2 8 $ for Crispy Chicken Sandwich Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich Whopper® Original Chicken Sandwich Big Fish Mix n’ Match © 2021 Burger King Corporation. cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism Weekly, 26 November - 2 December 2021 ISSUES Should quarantine exit tests be on the way out? Page 22 Testing the water Tourists dive back into Cayman’s seas, as tide could be set to turn on local COVID outbreak. Pages 3 & 5 Photo: Taneos RamsayMatinees (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 lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK DUNE (PG-13) (FRI) 3:30 VIP | 9:50 (SAT & MON) 3:30 | 6:25 VIP (SUN) 3:45 VIP | 6:20 VIP | 9:50 (TUE & THURS) 4:05 VIP | 9:50 (WED) 3:30 | 4:05 VIP ETERNALS (PG-13) (FRI, MON-THURS) 3:45 3D | 4:05 VIP | 6:25 (SAT ) 12:45 VIP | 1:05 | 3:45 3D | 3:45 VIP | 6:25 (SUN ) 3:45 3D | 3:45 VIP | 4:10 | 6:25 | 6:45 3D ETERNALS (PG-13) (FRI) 6:35 | 9:40 VIP (SAT) 12:20 | 6:35 | 9:55 VIP (SUN) 6:35 | 9:00 | 9:55 VIP (MON & THURS) 6:35 | 9:55 VIP GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE (PG-13) (FRI) 3:30 VIP | 3:40 | 6:45 VIP | 7:00 | 10:00 | 10:25 VIP (SAT) 12:30 | 12:50 VIP | 3:30 VIP | 3:40 | 7:00 | 7:30 VIP | 10:00 | 10:20 VIP (SUN) 3:30 VIP | 3:40 | 7:00 | 7:10 VIP | 9:25 | 10:00 | 10:05 VIP (MON & THURS) 3:30 VIP | 3:40 | 7:00 | 7:30 VIP | 10:00 | 10:20 VIP HOUSE OF GUCCI (R) (FRI, MON & THURS) 4:30 | 6:30 VIP | 8:00 | 9:05 | 10:00 VIP (SUN) 12:30 VIP | 12:50 | 4:30 | 6:30 VIP | 8:00 | 9:05 | 10:00 VIP (TUE-WED) 4:30 | 8:00 | 9:05 | 10:05 VIP NO TIME TO DIE (PG-13) (FRI) 3:30 (SAT & MON) 4:00 VIP | 9:50 (SUN) 3:30 | 6:25 VIP | 9:40 VIP (TUE) 3:30 | 6:25 VIP (WED) 6:25 VIP | 9:50 (THURS) 3:30 | 6:25 VIP For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted KIDS CLUB CARS SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE (G) (THURS) 3:30 | CLASSICS LOVE ACTUALLY (R) TUE & WED 7PM VIP weather Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies with a 30% chance of evening showers. SEA STATE Slight to moderate with heights 2 to 4 feet. caymancompass.comfacebook.com/caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass WINDS Northeast at 5 to 10 knots becoming 10 to 15 knots by night. 86°F HIGH 72°F LOW 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 FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass Fanfare for the return of tourists in phase 4, while first cruise set to return Emotional scenes at Owen Roberts International Airport on 20 Nov. heralded the start of phase 4 of Cayman's border- reopening plan. More than 20 months after Cayman shuttered its borders to commercial travel, the island welcomed tourists back to its shores, after the requirement for verified vaccinated tourists to quarantine was dropped. Meanwhile, Cayman now looks set to welcome its first cruise ship back to the island next month (see page 10). Active COVID cases surpass 4,000 According to the latest update on COVID numbers in Cayman, released on 24 Nov., 176 new cases brings the islands’ total number of active cases up to 4,140. Of the new cases, all but one involve community transmission. As of publication time, there were 28 people with the virus in hospital, one fewer than reported on 23 Nov., according to the statistics released by Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee. The Public Health department confirmed that 1,691 positive cases had been identified through rapid lateral flow tests since the introduction of that testing programme in the Cayman Islands. For more Cayman Compass analysis on the status of the local outbreak, see page 3. Booster uptake popular, as first doses inch up As of 24 Nov., 122,920 COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered locally, but the rate of uptake has slowed for those seeking a first dose. Of that total, 57,874 people – or 81% of the estimated population of 71,106 – have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 55,751 individuals (78%) have completed the two- dose course. Meanwhile, 9,739 people, representing 14% of the population, have received a third, or booster, dose Child pornography trial delayed due to COVID-19 The trial of a father-of- two, accused of possession of child pornography, has been delayed after a person involved in the trial tested positive for COVID-19. In order to respect the personal medical history of the person involved, the Compass is choosing not to identify the individual who tested positive. The defendant, Freddy Manuel Diaz Christian, 33, of West Bay is on trial for two counts of possession of child pornography, and one