$10k needed to keep reef restoration project going

| 22/01/2015 | 4 Comments
Cayman News Service

Volunteer divers clear rubble from crushed reef (Photo by Lois Hatcher)

(CNS): Divers who have been working for over five months with the Department of the Environment to restore an area of reef damaged by a cruise ship anchor last year have launched a campaign to help finance the critical project. Some 11,000 sq ft of reef in the George Town harbour was crushed when the ship dropped anchor in the wrong location. Because no agency has taken responsibility for the destruction, efforts to repair the reef have been in the hands of the volunteers and they now need cash to get the equipment they need and cover costs.

With the help of dive operators donating boat use at weekends, the Cayman Magic Reef project volunteers have removed tons of rubble and salvaged pieces of live coral to be replanted. But Keith Sahm, General Manager for Sunset House and a co-coordinator of the project, told a local dive website that they need to recoup some expenses and buy supplies.

“The goal is to raise $10,000 and we’ve got the Cayman government’s full backing,” he said in an interview with The Cayman Bottom Times. Sahm said that marine science experts have suggested capping the scarred area on the reef base with concrete to keep the particles and silt from floating around and affecting nearby live corals, so bags of cement are needed for that phase of the project. The divers also need a special marine epoxy to reattach live corals to the base.

Some corals have already been reattached and are doing well, according to Lois Hatcher of Ocean Frontiers, another project coordinator. “The ones we replanted look really good,” she said. “We’re lucky to have a good strong corps of volunteers who care deeply and are dedicated to the effort. Everyone is working well together.”

The volunteers are knocking on the doors of the local business community and a fundraiser is planned for 27 February at the Royal Watler Cruise Terminal in George Town to cover some of the mounting costs. Hatcher said some people have already come forward to donate supplies without being asked.

Divers planning vacations to Cayman are also offering to get involved with the project during their stay and organizers say they can use all the help they can get. As they reach out to the community, the volunteers are spreading the message that keeps them going and working for a successful fundraising campaign.

“We’re working to save Cayman’s marine environment for the future so we can’t afford for it not to be a success,” said Hatcher.

Donations for the Cayman Magic Reef Restoration Project can be made online with the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. Online contributions must be designated for the Environmental Programmes listed on the giving page. www.nationaltrust.org.ky

For more information on the fundraising campaign contact Keith Sahm at keith.sahm@sunsethouse.com or Lois Hatcher at lohatcher@gmail.com.

Visit the Cayman Magic Reef Restoration Project Facebook Page:  Cayman Magic Reef Restoration Project

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Category: Marine Environment, Science & Nature

Comments (4)

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  1. Iamnotapirate says:

    Some one is only made to pay if they are NOT Caymanian. Caymanians do not have to take responsibilities for their actions while they are in Cayman. It is an unwritten but widely excepted law. Part of being third world edumacated. The harbor pilot Who’s sole responsibility was to guide the ship to the right place failed in his job and caused millions in damage but he is a Caymanian. No matter that the damage was done to a grand Cayman islands reef. If any money is going to be spent on repair it will have to come from expats. If your living ,doing business, or just visiting remember this law and act accordingly.

  2. Concerned Citizen says:

    Taken from the Compass:

    ‘The Environmental Protection Fund, which now totals almost $50 million, has also been ruled out as a source of funding because the process for community groups to apply for donations has not yet been established.’

    How difficult is it to establish this process? If the Gov is so concerned and ‘behind’ this issue, why can it not make an exception and take $10k from this fund to help rebuild one of Cayman’s greatest environmental resources?

  3. Plankton says:

    At a minimum, why aren’t the offending cruise line and the inept local harbour master paying for this remediation? Who was the negotiator on this one?!?

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