CIG to consider forcing Red Spot owner to sell beach
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government has accepted a private member’s motion submitted by back-bench member McKeeva Bush (WBW) to consider the compulsory acquisition of two small parcels of land in the George Town Harbour where the fish market is located. Most of Red Spot (aka Dora’s Beach) is owned by Chris Johnson, who has been reluctant to sell the site to the government for a permanent fish market as he had planned to donate the land to the people as a beach for everyone to use free from commercial activity.
Local fishermen say they have been using the area to unload, clean and sell fish for decades, a claim Johnson disputes. Nevertheless, he has allowed them to use the site to sell their wares since he acquired the land in partnership with another owner in the early 1970s. In recent years, he and his family began a beautification project in the area and want to continue that work, which has been delayed by the disputes.
Johnson, a retired Insolvency Practitioner and Financial Investigator, is keen to clean the site up so it can be enjoyed by people as a beach. Towards this, he sought to remove the fish market legally before COVID and have them move to another nearby spot. The PPM administration said the issue was resolved in December 2020 but an agreement between the parties was never implemented. Since then, the fishermen have been lobbying the CIG to seize the land and turn it into a permanent fish market.
Bush, whose motion was supported by the independent opposition member Chris Saunders (BTW), argued that local fishermen had prescriptive rights to the land given how long they had used it to ply their catch. He said it had long been the place where fishermen could make a living, where residents could buy fresh fish and was part of the country’s heritage.
Bush said the government had been trying for years to buy the land. He accused the landowner of not cooperating and said it was time for the issue to be forced through compulsory acquisition.
The government rarely uses such power except to build roads. However, Bush said it was time to create a permanent but simple island-style fish market on the spot, claiming that the community would support it. But he said he hoped that an agreement could still be made to settle the issue without legal action.
This is a long-standing matter that has spanned several administrations, and Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly accepted the motion but urged the owner to sell without a legal battle and offered to pay above market rate.
In a letter to all MPs, Johnson said that when he acquired the property, there was no fish market on the site. Fish was sold further along the ironshore as a weighing scale was fitted there, he said. Sometime in 2006, without his knowledge until after the fact, concrete was poured on the sand and tents were erected, from which fishmongers began selling catches brought by other fishermen.
Johnson claims that watersports businesses also improperly used the property he wanted to keep as a swimming and recreational area. He said he asked all of them to leave, which they did after he declined their offers to rent the land. In 2012, he bought an adjacent parcel, and in 2014, his son and other adjacent landowners installed a sidewalk and a retaining wall and further beautified the area a few years later.
The government approached Johnson in 2020 to ask him to sell, but he refused because his goal was to establish a trust to hold the land, prevent its development or commercial use and leave it for the Cayman people to enjoy in perpetuity. Johnson offered to let the fishermongers use a more appropriate parcel of land that he owned along the shore. This was accepted by them and the government, he said, but sometime later, the fishmongers withdrew their agreement.
Planning Minister Jay Ebanks has since approached him again to ask him to sell. But once again, Johnson said he wanted to press ahead with his plans to place the land in trust and retain it as a non-commercial beach location for the public to use. No other official approaches have been made since then, he said. He first learned about the plans for compulsory acquisition from a Cayman Compass article outlining Bush’s motion.
“In the opinion of my family and I and numerous persons I have met to discuss the matter, all believe that this motion is a dangerous precedent and will raise concerns with existing investors and have a detrimental effect on potential investors in the Cayman Islands,” he stated in the letter sent to all members.
Johnson also noted that neither the government nor the fishermen have explained why the previous agreement and the offer of using his other parcel of land have not been accepted. (See the map of the site below showing the land in question.)
Johnson has confirmed that he owns OPR 5 and that OPY 7 is owned by Shireoak Ltd, a company where the shares are held in trust for the Johnson family. OPY 189 is owned by Waterfront Centre Ltd, a company believed to be owned by Kel Thompson and his family. While OPY 189 is part of the site, Johnson questioned why the motion does not seek to compulsorily seize that parcel, only those owned by the Johnsons.
