7MB threatened by dock, say scientists

| 13/09/2019 | 151 Comments
Cayman News Service
Seven Mile Beach

(CNS): Scientists at the Central Caribbean Marine Institute on Little Cayman have warned that the removal and destruction of bedrock, coral and sand to make way for the proposed cruise dock will have a long term negative impact on Seven Mile Beach as well as the wider health of the local marine environment. The world-respected coral experts have also dismissed the possibility of relocating coral from the harbour and urged stakeholders to reconsider this project before it’s too late.

In a press release, the institute said a much closer look at the future and lasting impacts on Grand Cayman by the proposed cruise berthing and cargo facility was needed while there was still time, as the scientists said that Cayman’s “gorgeous beaches”, including the iconic Seven Mile Beach, are under threat from it.

“CCMI is concerned about the detrimental impacts to Seven Mile Beach and the coral reef ecosystem in the George Town area,” the experts said, as they explained why this important beach is at risk.

Beaches here have been built over tens of millions of years by the stony limestone skeletons of millions of coral reef organisms, which break down from natural physical and biological processes to produce the sand.

“The longer-term impact of the proposed George Town dock construction and the removal of sand, corals and bedrock is, therefore, an extremely important aspect to consider,” the CCMI scientists stated. “Any removal of depositional material, which is an important part of the overall sand budget and contributes to the formation of the beaches, Cayman’s most iconic tourism product, is detrimental.”

CCMI added that protecting sources of sand was critically important for businesses that rely on coastal tourism, for local residents who enjoy the beach, and the cultural and natural heritage of the islands.

“Home and resort owners on Seven Mile Beach, and everyone who enjoys Seven Mile Beach in particular should think seriously about the impacts of this proposed dock project on reefs, and the part corals play in contributing to Cayman’s tourism product and healthy ocean ecosystem,” the experts said. “We recognise that there are many complex processes contributing to Seven Mile Beach’s sand budget but what is proposed will undoubtedly affect Cayman’s most famous beach.”

The long-term risk from dredging and coral removal goes beyond the loss of coral and tens of thousands of species living on and around the reef, but the scientists have painted a bleak picture about how this controversial project could contribute to a gross reduction in the production of sand that makes up Grand Cayman’s beaches.

Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell has previously stated that if the project posed a serious risk to Seven Mile Beach, that would put an end to the propose development. But following the publication of the first environmental impact assessment in 2015, which had suggested there was no immediate thereat to that particular beach, government has pressed on. It opted to change the design, pushing the proposed cruise piers further into the ocean, claiming this would lessen the marine damage.

However, the change in the design is understood to have cut the reef destruction by only a very small percentage by marginally reducing the dredging area. But a considerable amount of the reefs, somewhere in the region of 12 acres, in the George Town Harbour will still be directly destroyed.

But in addition to that, an as yet undefined amount of coral will die as a result of the massive amount of sediment and silt that will be produced during construction and then the future operation of the facility.

Government has raised the possibility of coral relocation and CNS understands that the proposed developers have earmarked some $10 million to invest in relocation to an area close to the George Town cemetery. But so far no tests have been conducted and the Department of Environment has made it clear on several occasions that this is not a viable option for saving reefs.

Now the CCMI has gone further, warning that there has been little success anywhere in the world with coral relocation. The institute pointed out that claims about relocation as a solution are misplaced, since positive results from coral regeneration and relocation remain elusive. The scientists said relocated corals across the Caribbean region are typically suffering 80% mortality within two years of being moved.

“Little hope for replenishing the sand on Seven Mile Beach in the long-term exists, due to the limited proven success of coral relocation as a mitigation strategy. The proposed dock construction will disrupt an entire ecosystem by removing the corals and sand,” the experts warned.

Despite some success in growing corals, the institute said that 80% of its own nursery-reared corals eventually die when outplanted or removed from the nursery and placed in the wild environment. The scientists pointed out that this mortality is a well known barrier to coral regeneration and restoration around the world.

“We are working hard to find the answers but are not there yet,” the scientists said, adding that relying on the relocation of 12 acres of coral as a mitigation strategy to this project is a misnomer. What little success the institute has had growing coral over the last eight years has involved a specific type of coral from the Acropora genus that is known to grow quickly.