count of accessing child pornography. Diaz elected to have a four- day jury trial, which began on Tuesday, 16 Nov., before Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop. Public Health protocols will need to be satisfied before the trial can resume. Diaz has denied all charges. Miss Cayman Georgina Kerford flies off to Miss Universe pageant Miss Cayman Islands Georgina Kerford left on 24 Nov. for Israel as she prepares to take part in the Miss Universe pageant on Sunday, 12 Dec. Before boarding the Cayman Airways flight, she told the Compass she was looking forward to representing the Cayman Islands on an international platform. “I am so excited,” she said. “I’m just excited to see how the world is living with COVID, and try something new. This is definitely something that I haven’t done before, so I’m really excited and I’m ready to make Cayman proud.” Kerford, 18, was crowned Miss Cayman Islands Universe in September. The beauty queen has a long trip ahead of her, flying first to Miami, and then onto Germany, before getting on a flight to Israel, where the 70th Miss Universe competition will be held in the southern resort city of Eilat. The pageant will be broadcast on Fox on Sunday, 12 Dec. Those who wish to support Miss Cayman Islands in the competition can do so by visiting her profile on the Miss Universe website or downloading the Miss Universe app and voting for her. DoA ‘relieved’ as raccoon samples test negative for rabies Samples taken from the raccoon that escaped from a shipping container in West Bay last month have tested negative for rabies, the Department of Agriculture confirmed on 24 Nov. The animal, which was one of two raccoons found on 22 Oct., was captured a little over a week after it escaped the shipping container at Republix Plaza in West Bay. The DoA, in response to queries from the Compass, said the second raccoon captured on the 2 Nov., tested negative for both the rabies and canine distemper viruses, which are known to be carried by raccoons. “We are relieved that the Cayman Islands rabies-free status has not been compromised. Maintaining a rabies-free status is of utmost importance as any change to this would not only pose a serious risk to the human and animal population, but would have significant implications as it relates to animal and human vaccination,” the DoA said in an emailed statement. Passenger charged for travelling to Cayman with COVID-19 to return to court A 28-year-old woman, who is accused of travelling to Cayman, despite having tested positive for COVID-19, is due to return to court on Monday, 6 Dec. On Tuesday, 16 Nov., the woman, who is originally from Jamaica, made her second Summary Court appearance; however, no pleas were entered, as there were still outstanding documents in relation to her charge. She arrived in Cayman on 9 Sept. aboard Cayman Airways flight KX605 from the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica. At the time of her arrival, the then-COVID-19 prevention, control and suppression regulations required a person to produce a negative PCR test at least 72 hours prior to arrival in Cayman. That rule remains in place for all passengers travelling to the jurisdiction. Under that regulation, it is an offence to travel to Cayman if you have tested positive for COVID-19. The woman has been charged with one count of failure to comply with regulation 3(1)(b)(i) of the Control of COVID-19 (No.2) Regulations, 2021 (SL 39 of 2021). She was released on bail. news in brief Miss Cayman Islands Georgina Kerford will compete for the Miss Universe title in Israel on 12 Dec. - Photo: Alvaro Serey cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 20211.76% 1.96% 3.04% 7.59% 11.62% 16.64% 16.50% 16.66% OctoberNovember Average weekly positivity rate of COVID -19 tests 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 01-Oct08-Oct15-Oct22-Oct29-Oct05-Nov12-Nov19-Nov Active cases and hospitalisations Active casesCOVID patients in hospital 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 147 1 0 1 3 1 6 1 9 2 2 2 5 2 8 3 1 3 4 3 7 4 0 4 3 4 6 4 9 5 2 5 5 5 8 6 1 6 4 6 7 7 0 7 3 7 6 7 9 8 2 8 5 8 8 9 1 9 4 9 7 1 0 0 1 0 3 1 0 6 Duration of COVID waves in days Bermuda active casesCayman active casesBermuda deathsCayman deaths 4 10 4 0 22 8 0 1 0 11 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 01- N ov 02- N ov 03- N ov 04- N ov 05- N ov 06- N ov 07- N ov 08- N ov 09- N ov 10- N ov 11- N ov 12- N ov 13- N ov 14- N ov 15- N ov 16- N ov 17- N ov 18- N ov 19- N ov 20- N ov 21- N ov 22- N ov 23- N ov 24- N ov New and active COVID -19 cases in Sister Islands