Activists launch wetlands campaign in face of EWA
(CNS): Sustainable Cayman, which became an official registered non-profit organisation just three months ago, has begun a new coordinated campaign to protect the Cayman Islands Central Mangrove Wetlands and raise awareness about the socio-ecological importance of this ecosystem and the threat to it posed by the extension of the East-West Arterial Road (EWA). The activists hope the campaign, entitled “Wetlands Thrive, Life Survives”, will stimulate discussion on the pros and cons of this road.
The charity is planning to follow and publicise the steps of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, such as when the people can participate in the public consultation phases, and will engage with the public throughout.
The National Conservation Council does not have the power to stop this road project, only to offer advice to mitigate the worst of the threats. The decision, therefore, is a political one that lies solely with Cabinet. This means that if the EIA finds significant threats to the mangrove habitat, which is critical to Cayman’s overall environmental health, it can only be prevented if voters pressure their politicians to counter the strong lobby for the road.
“Our aim is to provide information to the community, landowners, authorities, and businesses affected by the proposed road, and support informed participation in the public consultation phases,” according to a release from Sustainable Cayman, which also asked, “Is cutting through our untouched, sacred, limited, salient beautiful Central Mangrove Wetland needed?”
Nik Foster, a member of the non-profit, said, “This 10-mile stretch of pristine, undisturbed habitat is worth more alive and untouched than everyone on this island. We might as well consider ourselves homeless or dead in a couple of years if they remove our Central Mangrove Wetland. Who are we to destroy or alter what we cannot restore?”
Morgan Ebanks, another member of the new green non-profit, said the proposed road and the developments that would branch off from it could lead to a situation that is counterintuitive to the goal of improving socio-economic welfare.
“The free service that this integrated ecosystem provides is literally priceless to our country. It is time we acknowledge that or suffer the consequences of what we will lose in light of what is called ‘progress’. We need creativity and to have better foresight when planning for the future of our people,” she said.
To find out more about Sustainable Cayman, email SustainableCayman@gmail.com
or visit their Facebook page.
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Category: development, Land Habitat, Local News, Science & Nature
The United Nations ECLAC team estimated the total economic impact on the Cayman Islands to be 3.4 billion (183 % of GDP). Approximately 83% or 13,535 units of the total housing stock in Grand Cayman suffered some degree of damage. Dwellings situated on the sea shore, in low-lying, or swampy areas, suffered the most severe damage. Older and less well-constructed housing was also severely affected.
People forgot this report from the UN. The total report is on CMR. WE NEED to make Grand Cayman higher land then 10 feet above the sea or build sea walls. If we don’t people will lose a lot in the next hit by Hurricanes. The middle of the island is the only place to build higher. It’s called the “Central Mangrove”. We already have Quarries that could start building higher land. 66% of Grand Cayman is swamp. We have been building on Swampland for over 50 years. The Shores, Governors’Harbour, Snug harbour, Camana Bay, GT Barcadere, Grand Harbour, Prospect, Omega Bay, Rackleys canals and all the Quarries in Central Mangroves. It could be a place of safety if done right. We need more higher land.
What would happen if the Hurricane come from the west? 7 mile beach would have a lot more sand. But West Bay and George Town would be destroyed. Remember the sea walls from Lobster Pot to Hogsty Bay???? Why do you think the old people build that there???
With the exception of a few meaningful posts the rest of the commenters on this are like the two minsters spewing nothing but garbaaage!!!
You have questions, here are some answers.
Come join the FB Group Wetlands Thrive, Life Survives and be a part of the conversation.
So many climate experts outright objecting to this but not many alternative solutions put forward. Lets see what the EIA says and ways to mitigate the risks.
The traffic problems need to be addressed as half the island is struggling to make the needed commute. So many folks and children have to get up so early to make it in on time, what about them?
Also, any reason why these campaigners, DOE, NT or NCC can’t purchase some of this precious swamp land?
Why not just put the road south of the wetlands/mangroves. I know you will have to by some homes, but the needs of the many exceed the needs of the few
The mangroves are essential and anyone who has lived to witness decades of hurricanes will be thankful to have them, plus the ecosystem is priceless. Caymanians have been fighting a war to save the resources of Cayman for a very long time. Cayman is under attack from all sides and only the Cayman people have the power but first must come together.
