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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 weather Friday Forecast FORECAST Slight chance evening isolated showers SEA STATE Slight to moderate with a wave height of 2 to 4 feet. WINDS East to northeast at 10 to 15 knots. 87°F HIGH 77°F LOW NEWS EDITOR CAROLINE JAMES ISSUES EDITOR JAMES WHITTAKER HEAD OF SALES CHERYL BIRCHGILLIES news in brief Prison offi cer denies supplying inmate with ganja Senior prison offi cer Derron Winston Watson, who had been accused of smuggling ganja into HMP Northward, has denied allegations of supplying a prisoner with the drug. Watson, who appeared before the Grand Court on Friday, 29 March, entered a not guilty plea to a single charge of misconduct in a public offi ce - a different charge from what he was originally arrested for. In an initial statement released by the RCIPS on Thursday 29 Feb., police said Watson was arrested for a charge of smuggling contraband, however that charge was not put to him during the court hearing. Watson’s current charge stems from a joint operation at HMP Northward on 28 Feb., when other senior prison offi cers were said to have seized an unknown quantity of vegetable matter, suspected to be ganja, off Watson’s person during a search. Following his not guilty plea, a fi ve-day jury trial was set for 30 Sept., and he was released on bail. He remains suspended from offi cial duties until completion of the trial. Wedding visitor busted with cocaine An American woman who was caught smuggling several bags of cocaine into Cayman where she was to attend a wedding is awaiting sentencing after entering guilty pleas. Appearing before the Grand Court on Friday, 29 March, via video-link from Fairbanks Prison, Yoojin Oh entered guilty pleas to four counts of importation of a controlled drug, namely cocaine, after security personnel discovered four bags of cocaine in her luggage. The charges state that Oh was found on 20 March at Owen Roberts International Airport with bags weighing 1.77 grams, 1.76 grams, 1.83 grams, and 1.79 grams, for a total of 7.15 grams (0.25 ounces) of cocaine. Following her guilty pleas, a sentencing date was set for 5 April, ahead of which Oh was released on bail, with the condition that she surrender her passport. “No reports are being sought,” Oh’s attorney, Jonathon Hughes, told the court. He added, “She is a US national (who) was visiting the Cayman Islands for a wedding.” 3 charged with drug offences Three men arrested last week following the discovery of 450 pounds of ganja and nearly $6,000 in cash have been charged, police said. The three men, one age 57 of George Town, and the others, ages 28 and 29 of Bodden Town, appeared in court on Tuesday, 2 April, charged with possession of, or intent to supply, ganja. The 57-year-old has also been charged with possession of criminal property in relation to the cash seized. All three were granted bail pending a further court appearance. They had been arrested at premises in Seymour Road in George Town on Tuesday, 26 March, after police offi cers conducting enquiries in the area detected a strong scent of ganja, leading to a search. During that search, police found more than CI$5,000 and over US$800 in cash, and several packages of ganja, and arrested the three men. Man treated for gunshot wound to head Police are investigating a late- night shooting late in George Town in which a man suffered a gunshot wound to the back of his head. The RCIPS, in a statement issued Wednesday, 3 April, confi rmed that the victim had been taken to hospital by ambulance and was treated for what was described as “a non- life-threatening injury”. Offi cers had responded to a report shortly after 11pm that a person had been shot, and observed a man with a head wound outside a business on Eastern Avenue, near School Road. Emergency services attended the location. Police later determined that the shooting had taken place in the vicinity of Liberty Lane. Both areas – in Eastern Avenue and Liberty Lane – were cordoned and processed by offi cers, police said. Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or has any other information to contact George Town CID at 949-4222. Anonymous tips can be provided directly to the RCIPS through its confi dential tip line at 949-7777, or via its website. Tips can also be submitted anonymously via the Cayman Crime Stoppers website. The RCIPS released this photo of the seized drugs. - Photo: RCIPS Prison offi cer Derron Watson was arrested for smuggling contraband into HMP Northward. cayman compass 2 N news WEEKLY, 5 11 APRIL 2024ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky A man who refused to attend his own trial for animal cruelty was found guilty in his absence for starving his dog and refusing to provide veterinary care, and could now face jail time. His dog, Wilbur, died a few days after a neighbour found the severely weak and emaciated animal on the road not far from the home of his owner, Warlito Damasco Samelo Jr. Appearing before the Summary Court, on Tuesday, 3 April, Samelo listened as Magistrate Philippa McFarlane informed him that his trial had proceeded in his