New casesActive cases MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@compassmedia.ky COVID cases continued to climb Wednesday when another 176 people tested positive out of 1,139 PCR tests carried out in the previous 24 hours. It brought the number of active cases in the Cayman Islands to a new high of 4,140, one day after active cases had declined, by two, for the first time in more than two months. Although there are some signs that the current wave of cases may be levelling out, it will take more time for case numbers to fall significantly. Comparison with Bermuda Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee earlier this month drew parallels to Bermuda, which suffered a deadly spike in COVID cases and hospitalisations earlier this year. There, it had taken some ten weeks for figures to improve, he said, citing Bermuda’s chief medical officer. With a population of 62,000, Bermuda’s case numbers peaked at 1,612 on 25 Sept. In all, it took Bermuda three months to return to below 70 active cases. “It may take Cayman a bit longer, because we’ve put a lot of measures in place to slow down the spread of it: lateral flow testing, distancing, masks… it’s actually an attempt to slow down the numbers of people that are hitting the hospitals,” Lee said. Statistics show that Cayman may indeed take longer than Bermuda before active cases drop back to only a few dozen. A direct comparison with Bermuda indicates that one week after case numbers peaked there, positive tests in Cayman are still rising. Analysis: Waiting for the COVID-19 tide to turn However, hospitalisations on- island are, so far, much lower. Bermuda’s health system saw, at the height of the crisis, almost 60 people hospitalised for COVID-19 with more than a dozen requiring intensive care. Despite having almost three times the number of positive cases, 28 people were admitted to hospital in Cayman as of Wednesday. At this stage of the pandemic, Bermuda had already suffered 18 deaths and another 54 COVID- related fatalities followed, even as the number of active cases declined. In Cayman, two COVID- positive patients who had other underlying health conditions passed away in November. The different impact of the surge in cases in the two territories is likely due to different demographics and vaccination rates. Because seniors over 65 are much more susceptible to COVID-19, the actual number of seniors and their vaccination status are two important factors driving hospitalisations. Bermuda’s share of seniors over the age of 65 is believed to be just under 20%. In Cayman, government estimates that only about 12% to 13% of the population is over 60. At the same time, local vaccination rates of those over 60 years top 99%. Still, on Tuesday, Lee warned that many of the hospitalised patients in Cayman were elderly. The Public Health department’s weekly COVID trends statistics showed that while in the first two weeks of November only 16 and 17 people over the age of 70 tested positive, that number increased to 27 in the third week of the month. In other respects, the weekly COVID statistics have been very consistent. About two thirds of positive cases in Cayman and more than 80% of hospitalised patients are unvaccinated. The average age of COVID-positives is 31 and between a quarter to a third of cases are under the age of 18. The weekly daily average of cases, while still at a high level, dropped to 153 last week from 178 and 202 in the first two weeks of November. The share of COVID tests that are positive also appears to have peaked at about 16.6% during the past three weeks. The picture is already dramatically better in the Sister Islands, where active COVID cases have dropped from a high of 86 on 5 Nov to just 14 as of Wednesday. cayman compass 3 news N news FRIDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 20211234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Repulsively fat (5) 4 Inconvenience (7) 8 Monotonous routine (3) 9 The other way round (4,5) 10 Valid (2,5) 11 Point of view (5) 13 Break in continuity (6) 15 Be appropriate (6) 18 An evasive compromise (5) 19 Stalemate (7) 21 Harmonious (2,7) 23 By way of (3) 24 Integrity (7) 25 Coolness in danger (5) DOWN 1 Embellishment for food (7) 2 Summarily (3,2,4) 3 Detach by cutting (5) 4 Notice of traffic offence (6) 5 Forestall (7) 6 Obstruct (3) 7 Obliterate (5) 12 Explain away (5,4) 14 Futile (7) 16 Small bomb thrown by hand (7) 17 Defame (6) 18 Complete trust (5) 20 Heathen (5) 22 One’s relatives (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16859 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 