Original Chicken Sandwich © 2021 Burger King Corporation. cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Friday, 11-17 June 2021 Feature fi lm training for local crews Page 18 National football players hit out at CIFA president Page 22 compass Gone crabbing Land crab numbers plummet as development threatens natural habitat. Page 8 Photo: Taneos Ramsay National football players hit out at CIFA president Cayman’s newest COVID weapon explained Page 3Keith Parker Tibbetts Jr. passes away Business entrepreneur Keith Parker Tibbetts Jr. passed away on 5 June. Tibbetts was the founder of Associated Industries, which includes Ace, AI Rentals, Parker’s, and Save the Date Weddings & Events Planners. In 2018, he was awarded the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Business. Tibbetts and his siblings were born on Cayman Brac to the late Capt. Keith Parker Tibbetts and Marjorie Tibbetts, who opened a convenience store when he was 5 years old. He moved to Grand Cayman in 1969, and with $150 and three used cars, started his own business, according to the Chamber profi le. He also made a foray into aviation and satellite- video services, developed the largest local video movie-rental business, and opened a beauty salon with his late wife, Alecia, and his sister, Virginia. Speaking at the Chamber awards ceremony in 2018, Tibbetts said of his success in business over the decades: “For a lot of the businesses, I wasn’t the fi rst one to go into them. I just tried to run mine better, and put whatever elbow grease that I needed into it.” Tibbetts had been confi ned to a wheelchair for several years because of an amputation due to diabetes complications. He dedicated much of his later years to the cause of people with disabilities, and was a member of the Cayman Islands National Council for Persons with Disabilities, helping the government to draw up legislation protecting the rights of – and improving access for – disabled individuals. For his work supporting people with disabilities, he was named patron of the Cayman Islands Disability Policy, which was released in 2014, and his work in this fi eld was also recognised when he was awarded the Cayman Islands Certifi cate and Badge of Honour in 2017. His funeral will take place on Saturday, 12 June. Prison offi cer arrested with ganja at Northward A prison offi cer was arrested at Northward Prison on 9 June after attempting to introduce drugs into the prison, a police statement said. Police said just after 6am, offi cers responded to the prison, following a report from Director of Prisons Steven Barrett concerning a member of staff. The RCIPS statement said, on arrival at Northward, the police were handed two packages containing a quantity of ganja and they were informed that the prison offi cer was attempting to bring the drugs into the prison. He was then arrested. Barrett, in the police statement, confi rmed, that “a 39-year-old male prison offi cer has been arrested following an internal investigation carried out within (Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service). A criminal investigation has now been launched by the police.” Police also searched the prison offi cer’s vehicle and recovered further evidence relating to their investigation, the RCIPS statement said. Investigations are continuing. Cayman teen part of new global environmental magazine Caymanian environmental activist Dejea Lyons is one of six young editors of global magazine OH-WAKE, whose inaugural issue was released on 8 June, to mark World Oceans Day. Lyons, 18, vice president and co-creator of local youth environmental group Protect Our Future, said she was thrilled to be one of six editors chosen from around the world to be part of the environmental magazine, a joint initiative between Ocean Heroes Network and HP. “I’m grateful for the opportunity and I just hope that I make everyone on the island proud,” Lyons said in an interview with the Cayman Compass. She said being able to represent the island on such an international level is beyond her imagination. “I think it’s going to really put us on the map. There’s going to be so many people that are seeing this because… Ocean Heroes Network is an international platform with international foundations and very big corporations watching them constantly… I think when people see our stories and [what] I will create they’re going to recognise that we have a lot more to live for,” she added. Nursing chief: The struggles with tackling COVID The Health Services Authority’s Chief Nursing Offi cer Dr. Hazel Brown, speaking on Crosstalk on 8 June, recalled the stresses and pressures faced by healthcare workers in Cayman at the height of the COVID outbreak in the Cayman Islands. With continuing low numbers of imported cases, no local transmission since last year, and no COVID-related hospitalisations since January, fears over the coronavirus have eased among many in Cayman, but there was a time when it threatened to overwhelm local health services. Brown, along with HSA CEO Lizzette Yearwood and Health Minister Sabrina Turner, commended the work of Cayman’s