Here is what it sounds like when you lose the words fighting, war, attack, power- all over used and proven to cause people to tune out to your message. People use similar language to describe cancer, politics, and so forth. Language matters. This could be another option:
Caymanians have been working to save the resources of Cayman for a long time. Cayman is facing challenges from many perspectives and only the Cayman people have the ability but first must come together.
Sound better? I think so
A real environmentalist should plant trees in their own land they own. Then they wouldn’t have to worry about central mangrove. Besides, IF and I say IF the sea level rises the off gassing of the swampland will be worse then developing it.
Another solution would be to finally concede to the argument that building a 4 lane highway going from Rum Point parallel to the coast which could be expanded without spending billions of dollars in the future. We could build entries and exits along its path to West Bay. As the population grows (and it is going to pass 100,000 people)we could just drop more cement columns in the sea and expand to 6-8 lanes of highway. Possibly making scenery or fishing areas to the sides of the highway.
If there was another Town in the Central Mangrove we wouldn’t need so much cars and the island could finally decentralise and increase the height of the island. Just in case we want to save money for the future?
5:06, stick to doing nothing on Sundays.
belly laughing all the way
This road is clearly essential and should be built
Not until you fix the backup at Hurley’s. The new road makes no difference otherwise.
In some parts of the world, some flying cars have already gotten Civil Avaition authorization to fly the skies
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.africanews.com/amp/2022/01/26/slovak-flying-car-gets-approval-from-civil-aviation-regulators/
I saw Ronald Weasley flying one!
20-to-30 years from now, we may not need roads
The World is evolving
As the world continue to evolve from the old to the new, starting with past centries that used boats and animals as a source of transportation to move goods and products to markets that created jobs and income in trade and commerce in the old days.
To the introduction of cars, planes and trains that cultivated and created new innovated minds for technical jobs and income in today’s economy
We find that technology is playing an important role in shaping the minds of the next generation with changes in the ways from the way we teach and learn academically to the way we advertise, market and sell goods and services
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01557/full
Colleges and Universities in other developed parts of the world have introduced new courses geared to develop students into entrepreneurs by teaching students new innovative and creative possibilities to stimulate and generate ideas for future ventures that is essential for prosperity and social progress with technology that sometimes open completely new markets and transform existing industries.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/universities-should-support-more-student-entrepreneurs/
The Weforum.org briefly explains how some of these transformations will affect us like it did with our forefathers when the world that we know it today, changed millions of old jobs in the world they knew with jobs ranging from using boats and animals to transport goods and products, to markets for income and prosperity, to new technical jobs that required technical training and education to build, service, mentain and repair cars, planes and trains
In other words, developing proper teaching skills for Colleges and Universities for these new Entrepreneural Courses to stimulate and create innovation in the minds of the next generation, is going to see some manual or human jobs losses, while other technical jobs are created.
Meaning, that people employed today or people that are laid off, need to constantly re-tool themselves with the most up to date college and university trends to stay employed or create employment for themselves
A few good examples of what college or university re-tooling tools may be required is the self driving cars that will need new minds developed with the technology to produce and install the technological equiptment for these cars to drive themselves, roads and engineers to better develop and communicate with the self driving cars to drive themselves
The other example is the discussions of flying cars that can fly from one geographical location to another.
These potential Flying Cars will need better and more organized Air Traffic Control Towers, modern equiptment designed that can create flight paths or air passage routes for these cars to fly and aviod accidents etc……….. emergency personnel and teanspertation that can quickly respond and attend to any possible flying car accident on land and in the water to save lives
Which is why these entrepreneural classes and teachers are still in the process of being designed to stimulate innovation and creativety in the minds of the next generation
Nice thought, which is clever, but not being realistic.
I wonder how many of these self-certified scientists on their campaign “Save the wetlands” actually own land in this area.
