Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. High of 89 Low of 76 CayMas Carnival! F RIDAY MAY 17 , 2019 CA YMAN COM PASS Creative Collective at Art Nest Artisans u nite in blossoming space B3 ■EVENTS t Ar tisans u nite in ossoming spa spac CAYMAN WEEKENDER EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 A GOOD TIME TO RE-DISCOVER DISCOVERY DAY ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY, 17 MAY 2019 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY NUMBER OF FOREIGN WORKERS HITS ALL-TIME HIGH JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com There are more foreign workers employed in the Cayman Islands than at any other time in the territory’s history. There were 27,263 work permits and gov- ernment contracts for non-Caymanians at the end of last year, according to data provided by the Immigration Department following an open records request. Spanning the globe from Jamaica to Uz- bekistan and representing every aspect of the island’s economy, the number of expatriate workers now exceeds the previous high of 26,659, seen in November 2008. That 2008 statistic was recorded at the height of a construction boom as the country was rebuilt in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. The number of foreign workers in Cayman now is actually significantly higher than the work permit figure suggests. Government has dealt with a backlog of permanent residency ACTION GROUP TAKES BEACH-ACCESS FIGHT TO GRAND COURT KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com A group of retired Caymanians is taking government to court over its refusal to offi- cially register some 200 beach access paths. The ‘Concerned Citizens Group’ argues in its judicial review application that Regis- trar of Lands Sophia Williams was wrong not to register the rights of way, and that she was also wrong not to refer the matter to the Grand Court when the group appealed her de- cision. Attorney General Sam Bulgin also gave the registrar faulty legal advice, according to the judicial review application, which was filed by retired Caymanians Alice Mae Coe, Annie Multon and Ezmie Smith. The group further alleges in its judicial review application that government is re- fusing to register the beach access paths be- cause “government would like to retain a free hand in allocating lands to investors and Cayman coastline hit by stinky seaweed, again JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The stench coming from many of Cay- man’s beaches these days is horrible. That was the reaction from Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, as the stench of rotting sargassum wafted through the Cayman Islands. The latest influx comes less than two weeks after Tim Austin, deputy director of the Department of Environment, said the issue was not going away. While a potential nuisance on land when it washes up on our beaches in mas- sive quantities, floating rafts of sargassum in the open ocean form rich ecosystems that provide critical habitats for a diversity of marine species. But that is still not stopping locals and visitors alike from pinching their noses at the smelly, slimy problem that has govern- ment officials combing the beaches to come up with a sargassum-control plan. Government had crews working throughout the day to try to clear the beaches, but it is a delicate task to complete. Mark Bothwell, director of the Depart- ment Environmental Health, said the cur- rent influx is the worst he has seen. His de- partment is assisting the Recreation, Parks and Cemeteries Unit’s efforts to get rid of the sargassum from the South Sound and Bodden Town beaches, some of the hardest- hit areas in Grand Cayman. The seaweed’s decay and accompanying smell has prompted many complaints from the public. “Besides the very bad smell, there is no danger to the beach. It is a natural thing. It is just that there is some much of it – it’s the most we ever had,” Bothwell said. The task is made more difficult as more sargassum continues to wash up as the clean-up proceeds. “We are trying our best to deal with it … I can’t say how long it will take.” The department is using a mechan- ical beach cleaner and manual la- bour to try and get the sargassum off the beaches, Bothwell said. He recommends manual labour, as heavy equipment can destroy fragile turtle nesting areas. “It just keeps coming in … it’s an im- possible task. [As] fast as we take it up, it comes right back,” said landscaper Victor Romero, working for A-Z Garden Services to clear a beach off South Sound Road. Just yards away, workers from the Public Works Department were diligently clearing huge piles of sargassum from the South Sound Public Beach into foul- smelling piles, as more thick rafts of the sargassum washed in with every tide. 83-year-old South Sound resident Carey Hurlstone said he has seen a lot of seaweed before, but never like this. This is the worst he has ever seen it. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL®IONAL FRIDAY, 17 MAY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Cimboco - A Caribbean Café 94-PASTA (947-2782) Located in the Marquee Plaza The Long Weekend! Brunch & Breakfast til 3pm Saturday, Sunday & Holiday Monday 3.2% -0.4% -7.2% -2.7% 1.2% 1.2% 1.3% 2.7% 2.8% 3.1% 3.0% 20072008200920102011201220132014201520162017 Cayman Islands: Growth in Real GDP 2007 - 2017 Deutsche Bank investigation expands with police raids MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com German police and tax au- thorities raided more than 20 banks, tax advisers, asset management companies and the homes of eight suspects on Wednesday, in an inves- tigation related to the police search of Deutsche Bank’s headquarters in Frankfurt on 29 and 30 Nov. 2018. The November raid, in- volving 170 officers, fo- cussed on clients of a former Deutsche Bank unit in the British Virgin Islands. “The defendants are wealthy individuals who are subject to German taxa- tion,” prosecutors said in a statement. “They are believed to have set up trusts in the British Virgin Islands with the support of a former subsid- iary of a large German lender to hide investment income from German tax authorities and evaded paying