healthcare workers both at a time when COVID cases were appearing locally and during the current vaccination programme that has seen 72% of the estimated population receiving at least one dose of the vaccine. “The public didn’t see it because the healthcare workers handled it on the inside,” Brown said. “There was a time we had fi ve COVID patients admitted. There were times when we had critically ill COVID patients on a very tiny unit, with very limited staff. We had to handle it. “This is why I keep saying we’re victims of our own success because nobody outside the four walls of the HSA knew the struggles our staff were facing on the inside.” She said, at one point, the Cayman Islands Hospital’s small Respiratory Care Unit was full, and there were also COVID patients in the Critical Care Unit. Matinees (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00 (Mon-Fri before 6pm) Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets 640-FILM (640-3456) Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK A QUIET PLACE PART II (PG-13) (FRI & MON-THURS) 4:20 | 6:45 | 7:15 VIP| 9:50PM | 10:10 VIP (SAT) 4:40 | 6:45 | 7:15 VIP | 9:50 | 10:10 VIP (SUN) 4:10 | 6:45 | 7:15 VIP | 9:50 | 10:05 |10:10 VIP CRUELLA (PG-13) (FRI & MON-THURS) 3:50 | 4:10 VIP | 7:00 (SAT) 12:30 | 12:50 VIP | 3:50 | 4:10 VIP | 7:00 (SUN) 3:50 | 4:10 VIP | 6:30 VIP | 7:00 | 9:45 VIP GODZILLA VS. KONG (PG-13) (FRI-WED) 4:00 | 9:05 | IN THE HEIGHTS (PG-13) (FRI & SUN-THURS) 3:30 | 3:30 VIP | 7:00 VIP | 9:20 | 9:45 VIP (SAT) 12:30 VIP | 1:25 | 3:30 | 3:30 VIP | 7:00 VIP | 9:20 | 9:45 VIP SPIRIT UNTAMED (PG) (FRI & MON & WED-THURS) 4:25 VIP | 6:45 (SUN) 1:10 VIP | 1:45 | 4:25 | 6:45 (THURS) 4:25 VIP THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT (R) (FRI-SAT & MON-THURS) 6:45 VIP | 7:10 | 9:30 VIP | 10:05 For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted CLASSICS PROUD MARY (R) TUESDAY 7PM VIP (FRI-WED) 4:00 | 9:05 | KIDS CLUB BEDTIME STORIES (PG) SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Cayman Compass Ltd. Compass Centre, Shedden Road, George Town, Cayman Islands SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@compassmedia.ky ADVERTISE WITH US: T: (345) 949-5111 E: sales@compassmedia.ky W: caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EDITORINCHIEF KEVIN MORALES weather Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies with a 40% chance of early morning showers and possible thunder. SEA STATE Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. caymancompass.comfacebook.com/caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass WINDS East to southeast at 5 to 10 knots. 88°F HIGH 77°F LOW SAT 89°F HIGH 77°F LOW SUN 89°F HIGH 78°F LOW MON 89°F HIGH 78°F LOW TUES 89°F HIGH 78°F LOW WED 89°F HIGH 78°F LOW FRI 89°F HIGH 78°F LOW FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass news in brief Former minister Joey Hew, right, presents Keith Parker Tibbetts Jr. with a lifetime achievement award on 28 Oct. 2018. Dejea Lyons was selected as an editor for a new environment magazine sponsored by Ocean Heroes and HP. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 11 JUNE 2021Cayman fi rst jurisdiction in region to boast variant- detecting equipment, vital to green-listing RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Cayman’s ability to conduct genome sequencing is not only a pivotal leap forward for the local COVID response, it could also help give the jurisdiction the edge it needs to be added to the UK’s ‘green’ travel list. Health Services Authority CEO Lizzette Yearwood made this point when she discussed the new technology on the Cayman Crosstalk radio show on 8 June. “Once we can identify what is happening here in this community, we upload it into a global database. [W]e have had a lot of discussion with the Governor’s Offi ce about this, because this technology and the information we get from these tests is really going to help us in our negotiations with the UK to get us in the green status, so we are very excited about the work,” Yearwood said. At present, Cayman is on the UK’s amber list, which requires that travellers from here must quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in Britain. HSA recently announced the Cayman Islands Forensic Science Laboratory has commenced this specialised testing, the first to be done regionally outside of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee praised the advancement, noting: “[G]enomic sequencing... will have applications in the identification of a number of different infectious diseases, in the management of other medical conditions, and in other forensic work. “In infectious diseases, genomic sequencing essentially gives us the ‘signature’ of each strain so we can track which one is causing an outbreak. It is a very technical process requiring a high degree of skill,” Lee told the Cayman Compass in an email. Key tool in COVID fi ght HSA molecular biologist Jonathan Smellie, who has been conducting the sequencing, said that having this technology on island is a “big deal”. “It’s important in many different ways. The immediate need