Amazing how easy it is to save someone else land to protect the environment while enjoying the fruits of the destruction of the property they now own and live on
No 9:16am, they have “investments” on SMB. Where the mangroves have already been destroyed. But that’s in the past now…
Go home.
This initiative is long overdue. Best of luck!
Look, I made my fortune from a hefty inheritance and financial wickedness, and I want to build investment properties tax free for more colonizers like me.
Deal with it.
Everybody is an environmentalist in the sense of not wanting to breathe polluted air or drink polluted water. But in practice the term has come to refer to a pagan nature worship cult that readily sacrifices other human beings on the altar to their dogmas
Wish I did not agree.
Has anyone done a research on the depleted Crab population? Too many work permit holders roaming the bushes and collecting the smallest creatures as well as fishing the small fishes. How are we to support development that is destroying everything that made us who we were?
Building more roads is not the answer to excessive importation of cars. This is a serious situation, which can be dealt with by limiting importation of Japanese cars. Too many imported workers are allowed to import cars for re-sale.
Good points.
Caymanians should be allowed to fish and all others should require a n annual license and stated quota.
Caymanians should not be restricted from bringing in vehicles, but all other should only be allowed what’s reasonably need or pay a hefty luxury tax.
5.43pm You’re idea won’t work as 75% of “Caymanians” now hail from Jamaica and those are the ones importing hundreds of cars to sell sometimes without a T&B license. Includes RCIPS officers too.
Illegal to do carry on business or trade without a T & B licence.
Gee, then all the extra surplus vehicles would be from Caymanians. Kind of like, oh, now! Brilliant thoughts from a Cayman educated intellectual.
Yes, and it’s probably work permit holders poaching turtles, taking lobster and conch over the limits and under size, and fishing on grouper moon sites, right? You have to blame someone else don’t you?
Canadians strike again!
Or it’s possible that you’re both right.
I live in Spotts Newlands:they are literally all gone. 20 years ago they were plentiful. It’s so sad. Their decline has been completely ignored.
It’s habitat decline that has caused them to disappear. All their holes in the bush have disappeared with the bulldozing and cementing over taking place in every district. It’s not foreigners catching too many, don’t be silly. It’s over development. Here in the eastern part of the island I used to be overrun with crabs. None now, just lots of buildings with low rent apartments tacked on, most without planning permission.
Seriously? I doubt work permit holders are rambling in the iron shore for crabs and the cubbies for feeder fish. Get real. Cars from Japan – probably a small minority. Imported workers importing cars… I suspect they don’t make enough to pay for cars to be imported. You really need to pay attention to sanity; and your comments are simply laughably.
Unbelievable that you are getting enough bots to post thumbs up. Your comments are simply stupid.
Can anyone explain why not use ferries or water shuttles? I am not from there, but have visited.
Too slow and don’t go where I want to go.
Got it. Thanks for the answer. Makes sense. 9:11
10 @ 10:03 am.
A ferry service started recently. However, ferries haven’t been sussessful here because there’s no public transport to depend on at your destination end, after you leave your car at the other. Car ferries are out of the question…perhaps? The North Sound may be too shallow.
The North Sound can be dredged. Not an issue.
People ferries could work, but have had some business issues to date. Expanding on what others have said …
– Routes are limited (without building dock infrastructure). There are about five sites around the North Sound where they could work from now to move people around. Other districts/routes would run into weather limitations so be considered unreliable. But still just across the North Sound would be something, perhaps even quite a lot. Though depending on the ferry route you might spend as much time on the ferry as in traffic.
– Public transport is limited (non-existent) at those sites currently. So though I could drive my car to the nearest of those docks – most of which have limited parking space – unless I work at the other dock its not helpful. (And when they tried it not enough people worked at the other end for it to be economical for the company.) The North Sound would be too shallow for Car ferries. (The environmental cost of dredging would outweigh the social-environmental benefit of the car ferry.)
– Ferries cost more than the bus when previously operated.
– Thy waste a lot of gas running empty unless running just at the peak rush-hour times. (It might be possible to use the boat & crew as a ferry at peak times and a tourist boat trip during the day. Especially with other public transport for me to get around during the day.)