“But the whole-scale relocation of coral being proposed as a mitigation strategy within the dock proposal is not proven, includes many slow growing corals and does not address the widescale habitat loss at an ecosystem level.”

CCMI stated that coral reefs are the most threatened ecosystem on earth. “If it was that easy to relocate corals, everyone would have done it successfully already and reefs would not be critically endangered,” the experts noted, as they urged a rethink of the dock proposal.


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Category: development, Local News, Marine Environment, Science & Nature

Comments (151)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Anonymous 4:05 pm I agree with you XXXXX

    CNS: I have kept a copy of this very long and very detailed comment and may post it in some form if you can convince me that it was not written by the government’s PR team, which is exactly what it sounded like, and very strangely had the same tone as the government’s paper on the issue. I am very happy to publish the government’s point of view but only if it is sent to me as such. Also, the trashing of the CCMI scientists from the supposed point of view of someone who knows what they are talking about went way beyond disagreeing with them as a peer, it seemed more like a full-on campaign to discredit them, which I find fairly disturbing.

  2. Mervyn Cumber says:

    Since we are talking about the effects of tampering with coastline and seabed, I would mention that some years ago when the “channel” off Cayman Kai was blasted to widen it, the beach at Rum Point started to disappear. Some large boulders were dump off shore in an attempt to save the beach, it failed. So now further down the beach you have “Starfish Point” a shallow area area of abundant sand that never existed before the enlarging of the channel. Don’t play with mother nature it will come to haunt you!

  3. Anonymous says:

    ATTENTION EVERYONE!!!
    BREAKING NEWS FOR THOSE WHO NEVER READS
    ARTICLES IN FULL and KEEPS TALKING ABOUT 20%!

    Tourist Accommodation charges are ONLY (!!!) 3% of total government total revenues!

    It is in this article https://caymannewsservice.com/2019/05/government-coffers-overflowing/

    also, learn about the invisible GIANT of Cayman economy

    “….. government that they spend twice as much on tourism as they do on financial services. And for every dollar they spend on financial services, they roughly receive around $18 from financial services. Comparably with tourism, they receive less than $2 in revenue,..”
    https://www.caymancompass.com/2018/01/25/financial-services-industry-caymans-invisible-giant/

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    • See Ya says:

      This who.e upand downeverybodyknows whatthey feels right. So stop Allie Malarkin and wait until the referendum date is declared and go out and vote whatever way you feel.

      In the mean time ona go and do some work nah and stop cheating ya employees. And for those who are so richly rich go and donate your time and yes ya money where it counts, oh not to the politicians of course.

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  4. Cayman Biting Ants says:

    Time for uncle Alden and Bababushka to leave Gowerment and you know who else needs to go is their little ppm stool pigeons place amongst the referendum group. Who like those expansionist jackasses keep talking population increase at the expense of our precious environment to pay for their ridiculous fool fool lifestyle.

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  5. BAT says:

    Grand Cayman has lost its charm. Squeezing in as much concrete as possible in just about every little possible space takes away from the natural beauty of the island. Too bad, it used to be such a beautiful place at one time. The cruise ship docs will further erode its charm. In fact, it would probably be best if one did away with the entire cruise ship experience altogether. At no time did the cruise ship industry ever say that they’re in it to make you money. At best, it won’t have any impact on the beaches, though they’ll still squeeze out as much money as possible from the tourists, locals and ancillary industry. At worst, it’ll destroy 7 mile beach. Concentrate on stay-over tourism and the financial sector. Do those things really well, and you won’t have to worry about a few boats that come to pollute your water, beaches, ports, and island.

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    • BAT says:

      You can downvote the comment all you want… When the referendum comes, and it will, your bots won’t do much for you.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    All the old Sea Captians have been saying this since this build the port issue came up. Not certain why the government of the day do not take their input under advice?

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  7. Mervyn Cumber says:

    When I first came to Cayman in 1964 as a teenager, I was lucky enough to live on Seven Mile Beach. Back then it was simply called West Bay Beach. We could get seafood for the family table right in front of the house, and my brother and I could walk to West Bay Cemetery and not a single building to be seen. What is now the Seven Mile Beach public beach had sand banks and the very small needs of the PWD at that time were met with sand taken for there. I know there were “sand teifs” and I remember names! That did not happen until the 1980’s and they chose the Barkers Beach and area. Actually Pappagallo didn’t need to level their property it was already done! There were huge amounts of sand on the West Bay Beach, it was pristine. You cannot stop progress and I agree, but what I have seen since my initial visit to West Bay Beach and now is “cry making”, and I have always considered myself as a strong person.