absence the day before and had ended in his conviction. Samelo had been due to stand trial for a single count of cruelty to an animal, which alleged that he caused the animal unnecessary pain and suffering by failing to provide the requisite food, shelter and veterinary care. “You were called by a marshal of these courts who told you you were required to be at court, and you had the temerity to respond, ‘I have to work’,” said McFarlane. “What you are telling the court is you don’t care about these proceedings.” She added, “I could have had you handcuffed and brought to court for your trial, but I chose to use my discretion and proceed with the trial in your absence.” According to McFarlane, the worm-ridden, starved dog was the worse case of animal cruelty she had ever seen. “The very fat from around the animal’s eyes and other parts of its head were gone,” said McFarlane. “The animal’s eyes were infected. It had heartworm and hookworm. There were worms in its faecal matter. “And instead of giving the animal veterinary care by taking it to a vet, you refused, choosing instead to give the animal medicine from the Philippines.” Wilbur was rescued after a neighbour found him in the Prospect region near Samelo’s home in October last year. Despite the efforts of animal charity One Dog at a Time and The Veterinary Clinic in Savannah, Wilbur died about two weeks later. The dog’s death was met with public outrage and the launching of a petition calling for justice in wake of the news of the cruelty towards the animal, not long after Samelo was charged. However, on the day of his trial, he was a no show, having told the court “he had to work”. On Tuesday, Samelo offered the court an apology, and said he had forgotten the trial date. “This is no laughing matter,” said McFarlane as she told Samelo to stop smirking. She added that the next step in the process is sentencing, and informed him that he could face “a term of imprisonment for up to one year in light of the guilty conviction”. Samelo, 48, a Filipino national, told the court that his work permit had expired in March, and he was now on an extension while he awaited the outcome of the trial. He was released on bail and is expected to return to court in six weeks at which time he will be sentenced. Wilbur was found starving and emaciated in Prospect in October 2023. After more than two weeks of treatment, he died on 5 Nov. - Photo: One Dog At A Time Wilbur on the vet’s examination table. - Photo: File RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Cayman Airways’ Barbados- Cayman route has averaged just 14 passengers a fl ight through January since that connection launched in October last year. Between October 2023 and January 2024, a total of 1,912 paying passengers made use of that route, a number former Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell obtained through a recent Parliamentary question, and one he says warrants a rethink from Cayman Airways on the viability of that fl ight. “If you have time on a plane to fl y it, you look for what will bring the most value to the Cayman Islands. Is there some place that you can fl y that plane that will bring more economic value to the Cayman Islands than fl ying to Barbados?,” Kirkconnell, opposition MP for Cayman Brac West and Little Cayman, asked. However, Cayman Airways CEO and president Fabian Whorms countered this point as he refl ected on the route six months into its operation. “The operation has so far been viable for the airline and has helped with making the airline effi cient from an operational perspective, as it keeps our crews and aircraft occupied on days of the week, when we have available operational capacity that would otherwise not be used,” Whorms told the Compass. These operations, he said, “do not displace any of our other activities at this time”. He also said the minimum revenue being received by Cayman Airways, “is contractually guaranteed by Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.”. “This revenue from BTMI ensures that Cayman Airways does not incur any losses on the service being provided in collaboration with BTMI,” he added. Cayman Airwayslaunched its twice-weekly route to and from Barbados last October and, at the time, Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan assured there would be no loss to Cayman. He said the Barbados government was guaranteeing minimum revenues to Cayman Airways for the Grand Cayman- Bridgetown route. That agreement made by Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., which represents the Barbados government in tourism matters, guaranteed during the one-year period, to give CAL “minimum revenues” for operating the scheduled service. No fi gure has been released on what that minimum revenue actually is, however, and to date there has been no offi cial word on whether any payments have been made to the Cayman Islands government from the Barbados administration. Cayman Airways’ Barbados fl ight departs Grand Cayman on Tuesdays at 5:10pm and arrives in Barbados at 9:35pm. The plane and crew overnight for a return Wednesdays from Barbados at 11:45am, arriving in Grand Cayman at 2:25pm. On