See Johnson’s letter and the PMM in the CNS Library.
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Category: Politics
How Kenny can build a crack park in central GT but not a dedicated fish market on the waterfront is unfathomable.
Fish from here is muck. Over treated with sodium tripolyphospahte (STPP) for freshness.
Ease up nah man! Where else will the people go to buy fresh salmonella? 🤮
If this site was so precious a part of our supposed heritage as is now being claimed, how was it ever allowed to be bought by Mr Johnson ( and the late Ken Spraggon too I seem to recall)? The truth is all this heritage b.s. in relation to this site is a relatively new drummed up affair.
Keep up the fight Chris!
Wish Mac would go take a dive off a very high cliff. The man is sickening.
Chris and Mac are at it for years.
This is his parting gift before bowing out.
Chris I’ve always thought you are a pompous man and I don’t like you but I’m with you on this.
Do not sell to the most inept group of honorables ever voted in.
Chris is very pompous. Think Frasier Crane.
I am sorry you think I am pompous. That I find very funny.
Since 1968 when I arrived in Cayman no one has ever called me pompous. Notwithstanding that I find it water off a ducks back. Why do you and I enjoy a coffee and determine how we both can fix the problems of out comminity.
I played football against Chris many years ago. He was a hard man but a sporting man, always good to have a beer with after the game. Certainly he was never pompous: amusing yes.
The phrase ‘Cayman Kind,’ which symbolizes our nation’s warmth and inclusivity, seems increasingly overlooked by our parliament, particularly in matters of human rights. This divergence from our core values of equality and respect threatens the integrity of our community. We must demand that our leaders uphold these principles in their legislative actions, ensuring that ‘Cayman Kind’ remains more than just a slogan but a true reflection of our collective ethos. Let’s hold our representatives accountable to preserve the spirit of unity and respect that defines the Cayman Islands.
Cayman Kind has nothing to do with “kindness” abs everything to do with their grotesque behavior and inability to past their noses.
I fully support Chris Johnson’s commitment to preserving the George Town Harbour as a public beach. His intention to dedicate the land for community enjoyment is commendable and aligns with our collective interest in protecting our island’s natural spaces. We must respect property rights and oppose compulsory acquisition, as it sets a dangerous precedent that threatens both our community’s heritage and potential future investments.
Chris im curtain you have status now? Why not throw your hat in the ring? Cayman needs some new blood at the helm. These guys and ladies are making this country worst right before our eyes. Help us stop feeling so helpless. Tired of this vote buying fiasco.
Status holders are ineligible without a Caymanian grandparent (a bloodline link that confers honesty and integrity?!?)
So now, when a group of people want a piece of land “protected”, they can go to McKeeva and ask that the land be compulsorily acquired by CIG.
Can CIG compulsorily acquire the Central Mangrove Wetlands then?
I can get a group together by Monday.
Thank you to those people who supported me. The older generation will remember me from the lovely old days where I met so many of you on the battlefields of West Bay and the Smith Road oval, playing football and cricket. A lot of blood was spilt but always in the spirit of the game. I recall coming up against the great Renard in a cup final in 1970 and on many times against The Godfather of cricket, Jimmy Powell by the side of West Bay Town Hall.. Such days will remain in my mind forever. You always had a kindred spirit of sport whether it be these sports, tennis of darts.
I have always given back to Cayman one way or another. In my recent years I started with my good friend Pc Fabian O’Connor , the Cayman Community Farm in Hirst Road where all produce is donated to the needy and elderly. Please do visit us.
The recent debacle with the CIG has caused great stress with me and my family with numerous politicians taking aim at my credibility and reputation. Let me assure you all that
Chris Johnson in his working life has always represented the underdog. In fact he has assisted In putting over 20 crooks in jail in the US and Uk.. This is a warning to any crooked politician when I find what you are up tp. It should not be considered a threat ; it is a promise and without bloodshed.