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    • Chris Johnson says:

      Good post Mervyn. I have lived on the beach since 1977 and seen it all. Many of the condos were built in the 80s and are all the same, like little boxes. One in particular has no respect for Cayman and its planning regulations and frequently brakes the law. Some like Silver Sands have an abundance of space whilst others are just crammed in. Unfortunately the new ten story condos will be even worse. It is all too late. There never was any proper planning as reinforced by the road system we have today. The Coopers and Lybrand tourism report of 1992 made many recommendations most of which were largely ignored.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Wait, I’m confused we now have a couple of reports by scientists and they don’t agree with each other? what a surprise there are many scientists around the world that don’t agree about climate change is caused by CO2 increasing. But what we need to see with our eyes is that other islands and countries around the Caribbean are not having these detrimental effects. Look at Roatan, Cuba, Jamaica which our places close to us. We know that storms bring in the sand on the beach (Northwesters). We know that parrotfish, tangs, cucumbers etc create the sand.climate change
    So if there IS climate change the sea will rise and take the sand away. Nothing to do with a pier

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    • Anonymous says:

      Sorry but you are severely misinformed. 99% of professional scientists agree that climate change is caused by CO2. Furthermore, there have been detrimental effects of climate change in Roatan, Cuba and Jamaica.

      You need to do more reading.

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      • Anonymous says:

        99% of all statistic are made up.

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        • Anonymous says:

          We don’t need statistics or scientist to tell us that the earth’ environment is messed up big deal. Micro plastic is in the water, air, rain, snow,dust, the depth of the oceans, sea animals etc. If they check they might find it in umbilical cords. How much more proof anyone needs?

  9. Anonymous says:

    Scientists don’t know shit. Glory be to god!

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  10. Mervyn Cumber says:

    I have read all the comments with interest, Many years ago, as owner of a dive company located at the then Raddisson Hotel (Mariott) I became aware of the erosion of the beach after a private individual, Marne Turner , was given permission to build a seawall at her property just North. Following this the hotel itself got permission to build a seawall to extend their pool deck. We used to pull our dive boats on to the beach there, but it became a “no more” after we left our partnership with the said Hotel.
    The fact then was that seawalls erode beaches. Now, I would like to remind all of you that where the current Margaritaville Resort is (Treasure Island), never had a beach, it was “iron shore”! However, the then government allowed them to create a beach by blasting out the iron rock. This further contributed to the erosion at the Marriott,and the rest of Seven Mile Beach. As for the port project, I agree with CCMI and their conclusions. The fact is, if you dig a big hole, to build the dock, currents and weather conditions will fill it up, an history to me tells me that it will be all the sand from Seven Mile Beach. I am no prophet but just wait and see if this project goes ahead, local history speaks for itself.

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    • Cayman Kind. says:

      Amen to that. Facts, history and truth. Thank you Mr Cumber for reminding us of history!

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    • Anonymous says:

      This type of honest shared experience is invaluable in determining the best course of action for our future. Regrettably special interest groups including government will spin the truth to suit their agendas.
      Seven mile beach is our unique crown jewel that must be protected.

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    • Chris Johnson says:

      A very accurate post Mervyn. Many readers are not aware of these past events.

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      • alaw says:

        all you smart guys could I have a sensible answer.
        if you make a hole and fill that hole with concrete will it still be a hole?

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        • Anonymous says:

          depends where the hole is.

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        • KWilliams says:

          I think the answer lies in the soil.

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        • Hankcock says:

          I think you first pour the cement and sand into the hole. Following that concrete will evolve after time and voila there is no hole. I hope you find this response useful.

        • Anonymous says:

          Yes. Because (a) you would have hole lined with cement (like a swimming pool) and (b) the port is not planning to fill the area they dredge out with cement. They have to dredge it out so the ships can get in. Therefore if they filled the hole back in with cement the ships could not dock.

