted in the deep waters off South Sound on March 2nd – and not at the Sandbar.
Green iguana culling programme may have reached its limit
The Department of Environment will have to rethink its green iguana culling initiative, after recent trends show the once successful population control programme could be losing its effectiveness.
Four arrested on suspicion of poaching in protected marine reserve
Four men are facing possible poaching charges after been arrested with illegally-taken fish and lobsters from the marine reserve near the Rum Point Channel, the Department of Environment had said.
Hammerhead shark spotted at Nassau grouper aggregation site
A rare sighting of a hammerhead shark has been made at the Nassau Grouper Spawning Aggregation Site (SPAG) by Department of Environment scientists and volunteers as they observed the annual Grouper Moon in Little Cayman waters.
DoE opposes Little Cayman beach resort development
The Department of Environment has urged Cabinet against granting permission for an overwater bungalow development in the shallow waters of South Hole Sound in Little Cayman.
CPA to hear $118.5 million Barkers redevelopment project
The Central Planning Authority will hear an application on Wednesday for a $118.5 million redevelopment project for Barkers Beach Resort.
Shark killings on the rise in Cayman waters
The number of sharks being killed in Cayman’s waters is increasing, with 27 reported killed as of 26 Aug. compared to 16 in 2019.
Dead sharks prompt warning from DoE
Two dead juvenile reef sharks, which were found on a Newlands boat dock recently, has prompted the Department of Environment to issue a reminder to the public against harming or killing sharks.
Turtle saved from poacher’s trap
The Cayman Islands Coast Guard sprang into action and rescued a juvenile hawksbill turtle on Tuesday, 10 Aug., after it became entangled in a poacher’s trap.
Land crabs feel the pinch from development
Habitat loss remains the number one threat to Cayman’s plummeting crab population.
Underwater cameras to give insight into OT marine life
A network of underwater cameras is being set up in waters off 10 British Overseas Territories around the world, including the Cayman Islands, to gather information about ocean biodiversity and maritime ecosystems.
Deadly coral disease spreads east
The Department of Environment has confirmed that stony coral tissue loss disease has spread eight miles in either direction of its original location after it was first spotted in Cayman’s waters 10 months ago.
DoE allocates funds to fight deadly coral disease
Just under $100,000 from the Department of Environment’s budget has been diverted to help combat the spread of the deadly stony coral tissue loss disease.
DoE continues fight against coral-killing disease
Nearly two dozen volunteers have signed up to help with the Department of Environment’s efforts to contain the spread of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in Cayman's reefs.
Man discovers rift in South Sound seabed
The full effects of the January’s 7.7 earthquake are still coming to light, this after a man discovered an crack on the seabed of the South Sound lagoon.
Turtle rescued after falling in pool
The Department of Environment's turtle-rescue team sprang into action over the weekend to save a green sea turtle after it got stuck in a swimming pool.
COVID gives invasive species respite from cullers
As many as 16,000 invasive green iguanas are thought to have been spared from the hooks, snares and pellets of cullers due to an unanticipated six-week suspension of the programme, brought on by COVID-19 shelter-in-place regulations, according to the Department of Environment.
Stingray City freeze to run for 6 months
The Department of Environment has suspended issuing new Stingray City/Sandbar licences.
EDITORIAL – When government despoils Cayman’s precious wetlands
To environmentalists and conservationists alike, there is no mission more sacred than protecting tropical wetlands, the incubator and habitat of many forms of life...
Department of Environment conducts genetic testing of green iguanas
The Department of Environment is compiling a library of green iguana genetics to determine whether the first documented case of hybridization with the rock iguana on the Sister Islands was a fluke or a pattern.
Volunteers save turtle hatchlings from storm
Hurricane Michael may have bypassed Grand Cayman, but it still posed a serious danger to local wildlife. A Department of Environment team responded to the crisis on Monday and Tuesday by going around the island and saving more than 500 turtle hatchlings from the high seas associated with the storm.
Large floating Styrofoam lure removed from water
The Department of Environment responded to a report of abandoned fishing gear off the coast of Grand Cayman on Friday and found a fish aggregation device arranged in the water.
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.
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.
Spat deepens between DoE and Paul Allen
Paul Allen’s company Vulcan Inc. issued a statement Saturday accusing Cayman’s Department of Environment of “delaying approving or implementing action” on a remediation plan to repair a large swath of coral allegedly damaged by the anchor of Mr. Allen’s yacht, MV/Tatoosh, in mid-January.