for it is sequencing of SARS-CoV-2, and that is done all around the world. It’s been happening over the last year and so that’s really what we’re getting started with first,” Smellie told the Compass. However, he said, there is much more scope with the technology they are now using at the laboratory. HSA received two next generation sequencing machines through donations from the R3 Cayman Foundation, the Caring for Life Foundation and an anonymous private donor. Bryan Hunter, R3 Foundation chairman, said delivering on such a donation was more than worth it, given the benefits to the island, especially as it helps to determine the origin of variants. “[It] helps us to contact trace the cases of COVID that we’re experiencing in Cayman and that all helps the jurisdiction to respond to viruses like the one we’re facing, and we understand that other jurisdictions which have this type of equipment have been able to use it to great effect when it comes to containing outbreaks,” he said. Hunter added that having the equipment would help Cayman “prepare for, detect, [and] respond to variants [and] other viruses in a very effective manner, [mitigating] the risks for the jurisdiction when it comes to these types of pandemics going forward”. How it works Prior to the use of genome sequencing, Cayman’s SARS- CoV-2 capability only related to PCR testing, which detects the presence of the coronavirus from a patient sample – because at least those parts of its genome are present. However, only genome sequencing can show the detail of every part of the viral genetic code that is in a sample. Smellie said the genome sequencing starts with the same nasal swab used for PCR testing. After the patient is swabbed, the sample then goes into a viral transport media or a solution. “If there’s virus present on that swab, it gets suspended in that media and then it goes through to our lab and we process it. We inactivate the virus. If it’s present, then we extract and purify that genetic code leaving behind all the Genome sequencing advances COVID fi ght HSA molecular biologist Jonathan Smellie has been conducting the genomic sequencing at the lab. – Photo: Alvaro Serey SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (UK variant) isolated from a patient sample and cultivated in cell culture. - Credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases SARS-CoV-2 SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (UK variant) isolated from a patient sample and cultivated in cell culture. - Credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Spike glycoprotein (S) Membrane Protein (M) RNA and Nucleocapsid Protein (N) Lipid Membrane Envelope (E) a lot of discussion with the medical conditions, and in other forensic work. “In infectious diseases, genomic sequencing HSA received two next generation sequencing machines through donations from the R3 Cayman Foundation, the Caring for Life Foundation and an anonymous private donor. Bryan Hunter, R3 Foundation chairman, said delivering on such a donation was more than worth it, given the benefits to the island, especially as it helps to determine the origin of variants. in Cayman and that all helps the jurisdiction to respond to viruses like the one we’re facing, and we understand that other jurisdictions which have this type of equipment have been able to use it to great effect PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10» “In infectious diseases, genomic sequencing essentially gives us the ‘signature’ of each strain so we can track which one is causing an outbreak. It is a very technical process requiring a high degree of skill.” Dr. John Lee, chief medical offi cer cayman compass 3 news N news FRIDAY, 11 JUNE 20211234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Subject of conversation (5) 4 Pompous verbiage (7) 8 Invite (3) 9 Violent seizure of power (4,5) 10 Item of clothing (7) 11 Monastic community (5) 13 Atmospherics (6) 15 Refuse to accept (6) 18 Defraud (5) 19 General physical examination (5-2) 21 Bad temper (3,6) 23 By way of (3) 24 Colouring matter (7) 25 Conveniently near (5) DOWN 1 Mob-dispersing vapour (4,3) 2 Inscrutable countenance (5,4) 3 Recurrent round (5) 4 Captain Bligh’s ship (6) 5 Act as go-between (7) 6 Perform a part (3) 7 Shabby (5) 12 Emerge without profit or loss (5,4) 14 Come uninvited (7) 16 Ornamental shrub-clipping (7) 17 Approach and address (6) 18 Fresh and bracing (5) 20 Soil (5) 22 Fall behind (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16715 The numbers in the black cells are clues. Numbers above the slash are across clues. Number below the slash are down clues. The goal is to enter digits 1 - 9 in the white cells to add up to the number clues. You cannot enter any digit more than once when adding up to clue. TODAY'S SOLUTIONS Puzzle 16715 ACROSS: 1 Topic, 4 Bombast, 8 Ask, 9 Coup d’etat, 10 Garment, 11 Abbey, 13 Static, 15 Reject, 18 Cheat, 19 Check-up, 21 Ill humour, 23 Via, 24 Pigment, 25 Handy. DOWN: 1 Tear gas, 2 Poker face, 3 Cycle, 4 Bounty, 5 Mediate, 6 Act, 7 Tatty, 12 Break even, 14 Intrude, 16 Topiary, 17 Accost, 18 Crisp, 20 