          The question we should be asking is how much maintenance dredging is expected to be needed to keep the hole empty?

    • nauticalone says:

      I agree completely. Thanks for your comment!

  11. Anonymous says:

    Cayman, land of the falling sky, yet every morning I wake up and the sky is still there.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The sky might still be there but Seven Mile Beach might be gone one morning when you wake up after a big storm, and believe me the big one is coming. Only someone who is a global warming denier believes it won’t happen.

      Just look at Bahamas.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Please publish links for all to see.

        Thanks.

      • Anonymous says:

        10:30 instead of a big storm, why not wish the end of the world!

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        • Anonymous says:

          10:32, We just have to be realistic about what is happening with the warming seas in the Caribbean. We cannot live in denial with our heads in the sand about global warming. I certainly do not wish for the end of the world and the two issues are not linked.

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          • Anonymous says:

            5:58 if you had a develop brain you would quickly realize that many people’s world comes to an end in a big storm!

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  12. Silent majority says:

    Let’s make the upcoming Referendum settle the matter. Let the people decide!..
    And make the question thus:- “Do, we the people, wish for the Cayman Islands to be in the tourism business or not!”.

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    • Anonymous says:

      So you want everybody to answer based on money not environment them? Moronic question.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Something tells me that after the referendum there will be an aweful lot of disappointed people when the result shows the 50+1% wasn’t achieved.
      It will be like Hillary supporters all over again when Donald won.🤣

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      • Anonymous says:

        But 8:01, Donald did not win. He lost the popular vote by 3 million votes. Trump can thank the Electoral College System which is affirmative action for rural areas in America.

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      • Anonymous says:

        What TV or radio setting did you find this news?

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        • Anonymous says:

          7:27, I recognize that the American Electoral College system is not easy for everyone to understand. 7 out of the last 8 elections the Democratic Party candidate has won the popular vote but not necessarily the Presidency. The system is flawed if one believes in democracy, however, it is great for rural states such as Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, etc, as the system gives the more rural states of America, a disproportionate amount of political power.

    • Anonymous says:

      Let’s not forget that the tourism revenue is only 20% cruise ship related.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The question should be: “Do, we the people, wish for the Cayman Islands and CIG resources to focus on stay over tourism or cruise ship tourism”.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Cruise ships? No not really.

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    • Anonymous says:

      ALDARTMOSESBOT your question seems to answers a question I had for a long time – Do the supporters of the destructive dock really believe that our tourism business is only cruise tourism?

      The fact – 20% of our tourism income comes from cruise tourism. Cruise tourism is only one segment of our tourism.

      The fact – Nobody has said to stop cruise tourism.

      The fact – without a dock we have 1.9 MILLION cruise tourists. The largest cruise line has said dock or no dock they will still continue to visit our Islands.

      ALDARTMOSESBOT stop asking deliberately misleading leading questions.

  13. David Guilfoyle (Thomas Wright) says:

    Can we see the scientific study?

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  14. Anonymous says:

    Our government isn’t doing much to make us look good on the international stage right now. No gay marriage and actively seeking to destroy it’s priceless coral reef. Nice one Aldart.

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  15. Anonymous says:

    “Beaches here have been built over tens of millions of years by the stony limestone skeletons of millions of coral reef organisms,”

    Nonsense.

    These people reject God.

    God put the beaches there, and it is up to Him whether they stay.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Yes! I agree. And if this god you speak of wants a cruise ship pier in Georgetown let him build it. Who are we to meddle in such matters?

      #lame

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    • Anonymous says:

      Actually… the Parrotfish put the beaches there pooping sand , but we get your point.

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      • Chris Johnson says:

        I agree. However that is a lot of Parrotfish to creat Seven Mile Beach.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Chris, now that’s really funny. Did you not hear about the plague of Parrotfish before you arrived on Grand Cayman? Just like the plague of locusts in the Bible. Cannot stop laughing.

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    • Anonymous says:

      It’s been a tough old day but that comment has cheered me up.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I mean didn’t you read the article? It clearly describes the process of how the sand forms over millions of years. Nothing to do with any sky fairy. No the world is not two thousand years old.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Lol…. “God”…. LOL

  16. Anonymous says:

    If you dare to even question this, just remember not to offend the deity of the 97%

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  17. Anonymous says:

    Well there goes any funding they were getting from Government…The wrath of Moses and alden will rain down hell fire on them..