tax.” The Financial Times re- ported last year that Regula Limited was the targeted BVI unit of Deutsche Bank’s Global Trust Solutions. Deutsche Bank has since sold its trust business out- side of the United States to Butterfield. Regula was named in the ‘Panama Papers’ leak of doc- uments from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. In 2016, Regula operated trusts for about 900 clients based mainly in Asia and Latin America, with approximately EUR311 million (US$349 mil- lion) in assets, the Financial Times reported in November 2018. At the time, the company generated revenue of less than EUR10 million (US$11.2 mil- lion) and contributed an oper- ating profit of US$1.1 million, the financial newspaper said. Wednesday’s raids were not directed against Deutsche Bank, which is cooperating with the public prosecu- tor’s office and has provided all documents requested, the German lender said. Prosecutors said the goal of the searches is to find evi- dence of income on which no tax was paid and to clarify the business dealings of the offshore entities. In February, Deutsche Bank said negative news cov- erage, including that on the raid by state prosecutors on the bank’s premises in No- vember, was a factor contrib- uting to the lender’s fourth- quarter loss. This investigation cen- tred on two unidentified em- ployees of the bank, who were accused of failing to report suspicious transactions. “Deutsche Bank helped customers found offshore or- ganisations in tax havens by transferring illegally acquired money without alerting au- thorities to suspected money laundering,” prosecutors said in a statement in November. The International Consor- tium of Investigative Journal- ists first wrote about Regula Limited in 2013 in its Panama Papers coverage, alleging that Deutsche Bank helped its cus- tomers maintain more than 300 secretive offshore com- panies and trusts through its Singapore branch. At the time a spokesman for the bank said, “Deutsche Bank is not offering any tax advice or any service of- fering registration of compa- nies in tax havens,” adding that the bank takes “exten- sive precautions to obstruct the misuse of the bank’s prod- ucts and services for money laundering”. Deutsche Bank sold its Global Trust Solutions busi- ness outside of the United States to Butterfield in March 2018, after the deal was an- nounced in October 2017. But- terfield said the GTS port- folio consisted of some 1,000 trust structures for approxi- mately 900 clients. More than 60 Deutsche Bank employees joined Butterfield as part of the acquisition. All trust and fiduciary ser- vices for former Deutsche trust clients are conducted from Butterfield locations in Cayman, Guernsey, Switzer- land, Singapore and Mauritius. Street closures for CayMAS Carnival CORRECTION The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service issued an advisory Thursday re- garding road closures that will take place on 18 May to facilitate the CayMAS Carnival Street Parade. From 10am to 12:30pm, South Church Street will be closed between Memorial Avenue and Boilers Road, in preparation for the parade. The parade begins at 12:30pm and sections of the road along the parade’s route will be closed as follows: ■■ 12:30-1pm – South Church Street will be closed between Me- morial Avenue and Boilers Road. ■■ 1-1:30pm – South Church Street and Har- bour Drive will be closed between Boilers Road and Fort Street. ■■ 1:30-2:15pm – North Church Street will be closed between Fort Street and Eastern Avenue. ■■ 2:15-3:45pm – West Bay Road will be closed between Eastern Avenue and Law- rence Boulevard. ■■ 3:45-4:15pm – West Bay Road will be closed be- tween Lawrence Boule- vard and Gecko Link (Galleria Roundabout). ■■ 4:15-5:30pm – West Bay Road will be closed be- tween Gecko Link and Lime Tree Bay Avenue. ■■ 5:30-6pm – West Bay Road will be closed be- tween Lime Tree Bay Av- enue and the Seven Mile Public Beach entrance. In a story that ran on 15 May, ‘Cruise Berthing Facility Recruits Another Benefactor’, a statement at- tributed to Premier Alden McLaughlin was incorrect. The article indicated that McLaughlin said the winning bidder of the berthing facility would re- ceive preferential dates and times to use the facility. The cruise lines that have already financed the facility will receive prefer- ential dates and times to use the facility. The winning bidder will be a construction company, not a cruise line. The raids are related to a search of Deutsche Bank’s headquarters in November 2018, which focussed on clients of a former Deutsche Bank unit in the British Virgin Islands. - PHOTO: BLOOMBERGThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS FRIDAY, 17 MAY 2019 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. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited 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 PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” ISHAAN THAROOR Five years ago, Matteo Salvini was still a figure on Italy’s political mar- gins. He had just been ree- lected as an Italian member of the European Parliament and was the recently in- stalled leader of what was then known as the Northern League, a party that har- boured dreams of splitting Italy’s industrial north from the rest of the country. In his youth, Salvini, who grew up in a middle-class Mil- anese family, had entered the party through a subsid- iary communist cell. But his beliefs consider- ably shifted: In 2014, when Salvini publicly acknowl- edged that he would be cheering the Italian soccer team at the World Cup, it was seen as a significant concession from a former separatist leader and a mark of a more expansive nation- alist agenda. Now, Salvini, 46, is Ita- ly’s nationalist in chief, a deputy prime minister in a populist coalition govern- ment and the most powerful politician in his country. His far-right party is known simply as the League; Sal- vini dispensed with dia- tribes against poor southern Italian peasants in favour of a more vehement rejection of immigrants, Muslims, and other unwanted minorities. In doing so, the League has become the most influen- tial right-wing party in the country, cannibalising sup- port