ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Tuesday OcTOber 27, 2015 sports | page 15 WebsTer shaTTers OWn hallOWeen recOrd Chadwick Webster wins KRyS Global 30K High of 90 Low of 80 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. editorial | page 4 unpaid debTs: Our ‘cOllecTive’ respOnsibiliTy back to back wins www.butterfieldgroup.com Proud winner of The Banker’s prestigious Cayman Islands Bank of the Year award for 2013 and 2014. Bank of the year... Again! WhistlebloWer bill can nullify contracts brenT Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Any attempt to prevent workers from re- porting wrongdoing against employers by in- serting language into their contracts prohib- iting such reports would make those contracts illegal and unenforceable, according to pro- posed whistleblower protection legislation made public last week. The Whistleblower Protection Bill, 2015, which is expected to come before lawmakers next month for approval, states that any em- ployment agreement forcing a worker not to make a disclosure of suspected wrongdoing or to withdraw or abandon any such disclosure makes the contract “void and of no effect.” The proposed legislation seeks to apply to both public and private sector jobs. The long-contemplated whistleblower protections follow several attempts by the Cayman Islands government to create safe- guards against various forms of retaliation for those who report either criminal or ad- ministrative wrongdoing in the workplace. Several Cayman laws, including the Freedom of Information Law and the defunct Standards in Public Life Law, sought to create var- ious protections for whistleblowers but were rarely, if ever, used. The government’s whistleblower proposal was prompted in part by a 2014 report from the complaints commissioner’s office that fo- cused on allegations of wrongdoing within the civil service. Former Complaints Commissioner Nicola Williams’s report identified a culture in which government workers were essentially living in fear, refusing to report obvious instances of Unwanted in paradise No Hollywood ending for TV couple’s dream move James WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A British couple who gambled on a move to the Cayman Islands after ap- pearing on the BBC television show “Wanted in Paradise,” say their dream turned into a nightmare after they were confronted with the reality of Cayman’s immigration system. Jason and Paula Davis say they spent five months in Grand Cayman and Cuba waiting for their “fast-track” three-month temporary work permits to be approved. The permits were eventually turned down and the couple have returned to Darlington, in northern England, having spent all of their savings – around 20,000 pounds (about US$31,000). “We sold our businesses, we sold our car, we sold everything we had, ba- sically,” said Mr. Davis. “Now we are back in the U.K. and we have to start our lives all over again. “The worst thing about it is, if they had told us within a couple of weeks, we could have just gone home, but they left us hanging for months.” The hourlong television episode, part of a series about couples in the U.K. seeking moves to sunnier climes, WaSte ManaGeMent StRateGy Landfill to reach capacity in 2021 charles duncan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Consultants say the George Town land- fill will reach capacity by summer of 2021 unless a new strategy for managing solid waste is introduced that involves more re- cycling, composting, closing the landfills on the Sister Islands and using an incinerator to burn waste and generate electricity. A new National Solid Waste Management Strategy for the Cayman Islands, released for public consultation Monday, estimates that even with all of the recommendations to reduce and recycle trash, the George Town landfill would have only “a limited number of years” beyond 2021. Cabinet last year asked the consultants studying the landfill to look only at the ex- isting site and not seek alternative locations for a new landfill. “The George Town landfill site is there- fore a resource for the management of any residual waste which cannot be reduced, re- used, recycled or recovered,” according to the strategy report. This is the second report since summer by U.K. consultant Amec Foster Wheeler. A report released in August found pollut- ants coming off the landfill into the air and water, posing limited risks to people in the area and the surrounding environment. Jason and Paula Davis won’t be settling in Cayman. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » A garbage truck dumps rubbish at the top of the George Town landfill on Monday. The government has released its draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy for public consultation. - Photo: taneos raMsay PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Tuesday OcTOber 27, 2015 • Cayman Compass www. REGmovies.com SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - TUESDAY - $8.00 * UPCOMING RUGBY MATCHES AT THE CINEMA * VISIT WWW.BIGSCREEN.KY FOR MORE INFORMATION. 18 YEARS & OVER GOOSEBUMPS 3D (PG) 1:30 I 4:00 2D I 7:00 I 9:35 CRIMSON PEAK (R) 1:10 I 3:50 I 7:05 I 9:45 THE MARTIAN 3D (PG13) 1:00 I 3:00 2D I 6:50 I 9:30 2D LAST WITCH HUNTER (PG13) 1:40 I 4:30 I 7:20 I 10:00 PAN 3D (PG) 1:20 I 4:20 2D I 7:15 I 9:50 2D HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 3D (PG) 12:45 2D I 4:10 I 7:10 2D I 9:55 Just in time for Halloween Little pumpkins get the finishing touches Monday at Starfish Village’s Harvest Camp. From left, Boyd Craig, 3, Ciara Bradley, 12, Riley Doyle, 10, Lukas Enser, 2, and Kayla Bradley, 10, choose from a variety of decorations. The camp, which runs until Friday, offers children ages 3 to 12 Halloween and fall themed arts, crafts and games. – Photo: Matt LaMers The Flavorful Four, from left, Paris Broad, Gabby Cansell, Emilie Eddington and Ayanda Jones, won the entree section of Cayman’s first ‘Teen Chopped Challenge’ hosted by Bon Vivant Monday afternoon. The Cayman Prep School Year 11 team and their rivals Team Trash got a basic cooking lesson from judge/chef Maureen Cubbon from Best Life before being given their mystery baskets. The Flavorful Four made a summer vegetable Bolognese on a lettuce leaf boat with cheesy egg garlic bread. Team Trash (Matthew Rowell, Nate Meghoo, Eric Bogess and Jordon Mangan) won the dessert round with their biscuit with a raspberry balsamic drizzle, Nutella yogurt sauce and banana crumble. - Photo: eLPhina Jones Teens take on ‘Chopped’ challenge ex-adviser gets 2.5 years in Prison in $1.2b Ponzi scheMe FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – A former investment adviser became the latest participant in disbarred attorney Scott Rothstein’s $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme to head to prison when a judge sentenced him Monday to 2.5 years behind bars. Michael Szafranski, 37, got less than the five-year maximum because of his co- operation with prosecutors against others in the scam. Szafranski, who now runs an auto transmission re- pair shop, also repaid victim investors $6.5 million, his lawyer said in court papers. Prosecutors say Szafranski lured investors – some of them members of his own synagogue – to Rothstein through a variety of deceptions, including as- surances that he reviewed confidential legal settlements that did not exist. Rothstein’s scam was based on offering inves- tors high regular payments for putting their money into phony lawsuit settlements in which the purported plain- tiffs were willing to accept a lower lump sum. Szafranksi told U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas he was blinded by greed and the lifestyle promoted by Rothstein, which included flights on pri- vate jets, meals at fancy res- taurants, sitting in skyboxes at sporting events and con- certs and attending high-pro- file political fundraisers. “I am truly sickened by the person I became when I was associated with Scott Rothstein,” Szafranski, who is married with three chil- dren, said in court. “I come before this court ashamed, embarrassed and humiliated by my actions.” More than two dozen other people have been con- victed in the Rothstein scam, operated out of his former Fort Lauderdale