Earth, 22 Lag. cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 11 JUNE 2021 cartoon Dinner talk By Caymanman I’d like to give my opinion regarding the current and future importance of a healthy tourism sector. I’ve been fortunate to call the Caribbean home for 30 years. I’ve lived, worked and played in both the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Nearly 10 years in the Cayman Islands has allowed me a unique perspective regarding the importance of tourism as it relates to other Caribbean islands. Make no mistake, the Caribbean is a competitive marketplace and there are hundreds of islands to work, play or call home. The Cayman Islands has some distinct advantages regarding tax structure, offshore financing and real estate development, but I’ve witnessed firsthand the importance of tourism to a large majority of Caymanians. From supermarkets, dive operators, hotels, rental properties, countless retailers, restaurants, airport revenue and hundreds of service providers, the tourism sector touches the lives and pocketbooks of nearly every Caymanian. There are, in fact, several pillars of the Cayman Islands economy, but the tourism sector is the key financial driver for the average Caymanian in my estimation. I have no doubt as to the importance of the financial and real estate sectors as they relate to filling government coffers, but I don’t think it reaches the average Caymanian the way the tourism sector does, especially from an employment standpoint. I think the Cayman Islands should open the borders to all tourists when you are ready and feel it’s safe to do so. I sincerely hope the people of the Cayman Islands understand the importance of a healthy tourism sector as it relates to most Caymanians. In my estimation, this is one pillar of the economy that truly touches the lives of all Caymanians and to underestimate its importance would be to do so at your own peril. Bob Nickoles Maryland, US I miss you so much, Cayman. I miss your people and your sunshine and your reefs. I was not fortunate enough to have been born in Cayman, but from my first visit 27 years ago, it felt like home. As a biologist, I have dedicated my professional life to studying the reefs that surround the Cayman Islands and have worked with your outstanding Department of Environment. My return to Cayman (and the return of others who love it, too) is being blocked by ‘rules’ that are not consistent with the evidence that the COVID vaccines are highly effective at both preventing illness and transmission of COVID. The rest of the Caribbean has opened its doors to vaccinated individuals. The quarantine imposed by the Cayman government, whether 14 days, 10 days, or five days, for vaccinated people, makes absolutely no sense. Please, your economy needs visitors and your devoted visitors need Cayman. Allow fully vaccinated people to visit without quarantine. Elizabeth Sherman Allow vaccinated people to visit Cayman People need to recognise importance of tourism to Cayman Letters to the editor Nursing chief: The struggle with tackling COVID Dr. Hazel Brown, you are truly appreciated. You and the entire staff of the Health Services Au- thority have been amazing during these ‘interesting’ times. – Parkie Joanne Dr. Hazel Brown, I would like to thank you and your team for the hard work put into caring, testing and keeping our loved ones and the community as a whole safe dur- ing this pandemic. Many of these nurses should be awarded with the Florence Nightingale Medal. – Dorothy Davis Suspended sentence, community service in animal-cruelty case Appalling! I have one of the little dogs in the photo. He couldn’t walk for a week he was in so much distress. Shame on this sentence. – Amber Yates Disgraceful. They should have thrown the book at her. This is not justice. There is a special level of hell waiting for people who mistreat animals. What kind of message does this send!? We need to crack down hard on animal abuse cases, not let people get off so lightly. – Claire Fletcher What an easy sentence! Do to her what she did to these poor animals and that’s a better sentence! This country has a long way to go regard- ing animal abuse. So disappointing. – Victoria Bise She needs to be banned for life [from] having any animals! – Rhonda Maydanski She needs serious jail time! Put her in a crate for a long period of time so she knows how it feels. – Julie Gallant-Cumber Very disappointing. What sort of message does this send about what our community is prepared to tolerate? – Colette Wilkins The community service should be made to be with each animal charity on island who had to try and rehome these poor dogs. – Kiralee Harnett Not enough, but at least there was a punishment. – Lisa Vee Cayman draws with Bermuda in final World Cup qualifier Great heart shown by the guys. A win would have been good but I know they gave it their all. Those guys take repre- senting Cayman very seriously. More support is needed at all levels. – Ben Meade Britannia owners’ golf and beach rights upheld in landmark case It’s his property. Just because the previous owner had an agreement