from the traditional centre-right. Like President Trump and ultranationalists elsewhere, Salvini promises to put ‘Ital- ians first’. And he marshals local resentment towards the policies of the Euro- pean Union, railing against its cosmopolitan bureau- crats and what he calls ra- pacious bankers. This week, he roiled financial markets after suggesting that heavily indebted Rome would be willing to break EU budg- etary rules that cap how much public debt member states can accrue. “Europe makes sense if it acknowledges different cul- tures and identities,” Salvini said at a recent rally. “The EU cannot only be based on finance and business. That is not a dream, that is a nightmare.” In a week’s time, Salvini may make the nightmare all too real for the European es- tablishment. His party and a constellation of other far- right and Eurosceptic par- ties stand to make signif- icant gains in European parliamentary elections. One estimate suggests far-right and anti-establishment fac- tions could win as much as 35% of the vote, rival- ling the major centre-right and centre-left blocs on the continent. But they may struggle for greater cohesion – though they share an aver- sion to immigration, nation- alist and populist parties from different parts of Eu- rope do not always see eye- to-eye on major matters of continental policy, including public spending. But Salvini has positioned himself as the standard- bearer of Europe’s far right and is aiming to stitch to- gether an expanded far-right bloc that could wholly sub- vert the EU’s parliamentary processes. He already has two leading European far- right parties – France’s Na- tional Rally and the Alter- native for Germany – under his banner. Far from seeking an exit from the European Union, the continent’s far right, led by figures such as Salvini, believes that a greater reck- oning is on hand. “Most of these far-right populist parties have un- derstood that telling people they would leave the EU and the euro is scary,” Jean-Yves Camus, an expert on the ex- treme right at the Fonda- tion Jean Jaurès think tank in Paris, told France 24. “And the example of Brexit adds to this: The British know what they want to get out of, but they have no idea where they’re going. So maybe the populists haven’t changed their minds, but they have certainly changed their dis- course – from wanting to leave the EU to wanting to overhaul it from the inside.” But Salvini’s real game is closer to home. In the Euro- pean elections, the League will be competing against the party that is its coalition partner in Rome, the populist Five Star Movement. Though the latter came into power with the biggest vote share, its star has waned as Sal- vini’s and the League’s has risen. As the populist coali- tion struggles to enact the national reforms its parties promised on the campaign trail, the jockeying between the two camps is growing more intense. “With its more straight- forward law and order and anti-immigration message, the League has largely mo- nopolised media attention and public debate – over- shadowing the Five Star Movement,” Italian analyst Emiliano Alessandri said. “The party has attracted a growing number of voters who believe that Italy needs straight talk and tightfisted policies rather than soli- darity and political cor- rectness … A skillful politi- cian that has never ceased campaigning in the streets and on social media, Salvini has become Italy’s leader, for now largely eclipsing all others, in particular Five Star Movement head Luigi Di Maio.” Salvini “is using the vote for domestic purposes”, Dan- iele Albertazzi, a political sci- entist at the University of Birmingham, said to the Fi- nancial Times last month. “He wants to establish his narrative that Italy is at the heart of antiglobalist and anti-EU discourse, and that people have to look to him for leadership. That is more im- portant to him than what ac- tually happens in [the] Euro- pean Parliament.” Tharoor writes about foreign affairs for The Washington Post. He previously was a senior editor and correspondent at Time magazine, based first in Hong Kong and later in New York. © 2019, The Washington Post FRIDAY, 17 MAY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS “Since pre-Columbian Amerindians are not known to have visited the Cayman Islands, the history of the islands and their people effectively began on 10 May 1503, when Christopher Columbus and his men were the first Europeans to sight and describe Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.” – Michael Craton, ‘Founded upon the Seas’ When Christopher Columbus and his crew sailed by the Sister Islands some 516 years ago, they did little more than take note of the “two very small and low islands, full of turtles”. A forgivable oversight: They were, after all, lost – and in the midst of a rather disas - trous expedition that would be punctuated by a year’s marooning on the coast of Jamaica. Centuries have passed. The Cayman Islands have boomed. And Columbus’s legacy has been shaped and reshaped time and again. Now, many also perceive him as an archetype for colonial oppression and slavery, in addition to his reputation as a legendary explorer. If Columbus could have known that Cayman someday would be seen as one of the few places he can still be credited for genuinely discovering (and not just being the first European to visit), one wonders if he would have lingered here a bit longer. Discovery Day, which we celebrate on the third Monday of May, is among the lowest-profile of Cayman’s public holidays. Easter camping is finished; Ash Wednesday’s Agricultural Show is long gone; and Christmas remains on the opposite side of the calendar. This lack of emphasis, and stress, can perhaps be seen as one of Discovery Day’s most positive qualities. The coming long weekend may provide an ideal opportunity for Cayman residents to rediscover the attraction of Discovery Day. Many people will experience the vibrancy of Carib- bean culture, to the rhythm of soca music, during Sat- urday’s CayMAS celebration. (Organisers give a nod to Monday’s holiday with the event’s tagline: ‘Experience the Carnival… Discover the Islands’.) Others may choose to