law office until its October 2009 col- lapse. Rothstein himself is serving a 50-year prison sen- tence after pleading guilty, but his sentence could even- tually be reduced because of his cooperation in investi- gating others. The last remaining defen- dant is former TD Bank ex- ecutive Frank Spinosa, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to a wire fraud con- spiracy charge and faces sen- tencing Dec. 18. Szafranski provided key evidence against Spinosa, prosecutors have said, and would have testified at a trial. Rothstein had 38 accounts at TD Bank that he used in the fraud scheme, court doc- ument show. Spinosa’s role in the scheme was to provide investors with false bank “lock letters” assuring their money was safe and could only be paid to them. Szafranski will be placed on three years’ probation after his prison term ends. Dimitrouleas also ordered that he not accept work in the financial industry while on probation, including acting as a consultant to others. story tiMe froM sPace: astronauts getting new Picture books CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – Once upon a time, when NASA’s shuttles were still flying, an astronaut read a children’s story from space. Thus was born Story Time from Space, a pro- gram that takes bedtime stories to new heights in its effort to get children ex- cited about science. The latest bundle of pic- ture books, mostly about space, is scheduled to rocket to the International Space Station in just over a month, joining five bed- time stories already there. The astronaut readings are posted online, avail- able at any time for children to see. The delivery, targeted for December, was delayed a year because of a Virginia launch explosion. Another launch accident, this one from Cape Canaveral in June, destroyed a set of sci- ence experiments meant to supplement the stories. As always, there’s a moral to these hard-luck launch tales. “One of the big take- aways from spaceflight is that it takes a fair amount of patience and just per- severance to make these things happen,” said Alvin Drew, the astronaut who kicked off the Story Time project during space shuttle Discovery’s final flight in 2011. A cool plot twist: Two of the seven picture books going up – “Mousetronaut” and “Mousetronaut Goes to Mars” – were written by a former astronaut whose identical twin just hap- pens to be spending a year in orbit. If Mark Kelly’s books arrive at the space station by year’s end, his brother, Scott, should be able to read them on camera be- fore his one-year space mission ends in March. “It was such a neat opportunity,” Story Time’s creator, Patricia Tribe, said of the Kelly brothers’ connection. The latest bundle of picture books is scheduled to rocket to the International Space Station in just over a month. The astronaut readings are posted online, available at any time for children to see.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday OcTOber 27, 2015 HARVEST CAMP Wednesday 28-Friday 30 October 8am-3pm, Starfish Village Themed arts and crafts, games, fountain play and more. Kids ages 3-12. CI$80 a day per child. Register at info@starfish.ky HALLOWEEN GLOW PARTY Friday 30 October 6-8pm, Starfish Village Kids are in for some spooky pre-Halloween fun with glow items, food and music. CI$25 per child. Register at info@starfish.ky FOOD REVOLUTION SPOOKTACULAR Saturday 31 October 3-4pm, Gardenia Court Budding chefs can cook in their Halloween costumes while creating some spooky treats with a farm-to-table twist. CI$20 per child. Register at info@bonvivant.ky Tuesday 27 October 7pm Men in Black II (PG-13)* Wednesday 28 October 7pm Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (PG) Thursday 29 October 7pm Casper (PG) Friday 30 October 7pm The Mummy (PG-13)* Saturday 31 October 6pm It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (G) Saturday 31 October 6:30pm The Boxtrolls (PG) Saturday 31 October 8pm Jaws (PG)* *Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. camanabay.com/halloween #CAMANABAY Saturday 31 October 4-7pm, Camana Bay Town Centre Kids are invited to don their best costumes while taking part in frightfully fun festivities throughout the Town Centre. Trick or Treating, Creepy Crafts, Mad Lab, Monster Mash Bash, Moonlight & Movies Spooky Creature Triple Feature Enjoy spooky family-friendly flicks and a few extra-scary ones on our giant outdoor screen in Gardenia Court. Two CIMA board members not available Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two Cayman Islands Monetary Authority board members appointed ear- lier this year are unable to serve their three-year terms for various reasons, and re- placements will have to be found, Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton confirmed Monday. Mr. Panton said neither Brian Murphy nor Patricia Estwick could serve the terms to which they were appointed in July, largely due to concerns about the board service from their respective employers or companies. Mr. Panton said the func- tions of the CIMA board are still being carried out as usual and that the board, which governs the territo- ry’s lone financial regula- tory agency, maintains a quorum at all times. However, the min- ister said he was looking for someone, in partic- ular in the absence of Mr. Murphy, who has served as the director of the board of Greenlight Reinsurance since 2008, to provide some insurance industry exper- tise to the board. “We need people who have significant insurance expertise, who understand the market, understand the business, ideally someone with reinsurance expertise,” Mr. Panton said. The CIMA appointments, approved by Cabinet on July 21, retained five members, including professor William Gilmore and Judith Watler through mid-July 2018. Also, current board member Harry Chisholm has been designated deputy chair through mid-July 2017. New board members, in- cluding chairman Grant Stein and Gus Pope, will continue to serve their terms as well, Mr. Panton said. The CIMA board can have as many as nine mem- bers, but Minister Panton said that many at all times are not required to keep operating. Mr. Panton acknowl- edged that the absence of the other newly appointed members would leave the CIMA board “a little bit thin” at the moment. He hopes to have new members appointed within the next two months. FIFA concerns The CIMA board began meeting in early June and since the appointment of its new members to discuss a number of issues related to the FIFA investigation and how it could potentially af- fect Cayman’s financial ser- vices industry. The board brought in an international accounting firm to assist the monetary authority with a forensic re- view of any possible local bank transactions con- nected to the U.S.-based indictments of FIFA offi- cials, including any trans- actions potentially linked to Cayman’s Jeffrey Webb and former Cayman resident Costas Takkas. Mr. Stein has maintained that allegations of conflicts in relation to the FIFA in- vestigation would stay well away from Cayman’s finan- cial services industry regu- lator during his tenure. The issue of conflicts arose in early June when it was revealed that CIMA Managing Director Cindy Scotland’s husband, former government minister Mark Scotland, had been working since last year for the Cayman Islands Football Association under its pres- ident, Webb, and was in Switzerland with Mr. Webb at the time of his arrest on May 27. Mr. Scotland has since left the foot- ball association. In addition, former gov- ernment minister Cline Glidden’s wife, Gloria, serves as deputy head of CIMA’s banking division. Mr. Glidden was also in Switzerland with Webb for FIFA’s annual meeting prior to the arrests and had been working for CONCACAF on the creation of a re- gional football dispute res- olution court. Mr. Stein said there had been no allegations of wrongdoing against either Mr. or Mrs. Scotland or Mr. Glidden stemming from the FIFA probe, but he said the formation of a separate CIMA internal committee should quiet concerns over apparent conflicts. “Anybody that has any connections to anyone in the [U.S. investigation] … has been recused,” Mr. Stein said this summer. The CIMA chairman had no comment on the pending appointment of additional board