doesn’t mean new owners have to abide. It’s not their right to claim anything on private property. – Carlos Archibold Great news! Hopefully this will set the precedent so Dart can’t block beach access... by the Kimpton/old West Bay Road near where Tiki Beach was. – Carol Adams I couldn’t imagine not hav- ing access when strata and insurance fees start at $1,200 per month. – Mona Kazemi Browne What they’re sayingNORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky On any given Friday night in Cayman, a diner would be forgiven for thinking that the restaurant scene is booming, with full dining rooms, laden plates, busy waiters and a bustling bar service. Fast forward a few days to a Monday or Tuesday, however, and it’s a very different picture. Cayman’s restaurateurs say they are struggling to keep their heads above water, and that they have been running at a loss since the borders closed 15 months ago. This week, the Cayman Compass met with a group of 20 restaurant owners and managers, all of whom had the same concern – with no clear path to reopening the borders, they don’t know how long they’ll be able to keep their doors open or their staff employed. “It is important to share with people how difficult it has been and how it could be in the future for restaurants. They see us on Friday night and see that we’re busy, but they don’t know how difficult it is during the week... We’re at 40-50% of what we used to be, and some at 20-30%,” said Cristiano Vincentini, co- owner of Agua restaurant in Camana Bay. Since restaurants were allowed to reopen after lockdown in June last year, they have been dependent on the islands’ estimated 65,000 residents for their custom. In 2019, those restaurants had a share of the record 2.3 million tourists who entered the Cayman Islands that year. Tukka owner Ron Hargrave told the Compass, “It has been an absolute struggle for the last 15 months. Now the biggest question is, do we close or stay open? ... We’re looking at summer, we’re looking at hurricane season – do I put the rest of the staff I have out on the street?” During last year’s school vacation period, restaurants benefited from people spending pension funds on staycations in East End and North Side, or at Seven Mile Beach hotels. This summer, however, the restaurateurs are expecting a different scene, especially if the quarantine period is reduced from 10 days to five days for vaccinated travellers, as has been suggested. Markus Mueri, owner of Abacus and the recently closed Deckers, explained that he and others in the restaurant sector are expecting an exodus of residents who are desperate to visit family overseas or just go on vacation after being unable to leave island since March last year. He said professionals, who have not had a break from work since the pandemic began, are just waiting for a shorter quarantine period before going off island for vacation. “They are our lifeline. These are the people we have been surviving with over the last 15 months,” he said. Without tourists to replace them, the restaurants are likely to find themselves in dire straits this summer, with no respite until quarantine is eliminated. With lockdown proving that employees can effectively work from home, those returning to Cayman after a trip abroad can easily deal with five days’ quarantine. However, for US tourists, who typically get 10 days’ leave a year, this would make too big a dent in their holiday time to make the trip here worthwhile. Many US citizens who have been in contact with the Compass have said that as long as any quarantine period is in place, they are likely to opt not to come here. “I hope and dream that by July this summer, the quarantine will be removed [for vaccinated travellers],” Mueri said. “Travel agents and tourism specialists have made it very clear that any quarantine will not increase tourism on the island.” The restaurateurs are calling for a border- reopening plan, so they can determine when to begin staffing up, what start date to give new employees, and when to begin training new workers. Without that, they said, they don’t know if they should take the risk of continuing to operate at a loss for more months, or close temporarily, or go to investors to ask for more money. The restaurants, in an effort to find local staff to prepare for when the borders reopen, have been in contact with the Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman department to hire Caymanians, but there does not appear to be many applications at the moment, the owners said. Restaurants are also facing the added problem of rising food prices. The cost of meat, for example, has increased by 15% since May 2020, according to the US Food and Agriculture Organization, while cereal prices have gone up 36.6% and vegetable oil by a whopping 124%. Walter Fajette, co-owner of Agua, noted his kitchen’s chef comes to him frequently with receipts for ingredients, exclaiming, “The prices, the prices!” But the restaurants can’t put their prices up in response to this because the current market is so small and the competition to attract diners is fierce. With