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  18. Anonymous says:

    I’m sure if the UK MSM picked up on CIG’s plan to destroy 12 acres of coral reef there would be outrage and the governor might even be forced to peek outside his beach house. Many coral reefs around the world are even protected as UNESCO World heritage sites, even in Belize and the Philippines. Why is it apparently desirable to deliberately destroy ours? It should be protected from these fools. Even ignoring the environmental vandalism it doesn’t make any financial sense at all. This is complete madness.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Oh yeah wassup, scared of a little outside scrutiny? Come on CNS you must know someone in the UK press that would be all over this!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Do not wait for the Governor to say anything that AlDart had not ordered him to say.

      Like Al owes his existence as Premier to Mac and Dart, Governor owes his Cayman Vacation to AlDart.

      The Governor will only speak and do as told – he saw what happened when A Real Man, Governor Choudhury, stood up for Caymanians. AlDart ordered him to be fired. Governor Choudhury was too good for the Cayman Islands.

      Caymanians are the loosers….again.

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      • Anonymous says:

        I agree but this “AlDart” thing is childish give it a rest it diminishes your point. Dart has stayed conspicuously quiet; presumably because they know it will damage stayover tourism… the whole thing is crazy. It’s so obvious that the forces really pushing for this disaster don’t live here!

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      • Anonymous says:

        what I heard of Choudhury is that he came through one door and out the next
        can somebody explain what did he do.

        • Anonymous says:

          Absolutely nothing. His removal was a Brit-on-Brit bashing. But people liked his ‘Caymanians are oppressed and I am the great not white hope’ and since he wasn’t around long enough to disprove himself see a local conspiracy to keep themselves oppressed.

  19. Anonymous says:

    What CCMI fails to understand though is that our government has already paid for the opinion they wanted to hear.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The CIG paid for the Baird study in 2015 and certainly that is not / not the result CIG wanted to hear.

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  20. Anonymous says:

    There’s not much living coral on SMB already. The shallow areas just off the major developments were wiped out years ago by run off. Try scuba diving off the beach at TI (now Margaritaville Resort) – you’ll soon see what I mean.

    I remember a news story at least 10 years ago about beach erosion caused by sea walls on SMB. Where do you think all that sand went?

    I’ve no issues with CCMI’s conclusions but this is definitely shutting the stable door long after all the horses have bolted.

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    • Anonymous says:

      You are ignorant of the facts. Why do you think diveboats are diving off of the beach EVERY day?

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      • Anonymous says:

        To see what little is left in the world.

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      • Anonymous says:

        9:38 I swim that area pretty much every day and I don’t see many dive boats out there. They’re all further along SMB. Back about 20 years ago it was completely different. When did you last swim that area? Can you even swim?

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    • Anonymous says:

      What rubbish

      • Anonymous says:

        12:35 Sounds like you’re describing the reef off TI. Check out Mervyn Cumber’s comment above – that’s the truth.

  21. Anonymous says:

    They call themselves scientists yet they make such false and outrageous statements without following up on any existing research whatsoever. Ask them have they read the full 2400 pages of the Baird EIA document written 3 years ago and have they read the Smithsonian Paper from 1982 or the Dr, Seymour from the Scripps Institute paper written 15 years ago. When you cannot read existing research and the science behind it all they loose all credibility. They themselves are growing coral in coral nurseries and trying to transplant it unsuccessfully because they are not following the science from previous research carried out by others around the world that has been highly successful in recovering and developing coral reefs and growing coral rapidly. These are people you are calling scientists and experts.

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    • Cayman for good says:

      Seriously? The Department of Environment and CCMI have clearly shown the problems – backed up with real facts backed up by 20 years of research – and both say the port will create REAL environmental problems and you say they don’t have the research and their conclusions aren’t backed up by facts? 🤣🤣🤣. Have YOU read their actual statements and references? So the experts are stupid because they don’t give you the answers you want. Welcome to TRUMP world!

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    • Anonymous says:

      1:10 – Yes I have read all of them and so has the DOE and very likely CCMI. When you are “loose” with the truth you ‘lose” all credibility for sure and you are certainly being loose with the truth.