Non Illigitimae Carborundum
Mr Johnson,
When the Fishers moved to a different location during Covid, wouldn’t that have broken their so-called prescriptive right to your property? Maybe something to look into with someone in the know?
Keep on keeping on!
So how are these fish higglers different than the licensed beach vendors at SMB except one is private property and the other is public property?
The ‘Realty Agents’ sending unsolicited letters to homeowners to buy their homes in George Town can back off too!!
I am a Generational Caymanian and I support Mr. Chris – how can I help?
Me too! Let us know, we support you!
Thumbs down…walk away!
I am in full support of Mr. Johnson as well.
How are these “fishmongers” allowed to trade without a license. Isn’t that an offense? I know there is an exemption if they caught the fish, but they didn’t. Did they?
Are DCI enforcement that inept, or worse?
The TB Act exempts fishermen.
Yes. Fishermen. Selling their own catch. That is NOT what these guys are doing.
By the way, has customs charged and collected import duty?
Section 3(d) of the Trade and Business Licensing Act (2023 Revision) provides:
“This Act does not apply to —…self-employed Caymanians who fish”.
The legal meaning of “self-employed Caymanians who fish” is clear enough as to its context and purpose.
I highly doubt that, provided the fishmongers are Caymanian, any offence has been committed by not having a trade and business licence.
The issue comes down to a property dispute between the registered proprietor and fishmongers (but not likely an offence under the Trade and Business Lincensing Act).
4:26
“I highly doubt that, provided the fishmongers are Caymanian, any offence has been committed by not having a trade and business licence.”
3/4’s of the fish is from Honduras; caught by others.
The market is more so a cleaning station of imported fish.
Yes there are Caymanians cleaning those fish and no they did not catch them.
Same with the car washers. No licenses.
The best fish is sold directly to restaurants. The stuff they sell on the beach is very overpriced and not the best. Buying fish there is dangerous because there is no fixed price and they can really rip you off.
Not just no fixed price – you have no idea how long since that fish left the water, and how many times it has been frozen in between. NO hygiene inspection whatsoever for these guys.
The best fish is sold directly to restaurants.
Which restaurant buys that fish?
Thats what I call dangerous!
I’m going to stand up for these guys actually.. as a Caymanian driftwood, I go there and buy fish most weekends. It’s good. Sure, they may get it from the Hondo’s but it’s fresh (if you know your way around a fishmongers you can tell by the fishes eyes, scales etc). The price is a very reasonable at $8 and they’ll trim it up and leave it whole all chop it up for you depending on preference. No complaints from me.
They can move to your private property then!
This motion and all those who supported it, smell very much like a dictatorship. If this country dosent rid ourselves of the likes of Mckeeva, Kenneth, Jay, Juliana, Saunders- we are doomed 1000x worse than we are now. Please Cayman Islands voters- let us do what we have the power in the pencil to do on election day and that is VOTE OUT this bunch of fools. Two teats on a boar hog will be better in the LA than these slackers.
I’ve parked my car in the same parking spot at work for over a decade, does that mean I own it now as I have a prescriptive right
2 decades. With no interference. Possibly.
No because you were not infringing the rights of the owner, you had permission to use the space.
Adverse possession?
fish market???…i went down there looking for a tin of mackerel …and they sold me to go to kirks!!!!!
how stupido
CNS, it would be very interesting to find out from Ministry of Planning or Ministry of Lands, why the western entrance/exit of the Auxillary GAB parking behind Immigration has been blocked for years.
Traffic could be eased up if that entrance/eixt was kept opened
Because sense=rocket science to CIG.
So, Mr. Johnson has been critical of Bush for years and years, particularly in regard to the First Cayman Bank fiasco and insolvency where Bush was a Director of that bank.