investigate quieter regions of our country, which contains a wealth of beaches, green spaces, aquatic spots and other soul-satisfying destinations. In even humbler fashion, many families will take the extra day to slow down and re-establish the peace and joy that underpin the foundations of healthy and harmonious households. And there are plenty of residents who are seizing the holiday to jet off and go explore somewhere new entirely – places Columbus himself never dreamed of. We can’t help but notice the abundance of fully booked flights to and from Cayman over the weekend. Whatever our readers decide to do for Discovery Day, whether it’s something extravagant or ‘a whole lot of nothing’, our wish is for you to encounter clear skies, calm seas and an irresistible sense of absolute contentment. Happy Discovery Day, Cayman. Here’s to another 516 years. A good time to re-discover Discovery Day EU’s ethnonationalist surge “ Most of these far-right populist parties have understood that telling people they would leave the EU and the euro is scary.” JEAN-YVES CAMUS, Fondation Jean JaurèsThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS FRIDAY, 17 MAY 2019 • SECURED GATED ENTRY & EXIT • SWIMMING POOL & SUN LOUNGERS • GYM • LANDSCAPED GARDENS BY LEADING DESIGNER • RESIDENT ROOF TERRACE • SECURED ALLOCATED PARKING KARMA SEAVIEW is an exciting and vibrant development of 10 luxury high end condos in South Sound overlooking the Caribbean Sea. KARMA SEAVIEW also enjoy the following features: *TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY. Starting from US$874,950.00 MLS# 410238, 410242 STAMP DUTY & LEGAL FEES PAID BY DHOWN HOMES* Alister Ayres: (345) 926-2885 • Alister@CaymanIslandsPropertiesLtd.com Karma Seaview www.karmaseaview.ky Karma Seaview www.CaymanIslandsPropertiesLtd.com Douglas R. Sell (345) 525-4444 Doug@CaymanIslandsPropertiesLtd.com Alister Ayres (345) 926-2885 Alister@CaymanIslandsPropertiesLtd.com www.primelocationscayman.com Nikki Thomas (345) 916-2436 nikki@primelocationscayman.com Member of Cireba Member of Cireba LAUNCH DATE: SATURDAY 25 MAY. 11AM - 2PM. For further details, please contact the Realtors. The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 FRIDAY, 17 MAY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS applications over the past few years, converting many workers who would previously have been on permits to PR status. There were 4,283 PR holders in the workforce as of June 2018, according to a separate Eco- nomics and Statistics Office report. While some have expressed social and cultural concerns about the bal- ance of nationalities in the islands, from an economic perspective the statistic is purely positive, according to Steve McIntosh, CEO of CML recruitment. He said the rise in permits was being driven by the success of the economy, particularly in the develop- ment and tourism sectors. Jobs in construction grew by nearly 20% between 2015 and 2018, while professional, scientific and tech- nical jobs, which include most profes- sionals in the financial industry, grew by around 25%, according to data from labour force surveys. The overall unemployment rate has dipped below 4% and the unem- ployment rate among Caymanians is now less than 5% – the lowest it has been for over a decade. McIntosh said the figures should put an end to the narrative that an in- crease in foreign workers meant less jobs or opportunities for Caymanians. “Recent history has proven the paradigm that unemployment and work permits are negatively corre- lated. As work permits have increased to record levels, so unemployment has sunk to historic lows, both driven by economic growth. Our recent expe- rience ought to have settled that de- bate, if there ever was one.” He said figures showed Cayma- nian employment growth in construc- tion and professional sectors had outstripped overall growth. “We’ve also seen a lot of move- ment among Caymanians in the fi- nancial services sector. There’s no good data in the public domain on this, but anecdotally I believe the re- cent growth has brought a lot of op- portunities for Caymanian advance- ment. We’ve certainly helped a lot of Caymanian candidates significantly increase their salaries in the last year,” he added. One negative side effect of such economic growth is seen in the housing market. “Cayman has long suffered from a woeful lack of affordable housing, and it’s only getting worse,” said McI- ntosh. While there are plenty of town houses and large condos available, he said there is a growing need for smaller, more affordable homes for young professionals. “Without some more diversity in accommodation stock we’re going to run into problems very quickly as rent inflation drives wage infla- tion, and ultimately economic slow- down results. It would be great to see studio apartments for under CI$1,000 a month in the Seven Mile Beach cor- ridor, and ideally under $500 farther out on public transport routes.” USA - 1,195 Canada - 1,183 Honduras - 1,179 Jamaica - 11,590 Dominican Republic - 318 Cuba - 199 Guyana - 272 Colombia - 162 Brazil - 75 South Africa - 378 Kenya - 109 Zimbabwe - 64 United Kingdom - 1,809 Ireland - 333 Italy - 75 Philippines - 3,951 India - 1,301 Nepal - 298 Australia - 202 New Zealand - 66 Jamaica 11,590 Philippines 3,951 United Kingdom 1,809 India 1,301 USA 1,195 Canada 1,183 Honduras 1,179 Nicaragua 437 Ireland 333 South Africa 378 46% Caribbean 16% North/Central America 2% Africa 1% Oceania 22% Asia/Middle East 11% Europe 2% South America <1% Other Work permit holders by nationality North/Central America Total: 4,299 Caribbean Total: 12,441 South America Total: 701 Africa Total: 629 Europe Total: 2,937 Asia/Middle East Total: 5,951 Oceania Total: 268 27,263 Total work permit holders Other total 37 From Rwanda to Kazakhstan, 130 nationalities in Cayman JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com When Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil first touched down in the Cayman Islands, the thing that struck him was the traffic and the noise. There was not any. “There was no honking, no pol- lution, it was so peaceful,” said ‘Dr. Binoy’, who arrived from the southern Indian city of