the islands’ vaccination rate at 72%, the restaurateurs are hopeful that the government will soon make a decision on when and how to safely reopen the borders. Fajette said that people tend to only see restaurants on their busy nights, because that’s the night those people go out, and assume they’re doing well. “Everyone should ask themselves ... could you survive in the business you work in with a daily loss? You still have costs, not just for the business but in your private lives. What if, all of a sudden, your business lost money and you can’t pay your staff? That is what we have been facing for the past year and half.” 197067-Ad-Compass-EducationalGra1 16/2/21 3:05:10 PM Restaurants struggling to survive Restaurateurs gather to discuss the challenges their industry is facing while Cayman's borders remain closed. - Photo: Norma Connolly cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 11 JUNE 2021 5JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky The Dart group is required to provide beach club and golf course access to neighbouring property owners as a condition of its 2016 purchase of a suite of properties including the old Hyatt hotel, the Grand Court has ruled. The decision, which follows a landmark trial that pitted 200 homeowners against the island’s largest landowner, drastically impacts the scope of any future development Dart can carry out on those sites. The company acquired the Beach Suites Hotel, the old Hyatt property, and the Britannia golf course, in 2016. The purchase was complicated by the fact that homeowners in the luxury Britannia Estates residential resort, which borders the golf Britannia owners’ golf and beach rights upheld in landmark case PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11» Dart is bound by agreements on old Hyatt properties Homes line the now-closed Britannia Golf Course. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 11 JUNE 2021butterfieldgroup.com Address 12 Albert Panton Street, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. Mastercard® debit or credit card for a chance to at local restaurants. Every purchase will enter Plus, three lucky cardholders will win a four-night stay at a local hotel. Visit our website to learn more. Perks, by. 197413-Ad-Compass-FP-Mastercard.indd 12/8/21 2:30 PM cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 11 JUNE 2021 1,612.2 765.7 644.2 120.4 Financial & Insurance Services TravelAccounting, Legal, & Other Business Services Other Services cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 11 JUNE 2021 8 ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky For generations, Ronnie Ebanks has foraged for land crabs through the thick undergroves and roadside shrubs of North Side’s wetlands. “I learned how to catch them from my father, and now I’ve taught my son,” said Ebanks. The bright white, red, yellow and even rainbow colours that adorn the shells of the crabs make them visible from a great distance away but, nonetheless, Ebanks said, “it’s becoming harder and harder to fi nd them”. The elusive crabs spend most of their lives underground in their burrows along the fringes of the red mangrove swamp. Each year, when the spring showers coincide with a full moon, the crabs venture out in search of a mate. Once they fi nish breeding, the females then set off on a journey from the swamps to the sea where they release their offspring. The crabs once numbered in the thousands, and would simultaneously march across each district on Grand Cayman. This noticeable presence helped secure them a place on Cayman’s $10 banknotes. But now, Ebanks said those numbers are declining swiftly. “Years gone by, within half an hour you would have a crocus sack full but, now it’s just a big decrease,” he said. The number one threat Habitat loss remains the number one threat to Cayman’s plummeting crab population, according to Fred Burton, the Terrestrial Resources Unit manager at the Department of Environment. “It’s plain to see – crabs live here and you turn it into a housing lot, there is no crab there anymore; it’s cause and effect,” said Burton. The latest data from the DoE shows that of the 5,330 acres of mangrove wetlands that once spanned from Prospect to West Bay in 1976, only 1,633 acres remained in 2013. That decrease translates into a 69% loss of total area. Those mangrove swamps once supported a thriving crab population on the western side of Grand Cayman and this has now almost completely disappeared. “The crab numbers on that part of Grand Cayman have completely collapsed, because the habitats have been cleared to make way for development,” said Burton. The DoE does not have statistics on Cayman’s crab population, but Burton said anecdotal data shows a year- on-year decrease in the overall numbers. “We don’t have any actual numbers on Cayman’s land crab population because they live underground most of the year, but from what we can see, the numbers have decreased,” said Burton. The decrease is not just evident to long- time residents; Winston Bailey and his wife arrived in Cayman fi ve years ago. Since then, Bailey said, they