Thursdays, the fl ight departs Grand Cayman at 4:30pm and arrives in Barbados at 8:55pm. It returns from Barbados at 9:20am, arriving in Grand Cayman at 12pm Look at balance sheets Kirkconnell, who served two consecutive terms as tourism minister, said when assessing routes there has to be consideration of the value it brings not only to Cayman Airways’ balance sheets, but all three islands’ balance sheets as well. Pointing to a recent auditor general’s report which made it clear that despite losses, Cayman Airways creates signifi cant value for Cayman at an estimated more than $200 million annually, Kirkconnell queried where Barbados slots into that number. “If the auditor general said [Cayman Airways provides] a $200 million value, does the Barbados fl ight contribute to that? Would the Barbados fl ight contribute to it?” he questioned. Based on fi gures released through the parliamentary question, the forward bookings for the route from February to September 2024 stood at 909 passengers as at last week. The auditor general, in her analysis of Cayman Airways, endorsed the process that the fl ag carrier and government underwent to select Los Angeles as a new route, but the Barbados route could not be analysed in the same way for her to make any similar determination. This was because of the funding guarantee from the Barbados government that ensured the route will at least break even for Cayman Airways. Even so, the report did highlight a need for closer ongoing monitoring of route effectiveness and better metrics to help determine if government’s funding is appropriate for routes it has deemed valuable for tourism reasons. Cayman Airways CEO and president Fabian Whorms Cayman Brac West and Little Cayman MP Moses Kirkconnell Low passenger counts call viability of Cayman-Barbados fl ights into question Man faces potential jail time for Wilbur animal cruelty case cayman compass 3 news N news WEEKLY, 5 11 APRIL 2024 N newsallowing work-permit holders to import cars on island, let them use the bus system. Add better and more bicycle lanes. Get rid of all these big roundabouts, turn them into four-way intersections as one person mentioned. Will Jacobs So many hotels and condos going up. More people means more need for transportation. Ferries and a bus system. I’d embrace a dependable transportation system like that in a heartbeat! m.o.n_j.o.h.n Be bold - limit the number of cars per household. aelgcm Make parking expensive and public transport easy, safe and cheap. tristramc Under crush of stray litters, animal groups forge ahead These guys work so darn hard. I hope people start to wise up and get their pets fixed for the good of everyone, but especially their pet. We love our rescue but there are so many of them needing homes Diane Lundquist CUC seeks court order to block release of costs report Just shows there is something to hide. Sharon Davies Public traded company. All this info has to be open to the public. Will Jacobs This is a bad look for CUC and OfReg. Ralph W. CUC is the number one contributor to the cost of living in Cayman. The fact that they are withholding information on Cayman’s potential to adopt green energy indicates a lack of loyalty to the people of the Cayman Islands. If we want to reduce the cost of living, we should begin by addressing CUC’s control over power generation. We should have solar panels installed on every building in the Cayman Islands! hunter.walton345 CUC do better. You can litterally afford to. nordi_xo OfReg - still waiting on that fuel quality tests report with the names of the gas stations. Which was demanded by the ombudsman. rockman_345 Camping, a Cayman tradition, faces challenges new and old How long does it take for an activity to become a “tradition”. Camping has never been a “Caymanian tradition”. The Caymanian tradition for Easter was church on Good Friday - then reverence and quiet; Saturday, we did home chores and cooked; Sunday, church services and Easter programmes; on Easter Monday, it was picnics on the beach, swimming etc. Never was camping an Easter “tradition”. Yes, I’m an “older” Caymanian and sadly we’re losing everything, allowing “others” to take away our traditions, and what we held dear. God be with us. Darlene Glidden It’s going for about 30 years now. The tradition has evolved to camping. It’s a time of gathering with family and friends. The kids love it! El Rey I did enough camping after Ivan. No thanks. Kris Gomez Sadly, this is a dying tradition like everything else in Cayman. Errolyn Thompson Enjoy. Soon there will be none if the government doesn’t buy some of these lands and preserve them. Ransford Myers Increased civil servants’ parental leave takes effect Enhanced civil service benefits are effected with lightning efficiency. Compare this to the proposed change in the minimum wage for the poorest of our workers, which has stalled for years with no sign of any action. Trusty2man D. 