Banga- lore, which has a population of just over 8 million. Dr. Binoy, Health City’s chief car- diac surgeon, is one of a growing number of Indian nationals in Cay- man’s workforce. The influx of Indian health pro- fessionals, many from the hospi- tal’s sister facility in Bangalore, has been a large contributor to one of the more dramatic changes in the demographics of Cayman’s expa- triate workforce. Indian nationals now make up the fourth-largest group of foreign workers in the Cayman Islands, after Jamaicans, Filipinos and Brits. The number of Indians on work permits jumped from 925 in 2016 to 1,301 at the end of 2018, a rise of 40%. Cayman’s closest neighbour, Ja- maica, is still the largest contrib- utor to the workforce. There were 11,590 Jamaicans working on per- mits in Cayman at the end of 2018, up from just under 10,000 in 2016. The Philippines has the second- largest number of work permit holders at 3,951, with the UK next at 1,809. In total, there are approxi- mately 130 nationalities now rep- resented in Cayman’s workforce. Some nationalities were listed mul- tiple times under differing names – such as Slovakia versus the Slovak Republic and the Czech Re- public versus the now dissolved Czechoslovakia – in government’s statistics. Workers in Cayman span the globe, including countries as far afield as Rwanda, Lithuania, Ka- zakhstan, Ethiopia, Lesotho and Vietnam. Steve McIntosh, a recruitment expert with CML who analysed the data for the Compass, said, “Unfor- tunately we don’t have good data to show the nationality of work permit holders by industry sector, but anecdotally I think the recent increase in work permit holders from India and Jamaica would re- flect the growth in hospitality and construction.” The growth of Health City has also had a clear impact on the changing make-up of Cayman’s ex- patriate workforce. Dr. Binoy said the hospital has gradually increased its staffing since opening in 2014 and now has 300 employees, including 200 from India. The complex work that Health City does requires experi- enced medical professionals with qualifications and experience not currently available in Cayman. Though there are long-term plans for a medical school on site, and Health City supporting career development for Caymanians, they currently rely heavily on imported workers. Dr. Binoy said a lot of the hospital’s technicians and orderlies come in teams for a short stint and then are replaced by others. The wages in Cayman are higher, so it gives different staff the oppor- tunity to earn good money for a pe- riod before returning to Bangalore. He said many of the new ar- rivals shared his impressions about the peacefulness of the island and the friendliness of the people. He said the hardest adjustment was to the workflow. In Bangalore, the medical teams were conducting as many as six heart surgeries in a single day, while the workload in Cayman is currently much smaller. Shomari Scott, the hospital’s marketing director, said it was still in the early days of its growth. He hopes to see more Caymanians on the medical side of the business, and Health City is involved in nu- merous initiatives to support the expansion of medical careers. He said there could be oppor- tunities for trainee doctors from Cayman to work in the much busier sister hospital in Bangalore to gain experience. The changing face of Cayman’s workforce Number of foreign workers hits all-time high CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS FRIDAY, 17 MAY 2019 A LUXURY WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT IN THE PRESTIGIOUS YACHT CLUB COMMUNITY The Residences of Stone Island is comprised of 44 waterfront residences built to the highest standards, with 4,500 square feet of open-concept living space. This private gated community boasts an exquisite array of lifestyle amenities; Tennis court expansive infinity edge pool docking facilities private screening room children’s center waterside owner’s lounge with chef’s kitchen bar and owner’s wine storage, to name a few. Welcome home to Stone Island. WWW.STONEISLANDCAYMAN.COM PHASE 1 OVER 60% SOLD Three full-scale model homes available for viewing BOOK A VIEWING Sales Inquiries (345) 925-6404 | info@stoneislandcayman.com Yacht Drive, just past Vista del MarThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 FRIDAY, 17 MAY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Churchill’s Funeral Home We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. AdellaEbanks, who passed away on Friday, May 10, 2019. A Thanksgiving Service will be held at West Bay Seventh Day Adventist Church, Batabano Road, West Bay, Grand Cayman on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Viewing will be from 1:00 –2:00 p.m. Interment follows at West Bay Cemetery. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com ing of 2019. d at urch, man on m .m etery. rchillsfuneralhome.com Churchill’s Funeral Home We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Dave Anthony Hooker, who passed away on Friday, May 10, 2019. A Thanksgiving Service will be held at Church of God Universal, Walkers Road, George Town, Grand Cayman on Saturday, May 18, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. Viewing: 9:00 –10:00 a.m. Interment at: Prospect Cemetery Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com Churchill’s Funeral Home We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Roberto Seymour, who passed away on Tuesday, May 07, 2019. A Thanksgiving Service will be held at First Assembly of God, 195 Old Crewe Rd, George Town, Grand Cayman on Saturday, May 18, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. Viewing: 2:00 –3:00 p.m. Interment at: Prospect Cemetery Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com Cayman to send 50 artists to CARIFESTA MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Performers, artists and ar- tisans are gearing up for the 14th iteration of CARIFESTA taking place in Trinidad and Tobago, 16-25 Aug. The festival, which got its start in 1970, draws par- ticipants from across the Caribbean region to cele- brate the cultures of the is- lands. Marcia Muttoo of the Cayman National Cultural Foundation said