16859 ACROSS: 1 Gross, 4 Trouble, 8 Rut, 9 Vice versa, 10 In force, 11 Angle, 13 Hiatus, 15 Belong, 18 Fudge, 19 Impasse, 21 In keeping, 23 Via, 24 Honesty, 25 Nerve. DOWN: 1 Garnish, 2 Out of hand, 3 Sever, 4 Ticket, 5 Obviate, 6 Bar, 7 Erase, 12 Gloss over, 14 Useless, 16 Grenade, 17 Vilify, 18 Faith, 20 Pagan, 22 Kin. New Yorkers Jon and Kathleen Bartow share a heartwarming moment with their granddaughter Emerson Bartow on 20 Nov. at the Owen Roberts International Airport. Cayman’s borders, which were officially unlocked on that date, under phase 4 of government’s reopening plan, allowed the grandparents to visit. It was the first time the couple had seen Emerson in more than a year, as well as their first visit since their son Jon moved to Grand Cayman. - Photo: Alvaro Serey Mark Phillips, 16, was among 17 students from the Boyz2Men programme taking part in a clean -up Saturday, 20 Nov., at the Palm Dale Community Park in George Town. - Photo: Seaford Russell Jr Government has been wrong about almost every event since the COVID shutdown; why would they be right now? Tourists have little confidence in government and are most likely concerned with a change in plans, again. Children under 12 can’t travel as tourists to Cayman, so families won’t be coming back any time soon. Instead of following opinions, let’s look at facts! In my case, at this time in 2019, my condo in East End was booked for every day from 4 Jan. to Easter except for three days. Today I have two weeks booked from 1 Jan. to Easter and am not getting any inquiries. I would venture to say that many are in the same situation as me. Government’s actions have severely hurt the tourism industry and travellers are going where they know it’s safe, reliable and pleasant. While Cayman is beautiful, it is not the only Caribbean destination. Government leaders have not followed science, don’t understand the tourism industry, don’t understand economics and don’t understand consumers. When are these individuals going to held accountable for the poor decisions being made that are impacting so many individuals’ livelihoods? John Zikias In fact, the government overseas scholarship budget is also far greater than the entire government operating grant to UCCI. The situation for local scholarships will continue to deteriorate. UCCI tuition fees for Caymanians have been largely frozen since 2003 and so local government scholarships represent an ever- declining portion of the increasing real costs of higher education. What to do? Increase UCCI tuition fees to current overseas market rates, reflecting a fair share of the cost of education. Stop awarding local scholarships for high marks and start giving them based on a student’s actual financial needs. That way, UCCI gets the resources it needs to improve quality, both from students with the ability to pay and from students who would otherwise not have that ability. During the three years I was a member of the UCCI board, every penny of my board meeting fees was donated back to a UCCI endowment fund recommended by then-president Roy Bodden. I know of other private-sector board members who did the same. As is common with public access universities, leadership in philanthropic giving by board members is crucial in supporting the efforts of the CEO in raising private scholarship funds and other donations. If the tradition of UCCI board member giving continues, the pay increases to private-sector board members announced in your story now give them even greater wherewithal to lead by example. Tom Simpson Gov’t has made poor decisions concerning COVID UCCI needs to raise tuition to reflect education cost pic of the week Letters to the editor Young volunteers Your recent story, “Scholarships cut as UCCI board of governors gets pay bump” implies that this development should be a cause for concern by students. On the contrary, University College of the Cayman Islands presidents and board members have long advocated shifting resources to UCCI from Cayman Islands government's overseas scholarship budgets. Although there are almost 10 times as many students at UCCI than overseas scholarship students, UCCI local scholarship students receive only about 10% of scholarship monies budgeted for all government scholarship students. Emotional reunion cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2021NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky In the days after Cayman’s borders reopened on 20 Nov., a small number of tourists across the islands were taking giant strides off the back of dive boats or climbing down ladders to start