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Be in trouble (5,2) 5 Quick-witted (5) 8 Operating at full potential (2,2,5) 9 Put down (3) 10 Heavy clumsy ship (4) 12 Similarly (8) 14 Speleology (6) 15 Display ostentatiously (6) 17 Answer to problem (8) 18 Medieval bondsman (4) 21 Monkey (3) 22 Clumsy with one’s hands (3,6) 24 Simple song (5) 25 Fugitive (7) DOWN 1 Temporary infatuation (5) 2 Small measure of liquor (3) 3 A muddle (4) 4 Dissertation based on research (6) 5 Out of the blue (8) 6 Without needing to hurry (2,7) 7 Outlay (7) 11 One’s utmost (5,4) 13 Fluctuating (8) 14 A sweet sauce (7) 16 To arrest (6) 19 Arousing suspicion (5) 20 Eschew (4) 23 Jaws of voracious animal (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 17597 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 17597 ACROSS: 1 Catch it, 5 Sharp, 8 Up to speed, 9 Lay, 10 Hulk, 12 Likewise, 14 Caving, 15 Flaunt, 17 Solution, 18 Serf, 21 Ape, 22 All thumbs, 24 Ditty, 25 Runaway. DOWN: 1 Crush, 2 Tot, 3 Hash, 4 Thesis, 5 Suddenly, 6 At leisure, 7 Payment, 11 Level best, 13 Unsteady, 14 Custard, 16 Collar, 19 Fishy, 20 Shun, 23 Maw. What they’re saying Online Cayman’s transportation disorder I take issue with the implication that electric cars are not environmentally friendly for Cayman and that the current duty regime for them favours the rich. From a precise measurement of my own electric car for a week, it ran 104.8 miles on 52.1 kWh. Assuming CUC is still producing around 17 kWh/gallon of diesel, it only burned three gallons, whereas my old car (of similar performance) would have burned at least six gallons of gas to go the same distance. Electric cars are clearly environmentally friendlier from an energy-consumption perspective, even though we generate most of our electricity from diesel. There are many more less- expensive and more-efficient models than mine available now, therefore the government’s policy of encouraging the purchase of electric cars, especially less-expensive models, which carry zero duty, favours the environment and lower income residents more than rich ones. Alan R Excellent article, but I expected to read about an idea that seems obvious to throw into the mix: Ferries. We could have five hubs (or stations), each with parking, cafes and convenience store: Rum Point, Savannah, George Town Yacht Club, Camana Bay, and Barkers. Wouldn’t that be worth exploring? Mike S. Designated bus stops and a proper bus system! These bus drivers are dangerous... We are a large city with a population of 75,000; the time is NOW to get a proper system. Love your ideas and the idea of a competition. Heidi K. Government needs to buy big public transportation... Stop cayman compass 4 news N news WEEKLY, 5-11 APRIL 2024WEEKLY, 5-11 APRIL 2024cayman compass 5 WEEKLY, 5-11 APRIL 2024RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky A chronic lack of housing and employment opportunities for inmates coming out of prison is contributing to a revolving door syndrome at HMP Northward. Several former inmates cited those issues among a long list of challenges as they seek a second chance in Cayman after serving time inside. The issue is made worse by capacity constraints at the islands’ two halfway houses for male prisoners, according to non-profits that operate those facilities. Phillip Ebanks, who spent most of his adult life in prison after being jailed for murder at 17, is getting by selling art work as he looked for more stable employment, while on conditional release. He spoke to the Compass about his challenges being accepted back into society, saying “I am in the community, but I am still not free.” Another former prisoner, Eric, who asked that we not use his real name, said he was facing similar struggles after a spell in prison for drugs offences. “I am fairly educated, I just made a mistake and now I am struggling to get back as part of society,” said the inmate, who is now on conditional release and living at a halfway house. “I know I am not the only one struggling,” he added. Those stories are borne out by a new government report which warns that failure to provide proper support to people coming out of prison is contributing to them falling back into crime. The report from Cayman’s Conditional Release Board, made public after being tabled in Parliament, describes housing for former prisoners as “inadequate”. “The continued paucity of residential support facilities for prisoners reaching the end of their sentences is a matter of particular concern to the Board, and whilst the charitable sector continues to perform invaluable work in this regard, overall provision remains inadequate,” wrote board chairman Nicholas Dunne. He said a continued failure to address “the serious question of how to achieve successful re-integration upon release only encourages recidivism, to the detriment of the community at large”. Full house Eric, who was released on 31 Jan., said he had to join a waiting list before he could find a spot at Hope for Today Foundation. Though he is grateful he now has a bed, he said he is worried for others in need. “There’s only 10 beds here, and the population is a lot higher than 10 people. So if you had another foundation like this, then yeah, more people could get help,” he said, adding that many reformed inmates feel like there is no place for them in society. He said, while there are businesses that given