As part of a managed (subsidised) reliably scheduled public transport system they could work. Perhaps even well. But we say that about the busses now also.
How feasible is a canal instead running south along the route of the proposed road through the wetlands- would be a nice boat ride and the large mangrove buffer would help keep the journey calm in bad weather. We do need to stop clearing and filling mangroves and perhaps could design safe environmental waterways.
Ur Nuts…
All I can say is Go! Go! Go! It would be wonderful if all Caymanians felt the same as
Sustainable Cayman. It is my belief that Cayman leadership should stand with them.
The problem with the environmentalists is that they’re not offering any solutions to the problem that this road is trying to solve. The one main (narrow) artery from East End to George Town can no longer support the increasing daily volume. And the fact that there is still only one after all these decades is puzzling.
Present a better alternative eco-friendly solution to the East-West Arterial Road (EWA), and I’ll help you make it happen. Otherwise stop all the clamouring.
I have to agree. And offer a solution that they themselves would take!! I heard one of them say that people in those districts should ride bikes!!! What a bunch of jokers!!
Troll
a bridge from savannah to camana will solve this.
You are absolutely correct.
The EIA is being completed and will no doubt show what areas require elevated roadways. The current ribbon of a roadway (the original road corridor mostly) cannot adequately provide safe and timely passage any longer. Also, where was this level of uproar during the Dart highway and all the mangrove destruction between George Town and West Bay / the Seven Mile Stretch?
8:09, The Dart highway was benefiting them…. The EWA doesn’t.
If everyone bothers to read the glacier story just posted in CNS they will quickly realise just how futile this particular effort is. We will soon be underwater and it won’t matter anymore
We objected to the WB Road mangrove destruction. Repeatedly. Hopefully this new group will get more respect than we did, but it doesn’t seem so from your comment.
Take the bus or car pool
I fully support this initiative and efforts to prevent destruction of wetlands. I wish Sustainable Cayman good luck!
Yes, please provide ACCURATE information, based off of science and, not false narratives based off of self proclaimed “expert opinions”.
The EIA is the scientific authority on how to best do this road. No one is looking to destroy the entire mangrove area there.
Why are we only looking at protecting that area?! What about the remaining strips of mangroves along the WB Peninsula?!
“The EIA is the scientific authority on how to best do this road. No one is looking to destroy the entire mangrove area there.” – Same thing they are saying. You should join them. To make sure that no one does come in after the road and destroy the entire mangrove area there.
“Why are we only looking at protecting that area?! What about the remaining strips of mangroves along the WB Peninsula?!” –
1) We tried (before Sustainable Cayman) but lost WB Road. (Remember pre-Ritz clearing their mangroves on Earth Day?)
2) This is the Central Mangrove Wetland. A large contiguous working section of mangroves is worth a lot more biologically than a fragment. Even a fragment of tens of acres compared to hundreds. So while some of us are (still) worried about WB Road and Red Bay / South Sound and other places, that in no way minimises the importance of this issue.
I thought Wayne Panton was going to lead the way for a new sustainable, environmentally conscious future, instead he is no different that past leaders who put development over life! I am so tired of these politicians who talk the talk but fail miserably when put to the test. We need to find a better way, the current political system is built on greed, lies and deception and is about power not people.
“This 10-mile stretch of pristine, undisturbed habitat is worth more alive and untouched than everyone on this island.”
The sentence is fine and appropriate without the last five words. Those last five words are inconsiderate and offensive.
That’s a good way to loose support for this otherwise noble pursuit for protection of the environment by degrading human life.
You make a really good point. This phrasing is either a really big misunderstanding or it’s indicative of a seriously extremist view.
Development and the environment don’t have to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. They could build the road a certain way with water passing underneath it. It can be done with minimal impact. Let’s not think about the impact of all the cars sitting idling in traffic; there’s a carbon reduction to be had by getting them moving.
I don’t think it’s extremism in the true sense; more like naive idealism run amok by a sense of privileged entitlement.
Caymanian’s should be privileged, they are almost extinct.
That’s because they really think that way.
I agree with you completely!
Yea yea…$$$$ rules….i a local…looking ither country to retire…come back visit…