members and de- ferred all questions in the matter to Minister Panton. Police chase ganja canoe off north side A high-speed marine chase off North Side Sunday night ended with packages of ganja being thrown overboard and the suspects escaping. According to police, four men came ashore on Sand Point Road around 10 p.m. The men were in a fast canoe when they were spotted by the crew of the Niven D. Marine Unit patrol boat. The boat sped away and officers on the Niven D. saw the men tossing the wrapped packages overboard. Several of the packages were later recovered. The canoe was found beached off Sand Point Road. The four men aboard had not been found by press time Monday. Investigators from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Drugs and Serious Crime Task Force ask the public to call the Bodden Town Police Station on 947-2220 if they see anyone suspicious in the area. droP in chikungunya, dengue cases Five cases of chikungunya, all of which were contracted overseas, were confirmed in the Cayman Islands this year, according to Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez, the medical officer of health for the Health Services Authority. He said the last case was confirmed in August. Last year, public health of- ficials reported 44 confirmed cases of chikungunya, also known as Chik-V, a mosquito- borne disease that causes high fever and joint pain. Dr. Williams-Rodriguez said there also have been two confirmed cases of dengue in 2015. Last year, there were at least four confirmed cases, with two cases contracted locally. The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. Tuesday OCTOber 27, 2015 • Cayman COmpass As our government continues to grapple with the Cayman Islands’ solid waste management conundrum, another dimension to the problem has surfaced — dealing not with the cost of getting rid of Mount Trash- more, but of building it in the first place. According to an auditor general’s report, ministry officials continue to pursue (how aggressively, we don’t know) outstanding garbage collection fees, some more than a decade old, totaling around $8.2 million. For our readers who don’t happen to have a calculator handy, that equates to more than $130 for every man, woman and child living in our fair isles. That data point is worth mentioning because, when it comes to government, there is no such thing as an “unpaid” fee — any outstanding debts are merely spread around to the population as a whole, either in the form of increased taxes, or decreased delivery of services. In other words, “If you don’t pay — then we have to pay for you.” However, currently in Cayman a different idea prevails, that is, if you receive services from the gov- ernment, it’s OK to walk away, with little or no possi- bility of repercussions or consequences. When it comes to uncollected government debt, Mount Trashmore is just the tip of the pile. The most egregious example of unpaid bills is, of course, money owed to the Cayman Islands public health system. Over five years from 2011 to 2016 (projected), the Health Services Authority’s accumulation of unpaid debt will have grown from $30 million to $80 million, which works out to an astounding $1,300 per Cayman resident. As we argued in an editorial in June, if the govern- ment is serious about collecting unpaid healthcare debts, it should follow some basic steps, including: • Differentiate those who “can’t” pay from those who “won’t” pay. • For those who “can’t” pay, provide them with the appropriate assistance and demonstrate honesty in accounting by writing off those “bad debts” once and for all. • For those who are able to pay, but for whatever reason “won’t” pay, empower the Treasury Depart- ment’s debt collection unit to sue in court for the money that is owed to the public purse. The same advice applies to unpaid fees for garbage collection, or any government service. What is impor- tant here isn’t reconciling the monetary values, but nurturing the key cultural value of responsibility — both fiscal and personal. The concept is clear: We have got to pay our bills. Private individuals and households in Cayman aren’t the only parties guilty of practicing the ethos of “slow pay or no pay.” One of the biggest offenders, more so on the “slow” side of the formulation, is the Cayman government itself. Indeed, the government can take so long to render payment for products or services — three, four, six months or more, depending on the specific public entity or period in the budget cycle — that many com- panies steer clear of doing business with the govern- ment altogether. When all the inefficiencies, uncertain- ties and headache tablets are taken into account, it’s just not worth the time or effort. That, too, is something that can ultimately harm Cayman’s taxpayers because it limits government’s selection of vendors, and thus, pricing and quality. There are few valid reasons for people not to pay government for services fairly rendered. There are no excuses, on the other hand, for the government not to pay what it owes, and in timely fashion. Unpaid debts: Our ‘collective’ responsibility The threat of online anonymity BloomBerg View editorial Board The Internet’s lovable but frustrating toddlerhood may be coming to an end. That doesn’t mean, however, that it’s getting easier to impose adult supervision. The latest illustration of the point comes courtesy of Amazon, which has gone to the courts to unmask fake reviewers who have tarnished the site’s credibility. In April, Amazon went after website operators who advertised fake reviews with such hard-to-miss URLs as buyamazonreviews.com. Most were shut down. Not satisfied that it had stamped out the practice – the toddler, after all, can just find another room to trash – Amazon is now going after individual reviewers, asking the courts to award costs as well as unspecified damages for the “manipula- tion and deception” of cus- tomers. The 1,000-plus de- fendants are referred to as John Does, the term used for an unidentified person. Most savvy consumers long ago stopped paying at- tention to unusually posi- tive or negative reviews. Nevertheless, sophisticated reviewers claim to be able to fool the human and com- puter filters designed to catch them. In an under- cover investigation, the Times of London was able to push an e-book to the top of an Amazon best-seller list by paying for reviews. Meanwhile, authors who have had their work trashed by troll-reviewers can tes- tify to how damaging that can be. Can Amazon succeed in weeding out all fake re- views? In a word: No. But it has rightly judged them to be a threat to the trust on which much e-commerce depends. Whether the legal system offers the best way to maintain that trust re- mains an open question. At any rate, the case for cracking down on fake re- viewers highlights a dis- tinction with a difference in the digital age: Privacy and anonymity are not the same, and they do not deserve equal treatment. The former is a right that consumers should expect and com- panies should honor. The latter, with some notable ex- ceptions, too often masks activities that don’t deserve protection and which dis- tort competition. © 2015, Bloomberg View Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” FrOm CaymanCOmpass.COm “Turtle Farm: Time to end the shell game,” Oct. 23 The turtle farm should not be closed. It is a part of our culture, but people need to stand up and say, “No.” Not only because it is better then beef, it is a tourist attraction. [Managing Director Tim Adam] is doing a great job. We are all under stress trying to survive in Cayman as Caymanians, while outside forces are trying to change our history and culture. Stand up, Cayman. David miller We’ve been coming down to our home on Grand Cayman for over 30 years. We’ve seen the Turtle Farm changes during that time and wonder why it hasn’t been closed by now. It continues to lose money, year after year, and frankly we feel it’s a place not worth visiting once you’ve seen it. Government should realize it’s costing the fine people of Grand Cayman money that could be better spent some- where else. alan abgarian Close down the Turtle Farm in Grand Cayman. Move the Turtle Farm to Cayman Brac, South Side, and along with