      It is an incontrovertible FACT that coral transplanting is ALMOST NEVER successful! It doesn’t work! Jean-Michel Cousteau will be happy to confirm that!

      It is bandied about as a sop to fool people into believing the coral can be relocated as opposed to being DESTROYED!

      Do not be FOOLED people – coral relocation is NOT WORTH THE MONEY – it is a $10M CON JOB.

      It is viewed as a cost of doing business because it helps to convince the public to support a project which will have an impact on coral -a DEADLY IMPACT!

      Don’t let the Government LIE to YOU!

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      • Anonymous says:

        9:37, Earlier this year I stayed at Jean Michel Cousteau’s Resort in Fiji. Guess what they are doing at his resort? Growing coral. I saw it with my own eyes.

        Think it is time to take a trip to Fiji and see for yourself.

        You have been FOOLED. Don’t be a fool any longer.

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  22. Cheese Face says:

    Even if the dock doesn’t kill SMB the fat cruise shippers will, lose / lose.

    High end stay over tourism please CIG.

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  23. Anonymous says:

    “Dont worry Dart will put the sand back”

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  24. Anonymous says:

    Oh the pro-port bot morons are out in force today. Enjoy your minimum wage payments while they last.

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  25. Anonymous says:

    Whole lot of Kirk bots online this morning.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Yep. About 40 thumbs today, so prob only 1 loser with a decent vpn. All to sell a few damn Rolex and burgers. So lame.

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  26. Anonymous says:

    No, I qualified at Rock Hole University with a degree in common sense!

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    • Anonymous says:

      WOW. 11:01, I am really impressed. Is Fred Flintstone one of your friends?
      You must know Barney Rubble?

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  27. Anonymous says:

    Fake beach anyway. Why is the Marriott, et al applying to replenish it? What with ?

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  28. Peer of the Realm says:

    Ethics are an anathema to the present Government. What matters is clan loyalty and the almighty dollar. If this project goes ahead I hope 20 years from now once this horrendous mistake is clear to all we create a National Traitors Award for all the decision makers responsible for this project.

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  29. Anonymous says:

    But nothing everyone has already done on seven mile beach or George Town harbor has had an effect? Really? Look around the world at other third world countries and you will see that most of them have a much bigger infrastructure then Cayman Islands ever will and they are doing fine still. They have not killed their beaches, or stopped progress. What is the differences between Cayman and the rest of the third world? This little island is run by fools for fools. Each one of them knows everything about everything all evidence to the contrary. Thank you for keeping the third world mentality going on. It keeps the crowds down and your schools make sure that there will be lots of gas station attendants and lawn care professionals to keep Cayman moving.

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    • Anonymous says:

      10:09, Bet you believe global warming is a Chinese hoax too.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Nope. Ask your ex-Premier (the one who got fired but still works for you) about the Chinese and then believe everything he tells you.

    • Anonymous says:

      You are a fool bot.

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    • Anonymous says:

      So we should be like the third world countries but not be like the third world countries….got it!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Sorry but I prefer to take advice from the scientists with credentials – not some anonymous blogger. Is see the Kirk Bots prefer your advice tho, maybe yall can hang

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    • Nuther Nonimous says:

      Dear Mr. Anonymous;

      Yes, I’ve looked around at some of the other third world countries and I think it is a shame how they have become little more than tourist traps where venturesome people go to get away from the same old grind they face where they live……. and I think that is sad. And have you read about how the hordes of tourists at some of the world renown tourist sites have undertaken to reduce the amount of people coming to their ports? Look it up. They are limiting the number of cruise ships allowed to dock. Too many tourists are ruining it for themselves and the people of the places visited! Face it!…. Too many people in an area too small for them is NOT GOOD! Grand Cayman has reached that milestone, and now our leaders want to make it worse! Have you ever tried to get around in Grand when several cruise ships are in port? I assume you have, and know that the thundering herds of tourists turn what should be a pleasant outing into a crowded nightmare. As a Caymanian, I am very disappointed that it has gotten so bad here.

      All of my voting-age children and my wife and I will certainly vote AGAINST the big port fiasco, and I hope the hoopla about the unnecessary multimillion dock fades away!