Cayman, which has participated in the event since 1981, expects to send a contingent of about 50 people to this year’s celebra- tion, some of whom are yet to be determined. “We still have auditions this weekend for dancers,” Muttoo said. The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands has also not yet selected the artists who will represent the island, Gallery Director Natalie Ur- quhart said. Featuring everything from traditional craftwork to edu- cational seminars to large- scale music concerts, Muttoo said CARIFESTA is “an op- portunity for the members of the Caribbean region to show off an aspect of our being that is not always the one that comes up in the news”. Among the participants Cayman will send, there are actors, dancers, storytellers, musicians, artists, chefs and academics. Muttoo said the latter group will hopefully be able to participate in some of the symposia being held during the festival. For the first time, the Cayman National Museum will send two cultural rep- resentatives, said Debra Barnes-Tabora, curator and collections manager. She said Carmen Conolly and Jerilo Rankine will demonstrate traditional crafts and will likely teach some classes in those crafts. Conolly, Barnes-Tabora said, will do embroidery, plaiting and other crafts, as well as cook traditional Cayman dishes. Rankine will show off his net making and knitting skills, she said. “This year there seems to be much more of a focus on tradition and crafts,” Barnes- Tabora said. “To partici- pate in CARIFESTA in this manner illustrates [the mu- seum’s] ability to showcase our heritage.” Urquhart said the mu- seum’s submissions would likely be heritage-driven as well. She said she’s still waiting to find out the pa- rameters for the art compo- nent of the festival. “We’ll supply the work of several Caymanian art- ists,” she said. “We’re cur- rently exploring a maritime- inspired exhibition, exploring Cayman’s strong maritime traditions.” While CARIFESTA tends to have a stronger emphasis on such things as traditional performing arts and food, “It is important that we have a presence,” she said. Muttoo said the event is not only an opportunity to showcase Cayman’s cultural offerings, but it is also an op- portunity to network with other Caribbean nations. “This is vital,” she said. “There are so many links and connections. Some of our fashion designers made con- nections last time around [during the 2017 event in Barbados]. It does give you openings.” The Cayman Government stepped up its support of the event this year, Muttoo said, providing $100,000 of the estimated $150,000 cost of sending participants to the festival. Officials, she said, under- stand “it’s another way of at- tracting people to Cayman”. Cayman residents will get a sneak peak at the fes- tival performances when the cultural foundation puts on a showcase at the Harquail Theatre 27-28 July. “ This year there seems to be much more of a focus on tradition and crafts. To participate in CARIFESTA in this manner illustrates [the museum’s] ability to showcase our heritage.” DEBRA BARNES-TABORA, Cayman National Museum Swanky Kitchen Band members Samuel Rose, left, and Nicholas Johnson perform at CARIFESTA 2017 in Barbados. - PHOTO: VICKI WHEATON JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new digital forensics hub in Grand Cayman will help tackle increasingly so- phisticated cybercrooks both here and across the Overseas Territories. Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said Cayman and other territories were currently ill equipped to deal with the growing threat. He said the new hub, part funded by the UK gov- ernment, would help ad- dress a skills and equip- ment shortage. He said police have been working with the UK Na- tional Crime Agency, and will open the new lab in Grand Cayman in July. He said each of the overseas territories would have a ‘spoke’ to deal with more routine cybercrimes, but the Cayman Islands will have the manpower and the tech- nology to take the lead on more complex cases. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service cur- rently has five staff with relevant qualifications, or in existing training pro- grammes, and will be re- cruiting up to four new em- ployees later this year. Byrne said the expertise of police officers has to keep up with that of the crimi- nals they are trying to catch. “There is no point sending a detective into a room with someone very cyber savvy if they don’t un- derstand it,” he said. “The traditional po- lice officer with a notebook and pen still has a place in policing … but the dig- ital age moves us in a dif- ferent direction. “We are looking at more people with cyberforensics capability or cyber investi- gative capability.” Cybercrime can range from phishing scams and complex wire fraud in- vestigations to child por- nography or cyberbullying investigations. Byrne said cyberforen- sics officers were trained in tracing internet protocol ad- dresses, finding hidden files on computers and devices and handling digital crime scenes. He said devices had become more complex and more varied and officers needed to follow interna- tional standards to ensure any evidence retrieved was admissible in court. “Years ago it was a small computer, now it can be a one terabyte USB stick,” he added. “We have to examine it forensically using inter- national standards so we can hold it up in court and say we seized your com- puter, your laptop, your phone, we didn’t interfere with it, we extracted the information and built our case that way.” He said a location had been identified for the hub and it should begin oper- ating late summer. The Cayman Islands is also working with the UK National Crime Agency to be the lead for the overseas territories in child protec- tion work, he added. Digital crimefighting hub to open in Cayman Drug trafficking among key regional threats JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Drug trafficking, terrorism and the growing threats posed by digital crime are among the key regional threats that will come under the microscope as police chiefs from around the Caribbean meet in the Cayman Islands next week. Experts