the new Turtle farm, create a Conch Farm and a Lobster Farm. Many jobs would be cre- ated for the Sister Islands’ population. Turtle and conch meat and lobster can be sold at a premium all year round in Cayman, and exported to the U.S. (and Cuba?), and selling farmed turtle and conch meat and lobster tails will take the pressure off il- legal Caymanian poachers with spearguns, who would invade recovery zones on all three islands. Farming of these three seafood species would also be a new tourist attrac- tion for the Brac and Little Cayman. The new farm could be called Gladys Howard’s Sea-Food Farms, honouring Gladys Howard’s memory. nan socolow “Consultants defend controversial school design,” Oct. 26 The question one must ask is if the consultants who “sold” this design emphasized restructuring of the curric- ulum and teaching? How easy for them to say, “It is hardly surprising that the de- sign as built failed to deliver as promised because the pro- cess was, for all intents and purposes, designed to fail.” Was there any discus- sion regarding curriculum? Was there any discussion re- garding retraining faculty? Do you have any idea how difficult it is to institute a curriculum change and how much additional time it takes to do so, plus training? One thing you cannot argue with is that Cayman spends a lot money on having impact studies done – just look how many were done over the past 10 years re- garding the dock proposal in George Town. Did they not do the same regarding “agile mul- tifaceted spaces” or in other words, put multiple classes of students into one giant room and see what happens? The consultants claim it’s 21st century teaching and instruction. I argue that it’s a throwback to the 1900s where year 1s through year 11s were housed together in the same schoolhouse. Brian Roberts One can only wonder if local teachers were con- sulted as to this unique de- sign feature. Given teaching challenges, the open design seems most unwise. Jack augsbury “Good governance works best in the sunshine,” Oct. 22 Memories are short in Cayman. Who remembers, now, the Vision 2008 exer- cise of 1998/9? Apparently, not many. I sat on two of its committees, one of which was called “Open and Accountable Government.” Indeed, I was the secretary and took the minutes – copies of which I still have. Regrettably, our recommenda- tions (which included “govern- ment in the sunshine”) were way too hot for the politicians and senior bureaucrats of the day, and our report never saw the light of day. I wish the Compass better luck in its present campaign. Gordon Barlow “Brac Reef owners to buy Cobalt Coast,” Oct. 22 Having been a guest sev- eral times at Cobalt Coast be- fore obtaining my own little piece of paradise, I know first hand Arie’s hospitality. Arie, I wish to publicly thank you for treating me and all your guests as close personal friends. Cobalt Coast is a part of my life due to you and your wonderful staff. God bless you. David Conte Hosting hundreds of thousands of visitors per year, and drawing annual subsidies of $10 million, the Cayman Turtle Farm is our country’s largest and most controversial land-based tourist attraction. - Photo: Jewel levy5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday OcTOber 27, 2015 Researchers track shark numbers James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Researchers are tracking shark, snapper and grouper populations to monitor the health of predators on Cayman’s reefs. An ongoing study by a team from the Department of Environment and Marine Conservation International is focusing particularly on Caribbean reef sharks, tiger sharks and Oceanic whitetip sharks. A new phase of the re- search will also look at mutton and lagoon snapper and tiger grouper. The study is independent of the Guy Harvey Research Institute’s tagging and monitoring of Oceanic whitetip sharks, but the two teams will share data. Mauvis Gore of Marine Conservation International said the study team has been collecting data on shark pop- ulations since 2009. She said preliminary re- sults from this year’s efforts suggest shark numbers are declining in Cayman’s waters. Researchers use a variety of methods, including moni- toring reefs with baited cam- eras, to estimate shark popu- lations at more than 30 test sites around all three islands. Other methods include diver surveys, catching, pho- tographing and releasing sharks and monitoring their movements using tags. The combination of ap- proaches allows researchers to get an accurate picture of the number of sharks in Cayman’s waters. The information can be used to help inform a species monitoring plan, required as part of the new National Conservation Law for pro- tected species. The study has already yielded some interesting re- sults. One Caribbean reef shark was recorded on reefs around Little Cayman, Cayman Brac and off East End in Grand Cayman, chal- lenging previous assumptions that these sharks remain “res- ident” on specific reefs. Ms. Gore says fur- ther research is impor- tant to assess the impact of conservation plans. “We don’t just need a few sharks for the system to work, we need a lot of them. You need apex predators to keep the reefs healthy,” she said. “For example, sharks play a key role in keeping sec- ondary predator numbers in line so that the reef fish, such as parrot fish, can continue to keep our reefs healthy by scraping off the algae.” Beyond their environ- mental value, sharks have a quantifiable value to Cayman’s tourism-based economy, according to the re- search team. Using surveys and ques- tionnaires, the researchers came up with an estimated dollar value based on what tourists were willing to pay to have sharks on the reefs. “The value of having sharks on the reef is about US$54 million per year. By contrast, catching and killing sharks was worth only US$1.6 million per year. Neighbouring Bahamas earn about US$78 million per year from sharks on their reef,” the Department of Environment and Marine Conservation International said in a joint statement about the research, prin- cipally funded by the Darwin Initiative. “Of course, once a shark is dead, its value is used up,” noted Department of Environment Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie, “whereas a live shark continues to play a valuable role on the reef and provides economic worth to our economy year after year after year.” The project is also working on population sur- veys of tiger grouper and mutton and lagoon snapper, analyzing the food these fish are living on and where they reproduce. Ms. Gore said, “We are looking at the next step down the chain. We are trying to build liaison groups with fishermen to work to- wards sustainable fishing for everyone.” The Department of Environment is asking fish- ermen to assist with sam- ples from snapper or grouper. The researchers also ask that anyone who sees or catches a fish with any sort of tag to call them on 949-8469. For more information about this research and reward program, visit www.doe.ky. An Oceanic whitetip shark photographed in Cayman’s waters. A study is under way to determine the size of the shark population in Cayman. – PHOTO: COURTESY OF GEORGE SCHELLENGER Progressives seek to revive ‘Christmas cleanup’ Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Progressives-led govern- ment is seeking to revive a hol- iday season roadside garbage pickup program that began in 2009 under the former United Democratic Party government. The program provided pay- checks for several weeks to un- employed people who picked up trash, cut down bush and gen- erally tidied up, particularly in high-traffic tourism areas along West Bay Road. The effort, which took place in 2009 and 2010, cost government about $1 million each year. Community Affairs Minister Osbourne Bodden said Thursday that he hoped to have a Christmas cleanup program this year throughout Grand Cayman. Minister Bodden said gov- ernment intended to run its roadside cleanups a bit dif- ferently than the former gov- ernment did, to “ensure that it is properly managed” and to “see which [people] really want to work.” “Some signed up for that [program] and didn’t hit a lick and then come collect at the end of the week,” Mr. Bodden said. “We won’t run it