      Oh!….. you said, “This little island is run by fools for fools.” At least we agree on one thing!

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      • Anonymous says:

        Pity expats can’t vote or it would be a slam dunk NO! I’ve yet to meet a single person who isn’t vehimently opposed to this insanity.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Anything done to the GT Harbour pales in comparison to the plans for this Berthing facility

      Not to mention once its completed there will be multiple cruise ships weighing thousands of tonnes moving in and out stirring up sediment and disturbing the seabed every day, if you think that will have no effects on the surrounding area then I have a tower in Paris to sell you

      The idea that because nothing in the past has negatively affected the area that nothing in the future will is almost as stupid as your comments regarding ‘third world countries”

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      • Anonymous says:

        3:40 can you explain what alternate method are used by cruise ships that enter and leave GT Harbour at present!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Are you kidding, take a walk in front of Plantation Village or the Marriott or even the Turner home and see what has happened just since the Margaritaville put in that wall to try to accumulate beach on their property.. The Marriott started it by building their pool so close to the watersedge that the sand had nowhere to go. Now if they can manage to get one row of chairs on the beach they are lucky.. Look at Regal Beach that had a wide sandy beach, now they barely can get two rows of chairs and the sand is all gone from the water in front to the point it is down to just a rocky bottom…you can’t even swim their anymore without getting hurt from the sharp rocks protruding from the bottom.

      Go take a look, walk the beach and get in the water like I do everyday then tell me that something won’t happen when we inhibit the flow of water moving that way..

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  30. Anonymous says:

    “Scientists at the Central Caribbean Marine Institute on Little Cayman have warned that the removal and destruction of bedrock, coral and sand to make way for the proposed cruise dock will have a long term negative impact on Seven Mile Beach as well as the wider health of the local marine environment.”

    How can the members of this government sleep at night with this information? Of course no EIA has been done but these politicians profess to know more than the local scientific community. When will these politicians wake up?

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  31. Anonymous says:

    Contrary to Unity opinion, Baird has been cautioning about “sponge and coral suffocating” sediment plumes for years, including in their 2015 EIA. They even put it into a video for the knuckleheads running this show, and to illustrate for those that can’t read:

    See: “Sediment Plume, main propellor, bow in”

    https://www.baird.com/case-studies/cayman-islands-cruise-berthing-facility/

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    • Anonymous says:

      Knucklehead! for your information all the computer modeling from the Baird EIA was pulled out of the document and discarded because when they ran the models through the Star Centre simulator in Miami it was garbage, being 180 degrees out in the wrong direction and it was grossly overstated by 1500% to 1800%

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  32. Anonymous says:

    What is the lifetime VALUE to the Cayman Islands, and FULL COST to our stayover tourism product and resident quality of life, when we include the inevitable reef destruction, species degradation, reef-suffocating particulate, suspended silica transfer up West Wall and then wind-blown back into Seven Mile Beach. Turning our world-renowned crystal clear waters (that Columbus spoke about in his journals) and turning it into brown milk. Who would retain or shop for their million+ dollar condo in a place that would be dumb enough to do this to themselves? We need to look at the TOTAL COST LIST, line by line, not just the isolated short-term build estimate (which is probably off by 50% or more). For all of this horrendous self-harm, there aren’t even the ships or passengers to support the concocted business assumptions tabled to-date.

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  33. Anonymous says:

    Scientists say 7MB will be threatened by dock!!! I say the entire island will be in danger. Take a look around… check Frank Sound beach by the public dock, sand had been removed in excess, also beach inBT just pass the grave yard, Beach Bay, Spotts Beach, Spotts dock all of these areas sand has been removed in excess. I have been lobbing the powers that be to intercede for years – so far no results. I believe any tampering with the ocean floor in any will have dangerous lasting affects.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The sand is disappearing at night in the back of Caymanians pick up trucks for their personal use. Good thing they put up all those hotels or there would be no seven mile beach. Maybe one little Cayman island one mile beach universe.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Yeah, blame the Caymanians, that’s always the easy way..

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      • Anonymous says:

        Ahh the dumb are getting dumber.

      • Anonymous says:

        10.13am ..for your information. if you think it’s only Caymanians backing away the sand it’s not… some “foreigners” you know who… were caught even taking away the rock wall around Spotts grave yard!