shore dives. Cinematographer Jon Betz, from Maine, for example, flew into Cayman on JetBlue from Boston on the day the borders opened so he could spend a week diving on Grand Cayman, and testing his new underwater camera equipment. The following morning, he stepped on board one of DiveTech signature pink boats at the West Bay dock, the first tourist to do so in 20 months. The removal of mandatory quarantine for incoming travellers was the deciding factor for this trip, he said. “It would not have been possible for me to come if I’d had to quarantine,” he said. For Divetech and other dive operators that have been struggling to stay afloat since the borders closed in March 2020, the reopening marks a slow, but hopefully steady, return to business as usual. Jo Mikutowicz, owner of Divetech, told the Compass, “We have tourists on board starting [Sunday, 21 Nov.] all the way through to next Monday. It’s going great, the customers were all very impressed with the efficiency of getting through the airport upon arrival and very excited to be back in Cayman diving again. Bookings are looking minimal but they are there. Divetech has tourist bookings starting this week and sporadically all the way through to March, which is really exciting. “It is definitely not anywhere near the volume we had before March of 2020 but I wouldn’t expect it to be, this is going to be a long road, but this is such a great first step.” At Ocean Frontiers in East End, it’s a similar picture – beginning with a trickle, but with bookings building up for the months ahead. Owner Steve Broadbelt said Ocean Frontiers is seeing “strong bookings from January onwards”. “What happened is many of our customers booked elsewhere and lost confidence in Cayman. So it is important now for us to be open and stay open, just to build back some confidence in the market for next year,” he said. He added that availability of flights will be a key element in future bookings, so “we won’t see any big improvements until a few more weeks when extra flights are added. We expect to be running at 20-30% of capacity until the new year, which will then ramp up to 70% and even 100% for some weeks. We are happy to be open and have enjoyed welcoming divers back to Cayman.” Still waiting Sunset House, the George Town dive resort that markets itself as a ‘hotel for divers by divers’, is waiting a little longer before opening its doors to tourists. While its shore and boat diving is available to tourists, the hotel itself won’t be opening until January. Annie Briggs, co-general manager of Sunset House, said, “We chose not to open until January after the last major change in [reopening] phases. We did have guests booked from the opening date in October all the way until Christmas which I cancelled when we were told it was paused. The details were not given to hospitality [companies] until close to the November opening date, and we weren’t sure what would be asked of the guests, so chose to select the January date.” Under the government’s phased- reopening plan, announced in July, quarantine for incoming vaccinated travellers was initially supposed to be removed on 14 Oct., paving the way for tourists to return. However, after local cases of COVID-19 began to emerge in September, Premier Wayne Panton paused the reopening plan, and put off phase 4 until 20 Nov. Briggs said many of Sunset’s potential guests rolled over their booking dates, and are “itching to come back”. “We have guests that have been coming to us for decades and this is the first time they have been able to come,” she said. “We have had many cancellations as well, as the island continued to be closed and the [goal] posts kept moving. The change in [the re-opening date] saw a flood of cancellations reaching into March and February.” She also noted that a lack of international flights into Cayman is an issue when it comes to bookings. Cayman Airways, JetBlue and British Airways are currently operating routes in and out of Cayman, and WestJet and Air Canada plan to begin routes to Canada in December. Other airlines, including American Airlines, Southwest, United and Delta, have indicated they may resume flights here early next year. COVID protocols on boats For a brief period last year, local divers were required to wear face masks on the boats, and to observe social distancing and strict sanitation measures, but those requirements were lifted as community spread of the virus halted. Now, with cases of local transmission rising rapidly, and the return of overseas visitors who are not required to quarantine, safety protocols have been reintroduced