former inmates chances, the jobs on offer are minimum wage or in the construction industry. “There are plenty of young Caymanians that would rather work than be on the road, run up and down. There needs to be a way for them to find employment or even the training to get employment, because it doesn’t make sense just to have some minimum wage job that doesn’t really help anything. If they can learn to actually make a career, it’s better for them,” Eric said. Second halfway house needed Brent Hydes, Hope for Today operations manager, said the lack of capacity at the halfway house continues to be a concern. A second facility is desperately needed, he said, pointing out that reformed inmates are toggling for space between his facility and the Bridge Foundation. “Hope for Today Foundation and the Bridge Foundation have provided a refuge. Now we could build on those two refuges that we have established,” he said, adding that both organisations could manage a second home. “[T]hese are conversations that we need to sit down and have with our government ministers,” he said. Hydes says there is government support for organisations like his because local leaders have recognised there is a serious problem in the community that needs addressing. Like Dunne, he said support networks upon release are needed for those who are dealing with addiction while trying to get back on track. However, Hydes questioned whether it is worth government providing a safe place for them to live on their own when they are still active addicts. “The balance is something that we really have to look at. I mean, how can you expect government to provide you with a place to live when you’re still in active addiction, because then the place... becomes another crack house,” Hydes said. The Hope For Today Foundation board has reviewed the space at the West Bay facility and decided to look into swapping the existing 10 queen beds for singles, he said, which will open up space for several more individuals seeking recovery. “This is a big property and it’s a huge house. There’s a possibility for us to hold 16 people at this house real comfortably... The foundation is brainstorming a way with [our partner] Tomlinson Furniture to have them order some single beds for us,” he said. However, Hydes said this will only offer a temporary fix in the absence of additional halfway facilities. “There is a shortage of homes for individuals that may be in the court system, struggling particularly with mental health issues. The Department of [Community] Rehabilitation are struggling to find good quality housing for these individuals,” he added. All-round support Hydes said he is hoping that the new Poinciana long-term mental health facility will offer an option of space for these individuals. The Conditional Release Board also pointed to the need for additional support for the released prisoners who are still battling mental health and addiction issues. “We believe that proper investment in rehabilitative programmes, focused measures to combat the extremely high incidence of drug usage in custody, and increased post-release support, are not only desirable, but an essential element of any coherent and effective crime reduction strategy.,” Dunne said. “A renewed commitment to tackle the root causes of offending can, in our view, only be to the collective benefit of the entire Cayman Islands community.” Hydes said without that support some released inmates will reoffend. However, he added that dealing with the problem is incumbent not only on government, but also on the individuals themselves to make a change and work their way back into the community. “This takes persistence, and you have to be patient,” he said, adding that building a solid foundation of recovery is key to achieving real integration. Eric said he is staying focused on his recovery and therapy sessions, but soon he will seek employment. He is hoping that more employers will be open to accepting individuals, like him, trying to make the best of their second chance. Hydes also shared a message with those dealing with addiction: “No matter what, stay focused on the journey of recovery. Trust the process of it and all good things would follow. One day at a time, stay clean and I believe that once you’re clean, you have a chance. Don’t stop, as we say in recovery, before the miracle happens.” Painting the way ahead Conditional release inmate Phillip Ebanks, who is going through his own recovery journey at Hope for Today, has turned to his childhood passion of painting for therapy and, now, a means to earn a living while he waits for employment and reintegration. “I didn’t think it was something I could develop and sell and make money off of. I didn’t think I would get that good in a way. I never gave it much thought so I ended up in prison... a long, long time ago... very young and I just started to [paint],” he said. Ebanks, who is now in his 50s after serving a hefty sentence handed down when he was a teenager, declined to talk about his past, saying he is looking to his future now. “I just turned 17 when I got charged for a murder, me and two other juveniles. From then it’s been