  34. Anonymous says:

    Additionally, changed tidal patterns from the dock structure will also affect the SMB, sand will disappear (and possibly re-appear at times) but the overall effect would be to destroy the long stretch of sand and all the appeal it has!

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  35. Anonymous says:

    And docks/towns get threatened by megaships too.

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1764530/dramatic-new-video-shows-moment-wave-from-134000-ton-cruise-liner-causes-a-mini-tsunami-and-destroys-italian-marina/

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-02/venice-cruise-ship-loses-control-crashing-into-wharf/11171948

    I’d rather these failures happened with another few hundred yards of water, not right in town. One bad bump and the co-located cargo port gets blocked too.

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  36. Anonymous says:

    Thank you CNS for publishing this story. I have always felt that you were just an extension of the PPM-led government. But publishing this story proves me wrong.

    Hopefully the current government will not take any sort of revenge/retribution against any of the CCMI employees who are on some sort of work permit.

    It is only common sense that if you dredge such a significant area near Seven Mile Beach, that it will have an adverse affect – then what?

    To CNS, today you have renewed my faith in what I felt was clear bias in your reporting.

    CNS: Sorry, I do not believe that you actually read CNS. There is no way that you could possibly believe that we are an extension of the PPM if you do. Madness.

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    • Anonymous says:

      LOL the CNS response is literally what I was thinking

      I read this comment and literally did a double take

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    • Anonymous says:

      When last have you seen this Governnent revoke Work Permits, because of someone’s opinion not being in agreement with theirs.. ???

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  37. I Am that I Am says:

    Worthwhile reading . I just don’t understand why the Institute waited this long to publish these thoughts.? Have you been asked to do this now wasnt this subject important a year ago. Hmm . Just asking.

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  38. Anonymous says:

    BOOM!

    Another kick in the nuts for Moses dock project

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  39. Anonymous says:

    CCMI will no longer get any support or sponsorship after that statement as decreed by the 3 wise men Alden, Moses and McKeeva.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Many thanks to the scientist. I always thought the notion of cutting out acres of reef and putting it somewhere else was an idiotic idea! Please don’t tell me that the Premier and his deputy really believe such rubbish. I don’t expect anything else from their minions but they should know better. We cannot allow them to use our money to further destroy the island. They should use this excess money to fix the dump, fix the transport system so we can get to work in the mornings without having to be stuck in traffic for over an hour and spend the rest on the education system. I know some of you will come back pointing out that the cruise lines are paying for it but before you type remember we are indirectly paying, whether it is today or 25 years down the road. THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH!

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      • Anonymous says:

        Can you honestly say that this Governnent is NOT spending money on expanding and upgrading our transport system.. ??? Give credit, where credit is due.. !!!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Yeah…………… But they will be gone soon!

  40. Eco-warrior 345 says:

    Does the Minister of Environment Mr. Seymour understand the dangerous? How can he and Cabinet put at risk the great jewel of the Cayman Islands the world famous seven mile beach? Hopefully ex-Minister Wayne Panton will engage and lend his voice to these threats to the marine environment and the National Conservation Law the PPM took great pride in when it was passed on a majority vote during the 2013-17 PPM lead administration.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Oh please, don’t even go there. He doesn’t have a clue!!

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      • Anonymous says:

        What do you mean… “He doesn’t have a clue”…? A whoke lot smarter than you care to admit.. !!!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Yall heard a peep out of Wayne since last election ? He will be the Unity Governments candidate in Newlands in 2021 smh

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      • Anonymous says:

        Wayne should pack it in with Unity and lead a new Green Party with the majority of people in the party being young people. The other two parties have sold out Cayman totally to developers. He would get a huge amount of support as so many people are fed up with the direction Cayman is going particularly young people.

  41. Anonymous says:

    This damn cruise dock is an environmental crime and for what? Nothing! The cruise lines take all the profits and every $ you make from selling burgers to cruise shippers you’ll lose $1000 when you lose 7mb. It’s environmental and economic vandalism. Why don’t we just bulldose Trashmore into the North Sound while we’re at it, could make a few $.

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  42. Anonymous says:

    Pity our elected officials are blinded by greed!

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