that way.” Minister Bodden’s com- ments came during a Legislative Assembly debate on a private members’ motion filed by Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush, which asked government to consider putting more cash into social assistance programs. Mr. Bush noted that in pre- vious motions to the House, he has suggested that the gov- ernment revive the annual roads cleanup effort, which the Progressives had not done since taking office in May 2013. “What a bunch of copycats. How can a cleanup not work last year, but it can work [in 2015]?” Mr. Bush asked. “They’re stretching things out until they get closer to the election.” Mr. Bush slammed the government for donating US$500,000 this summer to hurricane-ravaged Dominica in the Eastern Caribbean, a move that the opposition leader said had “everything to do with po- litical expediency.” He opined that the money could have been used for a number of local issues, in- cluding mortgage rescues, poor relief and school lunches. “Burglary is on the rise, people are eating out of the garbage … this can’t be seen as progressive under any administration, and they hide it,” Mr. Bush said. Mr. Bodden said that while government appreciated the in- tention of Mr. Bush’s motion, it already had 6,000 people on record as receiving some as- sistance from government’s Needs Assessment Unit this year. The minister said there is a limit to what the public sector can do to assist these people and how long “it can af- ford to carry them.” “This is a 40-, 50-year-old problem,” Mr. Bodden said. “Our people were not being devel- oped as the country was devel- oped. There were times when education simply wasn’t a big deal. Even when we get edu- cated now, we still have prob- lems in the country. “We have to pinpoint our scholarship regime, look at where our people are really needed and put our funding be- hind [them].” Mr. BoddenThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community Calendar ■ Community Calendar is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. Tuesday OcTOber 27, 2015 • Cayman Compass TUESDAY, OCT. 27 Sickle cell Support Group: Meeting takes place in the HSA Public Health Waiting Room. Dr. Anna Matthews will lead the discussion. 7:30 p.m. All are invited. Call 244-2630 for further information. MooNliGHt & MoVieS: Halloween Series, 7 p.m., Gardenia Court, Camana Bay. First feature is “Men in Black II” (2002, PG-13). Free. BrAc SeNiorS tour: An island tour from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28 SuNSet SAil ANd MeMBerSHip MiNGle: Join the National Trust and the National Museum for an evening sail on the Nautilus. Peggy Leshikar-Denton of the National Museum will discuss Cayman’s maritime history as passengers explore the wreck of the Cali and Balboa. Afterward, join a happy hour at the National Trust. Complimentary appetizers and welcome drink on arrival; cash bar available after. Members $10, non-members $20. Contact education@nationaltrust.org. ky for more information. pANel diScuSSioN: What does it mean to be “of” Cayman in the 21st century? Led by participating artists from the National Gallery’s temporary exhibition “Tidal Shift: explorations of identity in contemporary Caymanian art.” 6 – 7:30 p.m. Admission to the panel discussion is free and refreshments will be available for purchase in the NGCI Art Café. For details call 945-8111 or email eventsassistant@ nationalgallery.org.ky. MooNliGHt & MoVieS: “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” (2004, PG). 7 p.m., Gardenia Court, Camana Bay. Free. BrAc SeNiorS: A social at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. THURSDAY, OCT. 29 MooNliGHt & MoVieS: “Casper” (1995, PG). 7 p.m., Gardenia Court, Camana Bay. Free. ucci coMMeNceMeNt cereMoNY: Speaker will be Greg Weisenstein, president of West Chester University in Pennsylvania. BrAc tHAtcH plAitiNG: Heritage House, 7-9 p.m., $5. Contact simones@candw.ky. older perSoNS MoNtH: The Seniors Bash takes place at the Westin Casuarina Resort 6:30-10 p.m. FRIDAY, OCT. 30 MooNliGHt & MoVieS: “The Mummy” (1999, PG-13), 7 p.m., Gardenia Court, Camana Bay. Free. QueeN’S BirtHdAY HoNourS: Deadline for submitting nominations for the Queen’s Birthday Honors for 2016. Nominations must be supported by a persuasive account of the outstanding, innovative or self-sacrificing services and achievements of the nominee, whether paid or unpaid, in one field or several, and what has raised them above others performing similar services. For details, visit www.gov. uk/honours or contact the Governor’s Office at staffoff@candw.ky. older perSoNS MoNtH: Cayman National Cultural Foundation invites seniors to a special performance at 8 p.m. at the Harquail Theatre. Limited spaces available. For more information, call 949-0290. cAYSHop: The expo showcases a broad range of businesses on island, from noon-8 p.m. Oct. 30, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Arts & Recreation Centre, Camana Bay. SATURDAY, OCT. 31: ruN2Zero 5k & 10k: Cayman AIDS Foundation walk/run, Holiday Inn Resort, SafeHaven. Registration $30. Free breakfast and post-run prizes. Register online at www.cayamanactive.com/ run2zero. HAlloWeeN SpooktAculAr: Camana Bay Town Centre, 4-7 p.m. Kids, don your best costume and get ready to trick or treat throughout the Town Centre, get creative with Creepy Crafts, guess what’s inside the Mad Lab, watch a Spooky Creature Triple Feature, take a picture in a charity Pumpkin Patch and dance the night away at the Monster Mash Bash. Free. cocoNut FeSt: Exhibitors from Cayman and abroad showcase the versatile coconut. The Bodden Town Cultural Committee brings demonstrations on crafts, cooking and baking and a marketplace for all things coconut. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Nurse Josie’s Seniors Centre, Gun Square. Call 929-5600/929-7356/925- 4193 for more information. BreAkFASt tAlk: The Grand Cayman chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International monthly breakfast with speaker Colin Wilson. 7:30 a.m., The Upper Crust, Camana Bay. Come out to hear the how God is making a difference in the life of men like you, right here in Cayman. Call 949- 3022 for more information. MooNliGHt & MoVieS: Triple feature: “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (1966, G). 6 p.m., “The Boxtrolls” (2014, PG), 6:30 p.m., “Jaws” (1975, PG), 8 p.m. Movie titles subject to change. SUNDAY, NOv. 1 cAtBoAt rAce: Cayman Catboat Club Race. 9 a.m., Garvin Park, Morgan’s Harbour. tHeAtricAl FuNdrAiSer: “Pantomime” by Derek Walcott and directed by Henry Muttoo, at the Prospect Playhouse, 7:30 p.m. Tickets $25, mature audience only. Part of the proceeds go to the Cayman Drama Society’s education fund. For more information, visit cds.ky. WEDNESDAY, NOv. 4 Book lAuNcH: An evening with Hon. Sybil Mclaughlin to mark the publication of her life story, “From Island Girl to National Hero.” Books & Books, Camana Bay, 6 p.m. Call 640-2665 for more information. SATURDAY NOv. 7 BrAc coNcert ANd BArBecue: Veterans & Seamen’s Society Country Jamboree & Steak Cook-Out. Under the stars at the Veterans & Seamen’s Compound, 6:30 p.m. For further information and tickets, contact Liz Walton- Thompson at 925-3924 or Capt. Arlin Tatum 916-0837, or any VSS member. SATURDAY, NOv. 14 SiSter iSlANdS cook-oFF: Annual culinary fundraiser for the Sister Islands Tourism Association, hosted by the Southern Cross Club, Little Cayman. Tasting tickets $30. Wrist bands and drink tickets on sale from 4:30 p.m. onward, tasting room opens at 6:30 p.m. Raffle drawing at 7:30 p.m. Music by Wild Knights. Call 948- 1099 for information. GENERAL INTEREST BuSiNeSS liceNSiNG: The Department of Commerce and Investment has extended its Business Licensing Counter hours in Grand Cayman from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, for people to submit trade and business, liquor, tobacco, and Special Economic Zone license applications. SpeciAl olYMpicS: Volunteers are needed. Tuesdays at the Truman Bodden Complex at 5:30 p.m. for track/field, football and bocce. No experience necessary, just a smile and patience. Wednesdays at Lions Pool 10:15–11 a.m. You do not have to swim, just be able to walk in water chest-deep. Thursdays at First