kind of rough. Life has been rough because I haven’t had my freedom from the system for decades. I’m in the community, but then I still feel like I’m not free,” he said, adding that he is still living under strict rules as part of his release. Ebanks said while in prison his art would be featured at various events and some pieces were even sold. “I do just about any kind of art... portraits, landscapes, skyscapes, full moon and seascapes just about anything. Most of the work I’ve done was on request. People contact me and they want me to do something,” he said, adding that based on their requests, he visualises it and create the artwork. He said his passion is painting old Caymanian-style homes “based on the way we used to live back in the ‘60s”. He said one day he would like to open a gallery for his art. He has already designed his sign, which hangs in his room at the Hope for Today house. He said he uses the sign as his motivation to stay on his path to recovery. Though he relies on the sale of his art, Ebanks said he would like to have gainful employment and feels that the business community can do more to help reformed prisoners like him. Halfway house space crunch for released prisoners “I am fairly educated, I just made a mistake and now I am struggling to get back as part of society.” Eric, former prison inmate The Hope Foundation's halfway house is beyond capacity. - Photo: Reshma Ragoonath cayman compass 6 news N news WEEKLY, 5-11 APRIL 2024cayman compass 7 WEEKLY, 5-11 APRIL 2024Climate report contemplates a future exodus from Cayman JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky A Noah’s Ark-style project has been proposed to facilitate a modern-day exodus from Cayman in the event of catastrophic flooding caused by climate change. The plan might sound like an Old Testament story or the plot of a disaster movie, but it actually comes from a new report launched at the UK House of Commons by a group of young people advocating for more urgent action on the issue. “Over the next decade, rising sea levels and extreme weather events may force residents to relocate,” the Sustainable Cayman report warns. It proposes a “strategic approach” to migration that could help preserve Cayman’s traditions and economy, even in the event that parts of the island become uninhabitable over the longer term. It goes on to describe the range of climate-related threats - from rising sea levels to more frequent mega storms - as a “precarious situation” that threatens the “very survival and welfare of our community”. And it calls for a “pre-emptive strategy” to address the possibility of “relocating our population in response to these threats”. The initial recommendations include the idea of establishing a new ‘economic town’ in Scotland for British overseas territories citizens. The report argues that work should start now to create a viable community that could serve both as an economic partner to the territories and a future refuge. Produced by Sustainable Cayman in partnership with global non-profit OnePlanet - the ‘Rising Tides, Departing Shores’ action plan seeks to be a conversation starter for future policy planning between the Cayman Islands and the UK. “It is time to bring this dialogue to the forefront and prepare ourselves for the realities that lie ahead,” it states. Exile to Scotland The proposal for a new community in Scotland mirrors strategies adopted by low-lying islands in the South Pacific. Rickeem Lashley, of Sustainable Cayman, said, “The core concept revolves around establishing a distinct Caymanian presence in the UK, in the event of displacement due to sea-level rise or catastrophic weather events affecting our islands.” He said this report had focused on Scotland because of historical naval connections with Cayman and similar emphasis on maritime, finance and tourism industries. But he said the main goal was not to settle on a specific location but to start serious conversations about a long-term strategy in the event that some of the ‘adverse scenarios’ highlighted in various climate- change reports come to pass. “This approach seeks to prompt dialogue with UK policymakers on climate-induced migration issues facing the Cayman Islands and, by extension, other British overseas territories without their own sovereignty,” he added. Clear and present danger He rejected suggestions that preparing for a future where Cayman becomes uninhabitable could be viewed as alarmist. He cited reports from the US of properties in low-lying areas that have become “essentially uninsurable” and highlighted February’s unusually strong nor’wester as a sign of the type of damaging weather events that could become more frequent. Data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change point to significant sea-level rise in the coming decades, bringing the threat of greater storm surge, coastal flooding and property damage. “While 30 years might seem distant, it’s worth noting that these projections are conservative and could potentially happen much sooner,” said Lashley. “Currently, the housing market is already challenging for many young Caymanian buyers due to its lack of