And Bush has always said that he would never support the use of Compulsory Acquisition against Caymanians.
But, now Bush wants to use comp acquisition against Mr. Johnson. Why?
MP Bush has, at certain times, said that he would not support compulsorily purchase of multi-generationalCaymanian’s land.
Believe his word.. ??? Woman assaulter abuser!!!
He doing and has done same with the Cayman Islands, assaulted, abused and worst, allowed to!!
Multigenerational? How many generations does one need to be classified as that? If Mr. Chris left the land to his kids or grandkids does that count? I suspect the government would have another definition of multigenerational
Vote Mr Johnson!
Kick these threatening ‘Caymanian MPs’, vile, inciting violence criminals out of Cayman, send them Guantanamo for their crimes! Get their attutude and arses out of Cayman! Only way to try and make beautiful again!
Unfortunately, Mr Johnson, one of the most honest people I have ever met – not just honest in his own dealings, but a man with a positive hatred of corruption and underhand dealings – is not eligible to be elected as a MP. Been here since the 70’s, but not multi generational. Whereas the man that is after his land, a convicted drug dealer, is.
It is a vote to support Mr Johnson in this debacle, his land, not for politics.
Apartheid Cayman style does not allow non generational Caymanians to run for elected office. Cayman have to fix this when the UK gets complaints from UN bodies.
Do all your thumbs down..how much you gonna lose??
An extract from today’s Cayman Compass online regarding government purchasing pieces of land used by fishermen:
‘Bryan said that he backed the motion with “every atom in my body, every inch of my soul and every drop of blood in my body”.
He added, “And I hope to God that this piece of land doesn’t cause anybody else’s blood to drop”.’
These are the people Cayman wants to lead Cayman Islands???
From same:
‘The motion was moved by veteran politician McKeeva Bush, MP for West Bay West, and seconded by Bodden Town West’s Chris Saunders.
Bush added an amendment to his original notice to ensure “the possibility of a fish market” on the site.
He told MPs the area was of “significant importance” to the heritage of Cayman and that the “compulsory acquisition of Red Spot to facilitate and protect the continued sustenance of the fishing community of the Cayman Islands” should be considered.’
Huh???? Talk out of their backsides…transparency at last!
Kenny wants it, Bush promotes it and Saunders supports them.!
And there you have the three paragons of virtue and integrity who are going to drag Cayman down to Haiti style rule by coercion.
Why don’t Kenny Mac and Saunders use a portion of the very expensive Kenny beach, sitting there empty and unused.
It will at least offer some parking, and a shelter can easily be erected over the sales area. If there is going to be a tourist facility there, why not incorporate the toilets and hygiene requirements to the facility..?
If the man doesn’t want to sell, then stop bullying him.
Speaker to him to hush with his nonsense violent talk.
Should have thrown his, Bushy and Saunders disgusting arses out of Parliament altogether in disgrace and shame!!
Hush does not work anymore, McLaughlin was just placating them..Speaker trying to his position too!
Do not bring God into your guilt and greed!
No , it’s who the illiterate GTC supporters want to lead the country, presumably to Hell.
Most local fishermen and women have agreements with the restaurants and supermarkets to sell their catch direct. None of them utilise this “fish market”. What is sold at the location is coming for the Honduran boats who illegally fish in our unprotected economic zone and then sell the fish back to us (like the idiots we are). A good portion of illegal drugs and guns also find their way onshore from those same boats.
This is nothing more than posturing from Mac, Chris and Kenneth to catch some downtown “wotes”.
Think you find there is more to it than that – not a lot of votes in this – but the neighbours to this parcel would dearly love to see Chris gone.
Question.
Who is buying this crap? I never see anyone there. Just the usual hangabouts drinking beer
This is very concerning where a vested mob can use elected officials to grab land of individual property owners without their consent. If this is the case, then the rule of law in CI is that of a mob and individual rights don’t matter. I guess this is what democracy means these days in CI; rule of the majority over minority. Ethics and morality don’t matter anymore.