from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency and US Homeland Security will also be in Cayman for the annual general meeting of the Asso- ciation of Caribbean Commis- sioners of Police at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Re- sort, Tuesday through Friday. The conference will have a heavy focus on digital crime, according to Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service Commis- sioner Derek Byrne. He said it would also pro- vide an opportunity for police chiefs to share expertise on dealing with common threats like gangs and gun crime. “The theme of the confer- ence is looking at regional ef- fectiveness in a changing po- licing environment, and a lot of it is around policing in a digital age,” he said. “There are issues around open borders, free movement, speed of communication, speed of transportation, move- ment of money, changes in phone technology,” he added. One global threat that has yet to touch Cayman’s shores is terrorism. And while there is no suggestion that the is- lands could be impacted, Byrne said it was important that Caribbean police chiefs stayed in touch with global threats and did not become a ‘weak link’. “We will learn from other jurisdictions how better to deal with terrorism at air and sea ports in par- ticular,” he said. “There is nothing to sug- gest it is a threat at the mo- ment, but as people are get- ting closed out of other places in the world, as the Ameri- cans become more robust on border control and France and Belgium and the UK be- come more robust, where do they go? What are the assets we have on island? Just be- cause it didn’t happen yes- terday doesn’t mean it isn’t going to happen tomorrow.” The commissioners are also expected to discuss guns and drug trafficking, a more pressing regional threat. Cayman already coop- erates very closely with Ja- maica on efforts to stop smugglers shipping ganja into the country. Byrne said this is just one example of how re- gional police forces need to work together. “Drug trafficking is a global phenomenon but it is also a problem here in the re- gion. We can’t deal with it in isolation. We need to rely on our international partners. We need to have intelligence. We need to have information. We need to be able to collaborate. Jamaica is the obvious place for us to work with, as well as all of the American agencies.” The theme of the con- ference is ‘Improving Re- gional Policing Effectiveness in a Changing World’ and in- volves commissioners of po- lice, senior law enforcement policymakers, security pro- fessionals, government offi- cials, industry partners and practitioners.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY, 17 MAY 2019 Government is being strongly encouraged to ad- dress sargassum on all three islands, said Minister O’Connor-Connolly. She said Environment Minister Dwayne Seymour has been requesting assis- tance from his ministry and department to come up with an effective sargassum plan. As far as she knows, O’Connor-Connolly said, they were working on it. She said Minister Seymour had just this week increased the ur- gency of his requests to find appropriate methods of get- ting rid of the seaweed, espe- cially in Bodden Town. She said she drove through Bodden Town on Wednesday and the stench was horrible. “A tremendous amount of it seems to be piling up in that district, even more than East End,” the minister said. O’Connor-Connolly also said Minister of Commerce, Planning and Infrastruc- ture Joey Hew is consid- ering using the NICE work programme to assist with the clean-up. “I fully support that be- cause Cayman is a tourist destination, but more im- portantly, Caymanians are living here and we should not have to endure that,” said O’Connor-Connolly. Growing up in Bodden Town, former minister and MLA for Bodden Town Os- bourne Bodden said the problem never occurred to this extent in the past. “To me it has reached chronic proportions, and when it stinks, it’s bad for business and for anyone to enjoy the beach or water,” Bodden said. “Government needs to act, and act now.” Bodden said he had sug- gested to government they look into marine harvesters that can suck the sargassum up and store it on land, where it is washed and later sold as fertiliser. “I believe this is do- able and will pay for it- self over time,” Bodden said. “This is a serious problem and it is killing marine life, and it’s horrible around all three islands.” Sargassum has even caused dive trips in Cayman Brac to be cancelled. Jason Belport of Little Cayman Beach Resort said he has never seen it like this, with no clear end in sight. “We do not know if it will continue to be a problem. We found that it has been im- pacting the guest experiences here at the resorts,” Belport said. “We got some guys that go on the beach and try to clean it up, but fast as they remove it, [it’s] floating right up behind them. It’s a terrible thing and a bit torturous in that regard,” he said. Cesar Guierrez, of Cap- tain’s Table Restaurant in Cayman Brac, said things are getting bad on the Brac. “I have a lot of tourist coming over here, and they are com- plaining they can’t go to the beach and it’s very [stinky] on the land. He said although there are official efforts to deal with the problem in Grand Cayman, on Cayman Brac they are on their own. Seaweed is a vital eco- system unto itself, home to many species of ocean life. Sea turtles rely on seaweed for protection from pred- ators as they make their way through the oceans. When the seaweed washes ashore, it nourishes beaches and prevents erosion, as well as creating a food source for birds and other beach creatures. Sargassum management briefs The Centre for Resource Management and Environ- mental Management at the University of the West In- dies in Barbados, along with Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Area and Wildlife, Parc National de la Guadeloupe, and the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Insti- tute have issued sargassum management briefs to enable government officials, coastal managers, beach caretakers and coastal residents to get ahead of the ‘golden tides’ by providing up-to-date information. These influxes, the centre says, have given rise to a number of serious socio-eco- logical and economic con- cerns, particularly in the hos- pitality and fisheries sectors. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to managing sar- gassum influxes. Different management approaches will work best in different situa- tions and locations, they say, depending on factors such as the biomass of sargassum, They also suggest letting nature run its course. Left on the beach, the sargassum will eventually wash away, be buried by the next high tide, or dry in the sun, elimi- nating the smell. They suggested some dos and don’ts for dealing with Sargussum: ■■ Let nature run its course in inaccessible areas or when volume of weed is small; ■■ If removal is necessary, collect sargassum di- rectly from the water along the shoreline to prevent it sinking and/ or stranding, and to avoid removal of sand; ■■ Monitor removal to en- sure no threat to en- dangered sea turtles; ■■ Where feasible, opt for manual removal. Get com- munities involved with or- ganised beach clean-ups; ■■ If using machinery, con- sider the most appro- priate types to give the least impact on beach and wildlife. Only op- erate machinery on wet sand in the inter-tidal zone of the beach, and minimise the manoeu- vring of machinery on beaches and the re- moval of beach sand. ■■ Don’t collect sargassum out in the open sea, where it serves as a valuable ecosystem; ■■ Don’t use heavy tracked machinery, es- pecially on sea turtle nesting beaches; ■■ Don’t use mechanical equipment without giving consideration to wild- life, beach vegetation and other beach users; ■■ Don’t use any equipment that causes significant re- moval of sand as this re- sults in beach erosion. What is sargassum? Sargassum is a brown ma- rine alga (seaweed) which is generally associated with the Sargasso Sea of the North At- lantic Ocean. It is made up of leafy appendages, branches and round, berry-like struc- tures. These ‘berries’ are ac- tually gas-filled bladders (mostly containing oxygen) which aid in buoyancy, al- lowing the sargassum to float on the ocean surface. Scientists originally thought the sargassum in- fluxes were coming from the Sargasso Sea, however by backtracking from the mass influx in 2011, scientists are now convinced that the re- cent influxes seen the Carib- bean Sea and along the coast of West Africa are related to massive sargassum blooms occurring in the equatorial area of the Atlantic, where the ocean currents rotate in what oceanographers call the North Equatorial. Sargassum becomes a problem when it impacts the catches of key fish species and disrupts coastal fishing communities, tourism activ- ities and sea turtle nesting. Although sargassum is generally harmless. It can be used as ferti- liser, plant tonic, compost, mulch and pest control. It is also a source of chem- ical compounds for phar- maceuticals/personal care products/food supplements, biofuel/biogas, chipboard biosorbent for removal of heavy metals in pol- luted water, and livestock and fish food. Cayman coastline hit by stinky seaweed, again CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Sargassum fills the water in Cayman Brac.Tourists get a view of the sargassum influx in East End. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY other people without having to deal with well-protected rights of way”. As far back as 2003, the group filed 500 affidavits from members of the public in an effort to officially reg- ister the paths. Members of the group say they have been in constant dialogue with successive gov- ernments ever since. But it was not until 2017, when a series of beach access dis- putes put the issue back in the spotlight, that they re- ceived a response. In a letter to the group, Registrar of Lands Williams said the law did not enable her to register the accesses unless ordered to do by a court, following a dispute. She acknowledged that such access paths did ac- quire legal status under the Prescription Law after 20 years of use, but indicated that this could not be offi- cially recorded on the lands register without a court order confirming the “exist- ence, nature and extent” of the easement. Coe, Smith and Multon sought to challenge that de- cision, but they were denied legal aid for an appeal. They believe that the law permits government to register the paths on the basis of the evidence they have provided. About a year ago, a judge ruled that they should be granted legal aid to push the case. In the judicial review ap- plication filed on 1 May, the group acknowledges that they technically did not file the application within the allowed time to challenge government’s refusal. The group asks the court permis- sion to file the application ‘out of time’, arguing that it would be in the public in- terest, and that one of the reasons for the delay was the lengthy process of ob- taining legal aid. “This is a case in which the interest of justice can only be served by a grant of leave to make the appli- cation out of time,” states the application, which is posted on the financial ser- vices site OffshoreAlert. “If an extension of time cannot be granted in a case where a significant part of Cayma- nian heritage, countrywide, is in danger of being completely eroded and in a matter where the law is very clear, it is dif- ficult to imagine other cases where such an application might be granted.” The group is being rep- resented by attorney H. Phillip Ebanks. The three applicants are well known for their in- volvement in a lawsuit chal- lenging the closure of a sec- tion of West Bay Road as part of a land-swap deal be- tween the Dart Group and the Cayman Islands govern- ment. In that case, the three applicants were joined by resident Betty Ebanks. Grand Court Justice Al- exander Henderson ruled against the applicants in a judgment published in Feb- ruary 2014, determining that the challenge had been “brought too late to be con- sidered on its merits”. In a judgment published in November 2014, the Court of Appeal upheld Justice Henderson’s decision against the applicants. Action group takes beach-access fight to Grand Court CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1Next >