on dive boats. Broadbelt explained, “The protocols are pretty basic – nothing like what we had in phase 1, back in July last year. Standard sanitation and disinfection practices and masks when you are inside the dive shop or not able to social distance. No spitting in masks, no sharing of mask rinse buckets – there hasn’t been much of a reaction and people are used to living with COVID. We’re all doing LFTs (lateral flow tests) on site twice a week for all staff too – 100% of Ocean Frontiers management and staff are fully vaccinated and many with boosters.” Mikutowicz said that at Divetech, “We make sure to keep tanks 6 feet apart from each other on the dive boats, we no longer share fruit on the surface intervals or have common mask and camera rinse buckets, and we encourage everyone to keep their masks on even though we are in an outside space. All guests seem very happy to accommodate, and [are] understanding of the protocols, it’s very clear that the whole world is slowly learning how to live their lives with the virus around.” For Betz, Cayman is the ideal dive destination, with a diversity of options for his photography, from macro shots of tiny sea creatures to massive wrecks like the Kittiwake. Just before heading off on another dive with Divetech on Thursday morning – his fourth consecutive day of diving – he told the Compass, “For me, the biggest draw of this place... is the diversity of the subject matter that I’ve been able to photograph – amazing reefs, stingrays, shipwrecks, kitesurfers. You can’t do that everywhere. I travel all around the world to shoot underwater. I think this is the perfect spot to be able to fly to – it’s easy access from the US – to be able to test this gear and enjoy this amazing place.” Tourists dive back into Cayman 20-30% The capacity Ocean Frontiers expects to run at until the new year Tourists were among the divers on Ocean Frontiers boat after the borders reopened on 20 Nov. - Photo: Ocean Frontiers Jon Betz, with camera equipment he is testing out on his Cayman trip, about to board a Divetech boat at the West Bay dock. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 5 news N news FRIDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2021 And don’t forget the original lion-fish Tacos! They’re always available... Promotion is For a Limited Time! So don’t dilly-dally around, it’s Tukka time! Take a drive and Enjoy the safe! Open air serenity at both oceanfront locations with awesome cocktails and the freshest seafood Cayman has to offer. Tukka Celebrates the Islands Re-Opening with an Amazing 15 Seafood Basket $ NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky The National Conservation Council is urging Cabinet to adopt newly drafted guidelines which would prevent overwater dwellings, such as the bungalows developers are seeking permission to build in Little Cayman, from being erected in marine protected areas. Under current regulations, builders of these types of structures need to obtain both planning permission from a planning authority and a coastal works licence from Cabinet. Speaking at a general meeting of the National Conservation Council, Director of Environment Gina Ebanks-Petrie said, “Noting that a recent proposal for habitable overwater dwellings fell within two regulatory processes and to promote more cohesive government regulation with less uncertainty for the public, the Department of Environment proposed a draft interim policy for the processing of overwater dwelling development applications, at least in marine protected areas.” The council is recommending to Cabinet that “in the absence of any other defined/ agreed process for this type of infrastructure”, the proposed draft guidelines should be used to guide decision-making for these types of structures in marine protected areas. It is also recommending that a far more comprehensive policy should be developed for all such structures, not just for those proposed in marine protected areas. However, until then, “there is an urgent need for the adoption of the proposed draft guidelines”, the council stated in the meeting agenda. The impetus for drawing up the guidelines came after the property owner – Peppercorn Investments Ltd., owned by William Maines, Matthew Wight and Naul Bodden – approached the DoE to determine if the project was likely to require an environmental impact assessment. “However, the proposed development, which comprised 19 overwater bungalows and a land-based resort in a Marine Protected Area in Little Cayman, raised issues beyond the remit of an EIA,” the department noted in a preamble to