Topic: National Conservation Council
Conservation Council votes to approve more speargun fishing licences
New and renewed speargun licences could be issued once again following a vote by the National Conservation Council recommending that licences can be granted to current or previous licence-holders.
Cat cull can continue as legal challenge unfolds
Cayman’s controversial feral cat culling programme is not subject to any court-ordered halt and can continue as a legal challenge proceeds.
Public backs plan for Cayman’s first-ever national park
Hemmington Forest on Cayman Brac is set to become the Cayman Islands’ first formally designated national park, following public consultation. However, the plan must still move through government channels before it can be implemented.
Little Cayman could gain UNESCO World Heritage status by 2030
The Department of Environment has said it is revisiting and advancing efforts to secure UNESCO World Heritage status for Little Cayman.
Cayman conservationists respond to cat cull controversy
The NCC has pushed back against criticism from animal welfare advocates over cat culling aimed at protecting endangered species on the Sister Islands.
High-powered air rifles used in Little Cayman feral cat cull
More than 250 feral cats in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman have been culled since the official culling programme began on the Sister Islands, according to official figures, with a new tactic being the use of high-powered air rifles to euthanise cats in Little Cayman.
Brac’s Hemmington Forest could become Cayman’s first national park
The 194-acre Hemmington Forest on Cayman Brac could become the Cayman Islands' first official national park.
Government bodies still disagree on East-West Arterial project
The Ministry of Planning and the National Roads Authority are standing by government’s decision to extend the East–West Arterial along Route B3, rejecting calls from the National Conservation Council to reconsider in favour of Route B2.
Ebanks-Wilks planning to take East-West Arterial issue to caucus
Minister for Environment Katherine Ebanks-Wilks says she plans to raise concerns about the East-West Arterial extension with government caucus, following a letter from the National Conservation Council urging Cabinet to reconsider the road’s controversial route.
National Conservation Council adopts new control procedures for feral cats
The National Conservation Council has approved updated procedures for managing feral cats in environmentally sensitive areas of Grand Cayman.
Conservation council to consider $15M West Bay apartment plan
A planning application for a $15 million, three-building apartment complex in West Bay has been referred to the National Conservation Council for consideration.
West Bay rugby grounds plan referred to conservation council
The Central Planning Authority has referred an application for an $8 million rugby complex in West Bay to the National Conservation Council.
Conservation case dropped as compromise council announced
The court battle between government and ousted members of the National Conservation Council came to an abrupt end Thursday after a truce was negotiated.
Judge orders temporary ban on conservation council decisions
Justice Marlene Carter has ruled that the National Conservation Council cannot make any decisions until a court hearing next month to determine if a judicial review should go ahead into the legality of Cabinet appointing former politicians as council members.
Judge considers injunction to block new conservation council from meeting
Grand Court Judge Marlene Carter will deliver a ruling Tuesday morning on whether the National Conservation Council can meet in advance of a court judgment on a Cabinet decision to change the council membership.
Ousted NCC members threaten legal action
Ousted members of Cayman's top environmental body on Monday said they would fight their removal in the courts if needed.
Conservation council shake-up sparks concern amid calls for ‘balance’
Several former legislators are among the surprise inclusions in a totally revamped National Conservation Council after the minority government axed half of the existing members.
Court quashes permission for road through blue iguana territory
After-the-fact planning permission for a private road that cuts through blue iguana habitat in Grand Cayman’ has been quashed in another court victory for conservation officials.
Controversial changes to National Conservation Act withdrawn ahead of debate
Controversial changes to the National Conservation Act were dramatically ditched at the last minute today as MPs voted to withdraw the National Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
Court reserves judgment in blue iguana sanctuary case
Two government bodies faced off in court on Wednesday in a long-running row over a road that crossed through habitat for Cayman's endangered blue iguanas.
Road to ruin? Landowners claim conservation directive devalues their rights
A lightning bolt shaped stretch of road dissecting private property sandwiched between the green swathe of two blue iguana reserves is at the centre of a new dispute between landowners and wildlife guardians.
Road through blue iguana habitat ignites civil war over planning approvals
A landowner who built a 2-mile-long road through “critical blue iguana habitat” has sparked a new court battle between planning and conservation officials.
Sage advice sought on endangered herb unique to Grand Cayman
Seventeen years ago, an offer of a $1,000 reward – complete with a 'wanted' poster – was made to anyone who located a pretty blue flowering herb, known locally as Cayman sage, which was thought to be extinct.
Lack of final ReGen deal delaying environmental management plan
While the ReGen solid waste project at the George Town landfill remains in limbo, an environmental management plan for the facility cannot be finalised, the National Conservation Council has heard.
National Trust joins development debate, supports Conservation Act
The National Trust thrown its support behind the National Conservation Act as it weighed in on the debate of development versus environment saying that "it is difficult, if not impossible" to see how the legislation was seriously impeding development.