Baptist Church for basketball, 5:30–7 p.m. Saturdays, volunteers needed for Adult Special Olympic swim conditioning at CIS pool 9:30–10:30 a.m. Deck support and in-water swimming assistance needed. For more information, contact Penny McDowall 516-2578 or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. loSt doGS: The Department of Agriculture and veterinary students of St. Matthew’s University provide an online list of dogs housed at the Department of Agriculture Animal Rescue Shelter in Lower Valley. Anyone missing a dog can check www.smustudents.webs.com. HuMANe SocietY Book loFt: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Contact humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc. in good condition always needed. red croSS tHriFt SHop: Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5–7 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. at Red Cross headquarters on Thomas Russell Way. Book bargain every Thursday and Friday, a bagful for $5. reeF reStorAtioN: Certified divers are invited to work on the Cayman Magic Reef restoration in George Town. A schedule of work dates and times is posted on Facebook under Cayman Magic Reef Recovery. Dates and times are listed under Events, for volunteers to check and sign up. NcVo VoluNteerS Needed: Volunteers needed for the National Council of Voluntary Organisations Children Services programs. Contact Alta Solomon at 949- 2124 or ncvocoordinator@ ncvo.org.ky. BetHeSdA couNSelliNG ceNtre: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Center is owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. peripHerAl SpAceS: Tuesday to Saturday. Noon to 8 p.m. (closed by 3 p.m. on Saturdays). Market Street across from Bay Market. Pop-up working studio/art gallery with local artists’ works displayed for sale. Art classes Tuesday and Thursday, 6-8 p.m., plus other special events. For more information, email marymccallum@ candw.ky. ArtiSANS MArket: Camana Bay Artisans Market every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society artists display arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale between noon and 8 p.m. near KARoo restaurant. For more information on displaying your work, email info@ visualartcayman.com. MuSeuM tourS: The National Museum provides guided tours for students and school groups free of cost. Students will gain an understanding of Cayman’s geological formation, flora and fauna, seafaring and rope-making heritage, political history and more. Contact the museum to book a tour in advance at 949-8368 or email info@museum.ky. piNk lAdieS: Coffee Shop at Cayman Islands Hospital is open Monday- Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for breakfast, lunch, drinks, snacks. Takeout orders welcome, call 244- 2661. Funds are donated back to the community. Contact pinkladiescayman@ gmail.com. deMeNtiA/AlZHeiMer’S Support Group: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at the Catboat Club clubhouse, North Church Street. All are invited to attend. For more information, call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. Books and Books hosts an evening with Sybil McLaughlin on Nov. 4 to mark the launch of a new book on her life.Bodden Town hosts a celebration of all things coconut-related on Saturday, Oct. 31.7 Community Calendar Cayman Compass • Tuesday OcTOber 27, 2015 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015 PEDRO ST. JAMES, GRAND CAYMAN WIN 4 TICKETS TO THE CAYMAN EDITION TABLE TALK FOOD AWARDS 2015 VALUED AT $400 Presented by ENTER TO Deadline to enter: Tuesday, November 3, 2015. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, November 4. Terms and conditions apply. ENTER AT CAYMANCOMPASS.COM/COMPETITIONS CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. For more information, call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail. com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-Step Recovery Group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at CI Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Mondays, 7 p.m. For details, contact Virginia Castillo at 946- 2422, or visit www. overcomersoutreach.org. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS CLUB: meets at George Town Public Library 6-7:15 p.m. every Thursday. This is a chapter of Toastmaster’s International, geared toward development of public speaking and leadership skills. Contact George R. Ebanks, 916-0687/322-9369 or georger.ebanks@gmail. com for more information. ROTARACT BLUE OF CAYMAN: Meets Wednesdays 6 p.m., at Full of Beans Cafe, Pasadora Place on Smith Road. Contact rotaractblue@ gmail.com or check www.rotaractblue.org. LEO CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 6:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, contact Secretary Letisha Allen 924-2819. THE LIONS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets every first and third Thursday 7:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, email LionsClubGCM@ hotmail.com. THE LIONS CLUB OF TROPICAL GARDENS: meets every first and third Tuesday of the month at the Lions Centre 7:30 p.m. Members of the public are invited to attend. ROTARY CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN SUNRISE: Service club meetings 7 a.m. every Wednesday at George Town Yacht Club, 612 North Sound Road. For more information, check website at www. rotarysunrise.ky or contact info@rotarysunrise.ky. KIWANIS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 12:30 p.m., at Britannia Golf Course Restaurant. Projects include promoting well- being of children in the community and schools. For more information, email president@kiwanis.ky or view www.kiwanis.ky. OPTIMIST CLUB: Meets first and third Thursdays at the Hibiscus Conference Room, George Town Hospital at 6:30 p.m. Email optimistcayman@yahoo.com. THE MODEL AIRPLANE FLYING CLUB: Meets Sundays 2 p.m. at the J. Bodden Marlpit/Old Raceway. Call 916–2327 for more information. PARENT AND TODDLER PLAY GROUP: For children from 2 weeks to 4 years. Meets Mondays 9:30- 11:30 a.m. in the South Sound Community Centre. Children must be accompanied by parent or helper. Toys, activities, light refreshments provided. $6 per session per family. For information, email sspg@foxwood.ky. HEARTS THROUGH HANDS: Meets Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. to noon at The Family Life Centre, Room 10, Academy Way. Women make crafts for charity and missions. For information, call 946–3067 or 947–1863. THE WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTRE: Breastfeeding Clinics every Thursday 10 a.m.-noon in the Women’s Health Centre. No appointments, no fees. Phone 244–2649. CAYMAN BRIDGE CLUB: Meets Tuesdays 7:15 p.m. at Comfort Suites, West Bay Road. For further information, contact Helen Haines at 947-3217 or Jane Bird at 947-1903. BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CLUB: Meets third Wednesday of every month, Governors Square Boardroom at 5:30 p.m. Visit www.facebook.com/ BPWGrandCayman. BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT GROUP: MothertoMother meetings first Tuesday of every month, 3-4 p.m. outside Women’s Health Centre at the Cayman Islands Hospital. Children welcome. Contact Women’s Health Centre at 244-2649. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar. The Cayman Catboat club is holding a race on Nov. 1 at Morgan’s Harbour.