the guidelines. It added, “In the absence of a development plan for the Sister Islands or any policy framework for this type of infrastructure, there has not been a national conversation on the acceptability or appropriateness of this type of development for the Islands. Furthermore, the existing approval frameworks, e.g. coastal works and planning permission, do not adequately deal with this type of infrastructure, e.g. a one-off Royalty payment for use of Crown land may not be the appropriate financial structure for this type of development.” The DoE held a meeting with representatives of the Ministries of Planning, Environment and Lands and Departments of Lands and Survey, Tourism and Planning, where it was noted that guidelines from neighbouring jurisdictions, such as Jamaica, do not allow overwater bungalows in marine protected areas. Overwater habitable structures require a coastal works permit under Section 21 of the National Conservation Act. That section states that Cabinet “shall not grant a permit unless it is satisfied that... in the case of a permit authorising the works in a protected area, the works are compatible with any management plan for the area or that appropriate and enforceable conditions can be imposed to ensure such compatibility”. Although Cabinet approved an expansion of the local marine parks system in March this year, management plans for marine protected areas have yet to be drawn up, the DoE has noted. However, the marine protected areas are governed by the National Conservation (Marine Parks) Regulations (2021). “Notwithstanding this, the DoE and all attendees of the inter-governmental meeting were in agreement that overwater habitable structures should not be sited in a Marine Protected Area,” the guidelines document noted. “It was agreed by all attendees that the country needs to develop a policy/guidelines for this type of infrastructure to ensure that it is appropriately sited and regulated, minimises the impacts on the environment and delivers a positive visitor experience. This would set the framework for assessing and reviewing development applications.” Plans for the construction of the overwater bungalows at a protected marine area at Kingston Bight by South Sound Hole in Little Cayman have led to much opposition from local residents on the island. The proposed resort includes 19 one- bedroom bungalows built along a 542-foot dock that would extend out over the water, as well as six two-storey three-bedroom cottages and 12 single-storey two-bedroom cottages on the beach. Overwater bungalows, such as these in the Maldives, won’t be appearing in Cayman’s marine parks, if guidelines drawn up by the National Conservation Council are adopted. - Photo: File Guideline: No overwater bungalows in marine parks cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 20215 3 6 0 | CA Y M A N N A TION A L | G REE N L I V I NG | COMP ASS | 16 NOV 2 02 1 | BB & P GRA N D CA Y MA N | + 1 3 4 5 9 16 0 1 7 2 | IN FO@ BBA N D P .COM | B BA N D P.CO M Up toin total cash prizes! Tap and pay with your personal Cayman National VISA card within the Cayman Islands for a chance to win! See Terms & Conditions at caymannational.com $10,000 caymannational.com cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2021VIGORO has postponed our Annual Customer Appreciation Party. This was truly a hard decision as our party has become a much anticipated tradition over the decades, for everyone to get together, for an afternoon where friends & family, customers & everyone alike, could simply come out & enjoy a beautiful Sunday afternoon with music, a bite to eat & have a good yarn. We look forward to possibly getting together in early 2022 as we navigate through the next couple of months & see how things transpire with the pandemic & our lovely islands. Although the party was always about showing appreciation to our amazing customers, we did extend sales on merchandise and we will be extending several great sale options, on Christmas decorations & gifts, plants & accessories. So, come to VIGORO whenever you like, and enjoy a stroll through the Agricola Drive location or our quaint Walkers Road store, find some lovely must haves while enjoying sunshine and friendly faces. Please watch our Facebook and Instagram pages for updates on our carefully curated selections this Season. It is VIGORO’s wish to see you all, together, sooner rather than later, for a glorious day in the Caribbean Sun. cayman compass 8 FRIDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2021cayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2021Next >