Changes planned but premier insists conservation law won’t be ‘gutted’
Government is planning changes to the National Conservation Act in order to provide a new balance between protecting the environment and considering people, Premier Juliana O'Connor-Connolly said Friday.
Overdue report holds up East-West Arterial progress
A hydraulics and hydrology report, needed to finalise the exact route of Grand Cayman’s 10-mile East-West Arterial extension, has been close to completion for nearly a year.
Plan approved to protect Cayman’s endangered nesting seabirds
The National Conservation Council has given its full support to a draft plan to protect six species of native nesting seabirds across the Cayman Islands.
Planning board calls conservation-related approval process a ‘circus’
An application to build a new hotel building by Morritt's in East End has highlighted ongoing issues with implementing requirements by the Central Planning Authority in relation to applications concerning developments that are likely to impact protected environmental areas.
Year in review: 10-storey blocks to transform Cayman’s skyline
A receding beach and a growing skyline appear to be part of an inevitable future for Grand Cayman after a slew of 10-storey development proposals were presented in 2023.
Environment department defends conservation council after criticism
The Department of Environment has refuted claims that the National Conservation Council’s oversight on planning proposals is stunting Cayman’s development industry.
Government raids Environmental Protection Fund to help pay salaries
A $50 million fighting fund - previously ring-fenced to buy land for conservation purposes - has been diverted to help government balance its budget.
MPs propose review of National Conservation Council’s oversight
A conversation on planning applications this week saw MPs strongly suggest that the National Conservation Council’s powers in the process are excessive.
Brac conservation group secures support for stamp duty waiver
The National Conservation Council has offered its backing to a Cayman Brac non-profit seeking a stamp duty waiver on the purchase of land for preservation and public use.
Licence rule change allows residents to use two fish pots
People who have a fish pot licence can now use two traps thanks to an approved revision to the licensing rules – but they both have to be officially tagged.
Judges reject Boggy Sand seawall appeal to Privy Council
Questioning the necessity to continue a costly legal battle between two government bodies, the Court of Appeal has turned down a Central Planning Authority application to appeal to the UK's Privy Council over the court's quashing of planning permission to replace a West Bay seawall and cabana.
10-storey Aqua Bay plan heads to Conservation Council
A proposal to demolish the 35-year-old Aqua Bay Club on Seven Mile Beach and build a 10-storey apartment block has been sent to the National Conservation Council for review.
Boggy Sand Road seawall case to go to UK Privy Council
The Central Planning Authority intends to take the matter of the Boggy Sand Road seawall to the Privy Council, the UK's highest legal court, after Cayman's Court of Appeal quashed the authority's earlier approval of the demolition and replacement of the controversial wall.
Exotic-pet owners urged to register animals
The Department of Environment is calling on exotic pets owners in the Cayman Islands to register their animals immediately as the deadline for permits draws near.
Boggy Sands cabana application heads back to planning board after Court of Appeal ruling
The National Conservation Council has the "final word" on planning applications that are likely to have adverse effects on marine parks or other environmentally protected areas, the Court of Appeal confirmed in a judgment handed down Friday.
Environment chief: Little Cayman’s airport a development ‘control valve’
The size of Little Cayman's Edward Bodden Airfield plays a vital role in restricting new construction on the island, in the absence of a development plan for the island, Cayman's' director of the Department of Environment has said.
Conservation council: Brac quarry damaging historic trail
A quarry in Cayman Brac, where quarrying work is taking place without planning permission, is damaging a boardwalk along the historic Salt Water Pond public trail, that was used in the 1932 hurricane to get people to safety, the National Conservation Council heard this week.
Department of Agriculture to open cat pounds
Plans are afoot to open pounds for feral or stray cats at the Department of Agriculture facilities on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac.
Conservation council to discuss airport plans
The newly repopulated National Conservation Council will discuss airport-redevelopment projects at its first public meeting in eight months on Wednesday, 23 Aug.
Cabinet appoints National Conservation Council members after months of delay
Cabinet has appointed nine members to the National Conservation Council, after months of the environmental watchdog being inactive because of delays in appointing members whose two-year terms of office had run out.
Conservation Council chair McFarlane Conolly dies in snorkeling incident
The Cayman community is mourning the loss of National Conservation Council chairman and Older Persons Council member McFarlene Conolly who passed away on Monday.
Little progress on inactive National Conservation Council
The National Conservation Council is still inactive months after its 13 members' two-year terms expired earlier this year.
Legislators question legality of road EIA under ‘defunct’ conservation council
Members of Parliament have questioned the legality of an environmental impact assessment on the East-West Arterial extension which was ordered by the National Conservation Council, now that the council is not operating because several of its members' terms have expired.