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Tuesday OcTOber 27, 2015 • Cayman Compass The report calls for charging for garbage collec- tion and selling recyclable materials to pay for a new waste management system which could include an incin- erator to burn the trash and power a generator, according to the report, and “generate renewable and sustainable from waste that would other- wise be landfilled.” The report states, “This will produce green energy for use on the Cayman Islands and re- duce dependence on electricity derived from fossil fuels.” A “waste-to-energy” system can take a number of forms, but could poten- tially contribute power back to the national grid. The fa- cility, the report notes, could be “relatively small when compared to other residual waste treatment facilities.” “The architectural de- sign of WtE [waste-to-en- ergy] facilities is very varied and can range from iconic buildings, industrial build- ings or designs that blend with the local landscape and environment.” Consultants say govern- ment should close the land- fills on Little Cayman and the Brac, consolidating the land- fills on the Sister Islands with the one on Grand Cayman. They also call for new composting and recycling ef- forts to reduce the amount waste ending up in the land- fill. The report suggests gov- ernment put recycling collec- tion areas at grocery stores, and long term, the report states, government should consider starting recycling pickup from residential and commercial properties sim- ilar to trash pickup. Additionally, the consul- tants write that the landfill should start charging fees. “The current lack of gate fees for landfill disposal runs con- trary to the principle that the polluter should pay. The in- troduction of gate fees should be considered as a measure to both reduce the quantity of waste requiring disposal and providing funds for land- fill operators and/or alter- native waste management initiatives,” the consultants wrote in the new report. The draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy is available online at the Ministry of Health website. A ministry release states that government plans to hold open house sessions on the strategy during the week of Nov. 16. Once the strategy is approved, government will begin preparing an outline business case with hopes to implement a strategy in 2017 or 2018. Waste Management Strategy: Landfill to reach capacity in 2021 followed Mr. and Mrs. Davis as they made a trip to Grand Cayman to investigate the possibility of immigrating to the island permanently. The show, which filmed in October last year, featured scenes with Mr. Davis inves- tigating jobs as a welder and his wife looking for work at hair salons. In one scene, the couple, who were married in Grand Cayman, try to calculate how much money they can make by selling their possessions to pay for the trip. The cam- eras follow them as they check out rental properties and visit the supermarket to see if they can afford to live in the Cayman Islands. The show ends with the couple tearfully telling Mr. Davis’s family in a Skype call from the beach that they are moving to Cayman. Mr. Davis said the show had been good publicity for Cayman and that they were recognized across the island. “We were walking down Seven Mile Beach and the governor recognized us. She said, ‘Hello, I’m Helen, I thought it was a really good show.’” Despite the good reviews and optimistic title of the show, “Wanted in Paradise,” the couple found that when it came to work permits, the re- ality was very different. Mr. Davis told the Cayman Compass he and his wife were offered jobs in February this year for an on-site handyman and maid services at Regal Beach rental properties on Seven Mile Beach. They flew to Cayman, ready for the move, believing the fast-track three-month work permit was a formality. They left for Cuba while the application was being processed. But the permit was deferred and an ex- pected three-day wait turned into a month. Mr. Davis said they were informed that the job had to be advertised through the National Workforce Development Agency be- fore their permits could be approved. He said the em- ployer conducted some in- terviews with candidates re- ferred by the agency, but apparently could not find a suitable local applicant. After being told by a rep- resentative from the gover- nor’s office, who made in- quiries on their behalf, that they could return to Grand Cayman, they came back to the island to stay with friends and await the decision. Finally, the bad news came in a letter from the Immigration Department in July, informing them that the application had been re- fused because at least one local applicant was capable of doing the job and because they had been on island as visitors when the applica- tion was submitted. Mrs. Davis said it was a “kick in the teeth” to be turned down for those rea- sons, despite believing they had permission to stay on is- land while the applications were processed. She said she felt frustrated and let down by how long it had taken to process the permits. “We feel we have lost ev- erything waiting on a three- month work permit over the last five months in Cayman.” Bruce Smith, acting chief immigration officer, said he could not comment on in- dividual cases, but Mr. and Mrs. Davis had been in- formed of the reasons by letter and their employer had the right of appeal. He said only the chief im- migration officer had the right to approve applications from people on the island as visitors, and only then in cases where there were “ex- tenuating circumstances.” Ergun Berksoy of Seven Mile Beach Investments, the company that applied for work permits for the couple, said, “I only know that the application was rejected and they returned back to U.K. That is all I can say about this subject.” The governor’s office took an interest in the case after seeing the show and acted briefly as a liaison be- tween the couple and the Immigration Department. Gary Benham, head of the governor’s office, said any communication with them was simply to pass on infor- mation from the department. He said the governor’s of- fice had done what it could to assist them and felt bad that their final impression of Cayman was not a good one. wrongdoing they observed because of a belief that they, not the wrongdoers, would be punished. “Examples were given of some civil servants only being allowed to take their [vacation] leave at the rate of one day per month, as a form of punishment for re- porting wrongdoing,” the report noted at the time. “Confidential and personal information has also been leaked by way of retaliation.” Protected disclosures The legislation sets out a formal process for reporting wrongdoing to an as-yet- undefined “designated au- thority,” a person or a public body to be appointed by the Cayman Islands governor. That authority would es- sentially be given the powers of a court in investigating re- ports of wrongdoing, called disclosures, and in moni- toring compliance with the law, if it is passed. If it finds evidence of wrongdoing, the authority would either refer the findings to the person responsible for disciplinary proceedings, refer the matter to the commissioner of po- lice [if criminal wrongdoing has occurred], or to the gov- ernor if the misconduct was committed by a high-ranking government official such as the police commissioner, for example. Public and private sector employees cannot make friv- olous complaints, or reports that are designed to embar- rass their employers. Any re- port of wrongdoing will not qualify for protection against retaliation unless it is made “in the public interest,” ac- cording to the legislation. In addition, if it would normally be an offense to disclose in- formation or if the infor- mation disclosed is consid- ered legally privileged, the person disclosing it would not be protected. Whistleblowers who dis- close information deemed to be in the public interest are given specific protec- tions in the bill against what is termed “detrimental ac- tion” – retaliation – by their employers. Detrimental ac- tion can include actions causing loss, injury, intimida- tion, harassment, discrimina- tion, disadvantage or any ad- verse treatment. The bill would make it a criminal offense to take det- rimental action against an employee who makes a pro- tected disclosure of wrong- doing. Prison terms of be- tween two and five years upon conviction for doing so are contemplated in the pro- posal. Damages can be paid to an employee who has been victimized, and em- ployers can be held vicari- ously liable for retaliatory ac- tions taken by their agents or other employees against a whistleblower. As an alternative, em- ployees may report suspected wrongdoing to the govern- ment director of labor and pensions, who would refer the matter to the Labour Appeals Tribunal for review. Public entity transfers The proposed legislation also would give the govern- ment service the added op- tion of transferring a worker who has reported suspected wrongdoing to another de- partment in the service, if the person requests it. In such a