have noticed the drop in numbers. “When I fi rst came, there were lots of crabs running, but now you have to search Land crabs feel the pinch “It’s plain to see – crabs live here and you turn it into a housing lot, there is no crab there anymore; it’s cause and effect.” Fred Burton, DoE Terrestrial Resources Unit manager Habitat loss poses threat to population across Grand Cayman James Myles catches a crab in North Side. – Photos: Taneos Ramsaycayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 11 JUNE 2021 really hard to fi nd them, and if you are really lucky you will fi nd a big one like this,” said Bailey as he held up a large male. Catherine Childs, the education manager of the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, said the habitat loss is further compounded by the island’s infrastructure developments. “What we are seeing is that the network of roads around the island has fragmented and divided what remaining habitats spaces are left for the crabs,” said Childs. “So, in some cases, the sea and swamps are intact, but a road runs between them and the crabs must now run that gauntlet of cars to get to the sea to wash their eggs, and then return and run it again to get back to the swamps.” Limits and quotas won’t help In the 1980s when Cayman’s fi sheries faced potential exhaustion, the DoE implemented catch restrictions, quotas, size limits and designated seasons. These interventions proved successful and are still in place. Ebanks and Bailey say they believe similar measures could be successfully implemented to help Cayman’s crab numbers rebound. “I think if they were to put in catch limits and restrictions on the crabs, for example the crabs with eggs, then that could help to bring back up the numbers,” said Ebanks. Burton said while he agrees with the idea of restricting crabs with eggs from being caught, it is not feasible to implement a whole host of protective measures. “Can you imagine offi cers running around checking every bucket or sack?” said Burton. “It’s just not possible, we don’t have the resources to do it. The problem is not with people taking crabs, it’s with the loss of their habitat. “What I would like to see is that we identify key areas where the population is still thriving and secure them to protect it from future development,” said Burton, a sentiment that has been echoed by Childs. Halt development to save the crabs Currently 6% of Cayman’s land falls under the protection of the National Trust, but those areas do not include the central mangrove wetlands in Grand Cayman – which is the last major breeding grounds of the crabs. “We would like to see the central mangroves protected not just for the crabs but for other species that depend on them,” said Childs. “Those mangroves also hold a tremendous amount of carbon, which is helping to address climate change problems.” Government has since embarked on a $30 million road- widening and expansion project, which will see the extension of the East-West Arterial that will run through central wetland mangroves. When the road is complete, Childs said she fears it will lead to further fragmentation of the habitats. “We are urging the Central Planning Authority to not grant permission for the development of the mangrove swamps on the side of the road that runs along the border of the sea,” said Childs. “I remember when I fi rst moved to Cayman, and I’d go down along South Sound, and in places like Smith Cove, as soon as you arrived, you would hear dozens and dozens of crabs running to their holes,” said Burton. “But those crabs fed on the sea grape trees, all along South Sound, but the sea grape trees were uprooted to make room for condos and now, you can hardly fi nd them.” Burton warns that, if left unchecked, the rest of Cayman’s land crab population could face a similar fate. Capt. Robert Hamaty On the First Anniversary of the Day You Went Away Lovingly remembered and sadly missed by: Your wife Carlene, your brother Frederick, sisters Sonia and Helen, children Monique and Basil, your son-in-law Marcus, daughter-in-law Melisa, grandchildren Jayda, Nadia, Brandon, Lismely, Megan and Robert Micheal Hamaty II, extended family and the staff of Tortuga Rum Company. It’s the first anniverary Of the day that we lost you, And for a time it felt as though Our lives ended too. But loss has taught us many things And now we face each day With hope and happy memories To help us on our way. And though we’re full of sadness That you’re no longer here, Your influence still guides us And we still feel you near. What we shared will never die It lives within our hearts, Bringing strength and comfort While we are apart. cayman compasscayman compasscayman 9 hear dozens and dozens of crabs running to their holes,” said Burton. “But those crabs fed on the sea grape trees, all along South Sound, but the sea grape trees were uprooted to make room for condos and now, you can hardly Burton warns that, if left unchecked, the rest of Cayman’s land crab population Calvert Ebanks snares a female crab in North Side. The DoE is urging people to release crabs with eggs.Next >