Landmark Court of Appeal judgment pending
A Court of Appeal case that saw two government entities pitted against each other has concluded, and the judges will publish their decision following deliberations.
Court of Appeal hears landmark Boggy Sand seawall case
Court of Appeal judges are hearing arguments from lawyers this week on whether the Central Planning Authority was right to grant planning permission to a developer to rebuild a sea wall and a cabana on Boggy Sand Road, next to a protected marine area in West Bay, after the National Conservation Council directed the planning body to turn down the application.
National Trust: Conservation council being ‘effectively disbanded’
Cabinet must appoint new members to the National Conservation Council in order to protect Cayman’s environment, the National Trust has urged.
Controversial cat-control law suspended by court
A Grand Court judge has issued a temporary stay on government regulations banning the feeding of stray animals and their release back into the wild after spaying and neutering.
Up to $500,000 fine, 4 years in jail for feeding feral chickens, cats
New regulations that ban the feeding of feral chickens and cats from Friday, 3 Feb., carry a maximum penalty of $500,000 fine and/or four years in prison for people who repeatedly feed them.
Feral cat cull ordered on Brac Bluff after ‘grim’ decline in brown booby birds
A cull of feral cats on the Cayman Brac Bluff is set to begin in response to declining brown booby numbers, as the birds' eggs are targeted by cats and rodents, the Department of Environment has announced.
Stronger controls of invasive species introduced
New regulations to control alien and invasive species and protect native and endemic plants and animals have come into effect under the National Conservation Act.
Cayman seeks to increase protected land areas
The 11.3% of Cayman's landmass designated as Terrestrial Protected Areas falls significantly short of an international target of 30% by 2030, but if a recent round of nominations for newly protected land leads to further protections, the islands will move nearer to that goal.
Court decision could impact property rights
A court ruling that confirms the National Conservation Council’s power of veto over projects that impact environmentally sensitive areas or species has sent ripples through the property development sector.
Boggy Sand seawall planning approval quashed in test case for Conservation Council powers
The Grand Court has ruled that the National Conservation Council has the power to direct the Central Planning Authority to turn down planning applications that have adverse environmental impacts.
Environment assessment planned for road through pristine North Side forest
The National Conservation Council has agreed that an environmental impact assessment needs to be carried out on a government proposal to extend Hutland Road in North Side through an area described as some of the "most biodiverse forest habitat" in the Cayman Islands.
National Conservation Council opens nominations for protected areas
In an effort to expand protected areas in the Cayman Islands, the National Conservation Council is seeking nominations from the public for adding to existing sites.
DoE and Dart spar over environmental assessment requirement
The Department of Environment and Dart have locked horns over the requirement for an environmental impact assessment for a planned area development in West Bay.
Conservation Council boss pleads for poachers to stop
National Conservation Council chairman McFarlane Conolly has issued an open appeal to poachers to end their assault on local wildlife.
New National Conservation Board appointed
Following controversy earlier this week over government's failure to appoint members to the National Conservation Board - leading to a delay in a decision on an application by Dart for a new 10-storey hotel - Cabinet has named and gazetted a new board.
DoE calls for deferral of Dart hotel planning application
The Central Planning Authority is scheduled to hear an application for Dart’s 10-storey Hotel Indigo tomorrow, 16 Feb., without receiving input on the hotel's potential environmental impact because none of the National Conservation Council members have been officially reappointed.
Turtle conservation plan ready for Cabinet review
The National Conservation Council’s plan for the conservation of sea turtles has completed its public consultation and is ready to be sent to Cabinet for review, according to the council’s chairman.
Turtle impact concerns persist with Beach Bay resort
Plans to construct a resort hotel at Beach Bay, a primary habitat for turtle nesting, continued to stir debate on Wednesday.
Beach Bay resort expected to reduce turtle habitat
An environmental impact assessment has been deemed unnecessary for a proposed resort development at Beach Bay, described as “critical habitat” for sea turtle nesting.
Civil war in battle to save sea turtles
The National Conservation Council has dismissed a green sea turtle conservation plan, produced by the Cayman Turtle Centre, describing it as a tourism and marketing plan rather than a viable conservation framework.
Turtle-friendly lighting to become mandatory on key nesting beaches
Beachside developments that fail to install ‘turtle-friendly’ lighting within three years could face prosecution under new proposals to protect sea turtles.
Conservation council seeks $10 million to protect land
The National Conservation Council is seeking $10 million in new funding to help buy environmentally significant land to protect from development and other threats.
National Conservation Council meeting scheduled
The National Conservation Council will hold a general meeting on Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 27. The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. at the George Town Public Library, in the old library section.
Environmental assessments are science, not politics
The members of the National Conservation Council hope the publisher will allow the NCC space to congratulate him on a declaration made in Wednesday, 9 January’s Cayman Compass editorial, namely that concerns about the environment are “in need of thoughtful advocacy.”