case, the govern- ment chief officer must be- lieve that the worker has or will be retaliated against if they were to remain in the department where they re- ported wrongdoing. The ability to transfer an employee is provided only to a public entity. False accusations Employees who know- ingly make a report of wrongdoing that is false, misleading or reckless, can be sent to jail. If an employee conspires with another person to make a false report or contravene the Whistleblower Law, the offense is punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment. “We sold our businesses, we sold our car, we sold everything we had, basically.” Jason Davis CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Unwanted in paradise CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cabinet last year asked the consultants studying the landfill to look only at the existing site and not seek alternative locations for a new landfill. Whistleblower bill can nullify contracts CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The proposed whistleblower legislation was prompted in part by a report from former Complaints Commissioner Nicola Williams. Among the recommendations of consultants on the proposed National Solid Waste Management Strategy is the closure of the landfills on Cayman Brac, pictured, and Little Cayman. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKERThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Tuesday OcTOber 27, 2015 WHO: Processed meat linked to cancer The World Health Organization’s cancer agency gave the most definitive response yet Monday about processed meats’ relation to cancer, putting those products in the same danger category as smoking or asbestos. You are always in our thoughts and prayers. Gone but never forgotten. With all our love, From the Cayassos Dad; Freddy, Stepmom; Sue, Sister; Amber, Grandmother; Dania, and the rest of the family Ha pp y Birt hday in Hea ve n ee Dwayne Bruce Cayasso 27/Oct/1985 - 29/Dec/2011 Platini’s right-hand man joins FIFA presidential race GENEVA (AP) – With Michel Platini expected to be ruled out of the FIFA presidential election because of his sus- pension, UEFA made a sur- prising last-minute decision Monday to throw its sup- port behind the Frenchman’s right-hand man. Gianni Infantino, the gen- eral secretary under Platini for the last six years, was given the go-ahead by an emergency UEFA execu- tive committee meeting held via video conference to join a growing field of up to seven contenders. On a deadline day full of late tactical changes, Asian soccer confederation pres- ident Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain joined the field and Liberian soccer federation president Musa Bility also entered the race. Bility’s candidacy to re- place Sepp Blatter in the Feb. 26 election comes two months after his campaign seemed over when African soccer leaders refused to support him. “I don’t want to go into any race that I cannot win,” Bility told The Associated Press, saying more than 25 of the 54 African voting federa- tions offered to nominate him. Bility joined the race one day after longtime African soccer confederation presi- dent Issa Hayatou – the in- terim FIFA president while Blatter is suspended – met with Sheikh Salman in Cairo. Sheikh Salman previously supported Platini’s campaign but decided to seek the top job himself after the UEFA president was suspended for 90 days in a FIFA ethics investigation. Blatter was suspended as part of the same investigation. Infantino, who was al- ready viewed as a contender to be appointed FIFA secre- tary general, gives UEFA an- other option if FIFA’s elec- tion committee bars Platini as a candidate. His candi- dacy also could strengthen a Europe-Asia alliance that seemed decisive earlier in the campaign. UEFA said in a state- ment that the Swiss lawyer “has our full support in his campaign to become FIFA president.” “He is in the process of submitting the required nom- inations and will issue a statement on his candidacy later today,” the European soccer body said. Other probable candidates vying for the FIFA job include Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, South African tycoon Tokyo Sexwale, former FIFA official Jerome Champagne and David Nakhid, a former player from Trinidad and Tobago. Sheikh Salman’s entry was already being criticized by rights groups who urged FIFA’s election committee to reject him as a candidate when it conducts integrity checks. Questions have been raised over whether Sheikh Salman adequately pro- tected Bahrain national team players after some took part in pro-democracy protests in 2011. Some players say they were tortured while detained by government forces when the sheikh was head of the Bahrain Football Association. UEFA made a surprising last-minute decision Monday to throw its support behind Gianni Infantino, the general secretary under Platini for the last six years. - Photos: AP Newly elected President of Asian Football Confederation Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain also joined the FIFA presidential field. CorPorAte deAls set to rise desPite globAl eConomy jitters LONDON (AP) – There is no let-up in executives’ ap- petite for corporate take- overs despite volatility in the stock market and mounting concerns over the global economy, particu- larly China. According to a survey released Monday by con- sulting firm EY, the re- cent wave of mergers and acquisitions, or M&A, is set to continue over the coming year. It found that 59 percent of global com- panies are planning to se- cure at least one deal over the next 12 months, partly as a means of cushioning waning global growth as China’s economy slows. The figure for October is up from 56 percent in April and 40 percent at the same time last year. It represents the highest interest in acquisitions that EY’s survey of cor- porate deal-making has found in its six-year his- tory. The low point was at the start, when only 24 percent of companies signaled the intention to make a takeover. “With modest in- creases in global GDP, or- ganic growth alone is not enough for companies to expand and reshape at the pace they need,” said Pip McCrostie, EY’s global head of transactions. “The search for growth is lifting deal-making to re- cord highs, and executives are focusing on M&A to se- cure innovation, competi- tive advantage and market share for the foreseeable future,” she added. UK firms agree to ‘name blind’ hiring to cut discrimination LONDON (AP) – Britain’s civil service and several major companies have agreed to recruit university gradu- ates and apprentices without knowing the applicants’ names in an effort to elimi- nate bias against people from ethnic minorities. Prime Minister David Cameron said in a major speech last month it was “disgraceful” that people with “white-sounding” names were twice as likely as others to be shortlisted for jobs. The goal of the new pro- gram is to make it easier for young graduates to get interviewed for their first jobs in an extremely competitive market. Cameron’s office said Monday that firms including international bank HSBC, ac- countants Deloitte, broad- caster BBC and the state- run National Health Service had signed up to the “name blind” recruitment plan, in which employers do not know applicants’ names when they are selecting them for interviews. Details are still scanty. The prime minister’s of- fice would not elaborate Monday ahead of a sched- uled meeting with busi- ness leaders, and HSBC officials declined to dis- cuss how the plan would be implemented. It is also supposed to ex- tend to the college applica- tion process, but officials said the timetable had not been finalized. Cameron first raised the issue at his party’s annual conference last month and emphasized it Monday in the Guardian newspaper with a column headlined “Conservatives have become the party of equality.” “Britain has come so far, but the long march to an equal society isn’t over,” he wrote. A beer vendor sells Budweiser and Bud Light at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Budweiser’s owner Anheuser-Busch InBev clinched a preliminary deal earlier this month to take over British beer company SABMiller for around US$106 billion. - Photo: APNext >