affordability. These environmental pressures are likely to exacerbate the situation, particularly as insurance premiums rise to reflect the increased risk.” He added that 25-30 years was the typical length of a mortgage, meaning the impact on viability of home loans could hit sooner. “Within just one mortgage cycle, we are expected to confront and adapt to these drastic environmental changes to maintain our current lifestyle on the islands. This calls for developing unprecedented resilience. “Unfortunately, as far as I am aware, no country has yet successfully engineered a complete solution to counteract the effects of rising sea levels.” ‘Planning for the worst’ Pooran Desai, the founder of OnePlanet, wrote the foreword to the report, saying it was a “positive response to a difficult situation”. “These suggestions contained in this report are ideas, not answers. They are here to start the debate of how this generation of young leaders in Cayman see their futures and how in turn they can become good ancestors to future Caymanians who may no longer live on the islands of their ancestors.” He added, “I am so inspired by these young leaders who have risen to the challenge of envisaging a future as the Cayman Islands, in all likelihood, disappear to sea-level rise and increasing storm intensity. “Let’s hope the scientists have it all wrong and we wake up one day to realise this was just a nightmare. But at the same time, let’s help the Caymanians plan for the worst and support them to become an inspiration for all of us.” Lashley said he did not expect the issues highlighted to be dealt with in one election cycle. He said Sustainable Cayman was forging alliances across the world and developing the expertise and connections necessary to come up with long-term policy recommendations and plans to implement them. “Once the issue gains momentum and captures the attention of policymakers, we can expect a more focused response,” he added. “It is time to bring this dialogue to the forefront and prepare ourselves for the realities that lie ahead.” Sustainable Cayman/OnePlanet ‘Rising Tides, Departing Shores’ climate change report Exile to Scotland? Waves lash Macabuca in West Bay on Tuesday, 6 Feb. – Photo: Taneos Ramsay Rickeem Lashley at the COP28 climate-change summit in Dubai last year. – Photo: Supplied cayman compass news N news WEEKLY, 5-11 APRIL 2024 8NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky While the ReGen solid waste project at the George Town landfi ll remains in limbo, an environmental management plan for the facility cannot be fi nalised, the National Conservation Council has heard. An environmental statement for the waste-management initiative has been drawn up, but the next step in the environmental impact assessment process – the environmental management plan – is “not yet a complete document”, Director of the Department of Environment and member of the National Conservation Council Gina Ebanks-Petrie has said. In her update on the EIA process involving ReGen at the conservation council meeting on Wednesday afternoon, she said this was because “the project itself has not reached fi nancial closure”. A fi nancial closure of the deal has been repeatedly delayed, with several deadlines being passed since the Progressives- led government chose the Dart consortium as the preferred bidder on the project in 2017. In March 2021, the government signed the deal with the consortium, but the fi nancing of the project remains under negotiation. The ReGen project will include a waste-to energy plant featuring a 158-foot high ventilation stack – roughly the size of a 10-storey building – as well as a boiler house and waste bunker. She added that the Environmental Advisory Board set up to review the potential environmental impacts of the project has “no input or knowledge” of the fi nancial elements of the deal. “We were told by the ReGen that they couldn’t fi nalise the environmental management plan at this point because the project has not reached completion,” the director said. “So, what we accepted was that the draft environmental management plan that was appended to the environmental statement is a high level review of the implementation of the mitigation measures that the environmental statement recommended, and we have requested that we need to be involved to further reviews to fi nalise the environmental management plan.” A timeline and a list of who is responsible for the various mitigation steps have yet to be outlined, she added. Once the fi nal environmental management plan has been completed, the Environmental Advisory Board will make recommendations to Cabinet, which will decide if the project will go ahead. Editor’s Note: The Cayman Compass is a subsidiary of Dart Media and Entertainment. Lack of fi nal ReGen deal delaying environmental management plan cayman compass 9 news N news WEEKLY, 5 11 APRIL 2024 Services covered by insurance! Medical consultations starting at $ 99 No subscription needed! The doctor’s office and pharmacy come to you Not feeling well? Request a consultation now: Wait in the comfort of your own home! 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