Let’s change it!
So Mr. Bush rides again, first causing the acquisition of the site of their new cruise port. He and Kenny willing to beg, borrow or steal — whatever it takes — to posess the land where the cruise port will go. What do you want to bet he is already in touch with CHEC?
Referendum? It will take another PIR to be binding. Of course, government would never allow that to happen again.
The landowner has been very generous allowing the fishermen to use his land. His plan to offer it as public access is very pleasing. If there is to be force applied, it should be to remove the fishmongers and allow the property owner to do as he wish with his property.
The proposer of this motion said “That property has been used for generations and we propose that fishermen continue to use it.”
This statement is demonstrably not true.
They are not “fishermen”, they are squatters and they have not been there for even one generation.
The Cayman Is used to try to prevent informal trading, “higglers” by another name.
Chris Johnson has always made it clear that he wants his beach to be freely used by the people of the Cayman Is and our cruise ship visitors.
Why then does the government not support his wishes and have the illegal structures built by the higglers without planning permission or coastal works permit removed as is the law of the land.
“Common good”? No!
Undermining an individual’s personal property rights whilst rewarding people who have been operating an unsanitary food service business and building illegal structures outside all regulations, thus also undermining the laws the honourable house has enacted for decades? Yes. Good job CIG.
Sorry Chris. You’re still drif’wood after 56 years here.
Not only is he driftwood, but he dares to say the truth about Mac’s past and the Thompsons abuse of their parcel.
‘Sorry Chris. You’re still drif’wood after 56 years here.’
Only to certain ’empty fossils’ trying to divide and create discontent!
Will not work, our harmony will not be destroyed by these sick snakes!
Buy it “for the fisherman” then kick them out and use the land for the cruise ship dock..
If I was retired and owned prime land I’d sell it. Let the government ruin it with whatever plans they have for it and I’ll be chilling somewhere else minding my own rich business.
Exactly why Cayman in this state now.
Shows how much you care about Caynñman, same as MPs!
The frozen fish from Honduras market is a better name for this place
It’s strange that no hygiene standards seem to apply here. It seems that just because of the location being very near the sea people are fooled into thinking they are buying fresh fish.
Throw them out!
The site needs to be cleaned up fully. The fish market has always been there so there is that. If Government has to step in to accomplish what others have not managed to, then so be it. Keep the fish market as a matter of Natural cultural importance.
LMAO
There’s a cave in East End, maybe you should take up residence in it as a matter of cultural importance!
Czar of Zilch, stay in WBW with Bushy!
Chris spent his own money to put in a boardwalk and tidy up the site, lets people use it for free, and wants to put it in trust so people can always enjoy the site. Kel Thompson violates planning rules to concrete and sand over the iron shore, excluding Caymanians from accessing the sea at that point unless they pay a fee, and erects his for profit business in violation of set back rules. And who gets the heavy hand of politicians – strangely enough, not the alturistic Mr Johnson, but the profit orientated Mr Thompson. Want to bet that 5 minutes after CIG compulsorily acquires that pocket beach Kel is renting access to it or flogging his cocktails and cigars there? Caymanian fisherman my left foot.
how do health inspectors allow for this to be kept open but inspect restaurants and close them for not having a staff bathroom, improper air conditioning, or no proper temperature logs… seems fishy. See what i did there.
FFS The fish sold there is caught in Honduras and brought here on ice!
Kenneth has the smallest Ministry of anybody and can’t get jack sh_t done with all this fake outrage over stupidness.
Let’s turn this attention on Kenneth and take a cold hard look at what he has accomplished in the last 3 years.
Yet we paid Bababushka friend and legal advisor and his late tourism pariah estate 5.74 million for a property that the pariah bought CI$1.8 million and when we question the purchase we were told it was worth even more US$7.9 0r CI$6.15 and we were getting the DEAL of the century CI$5.74 minus $1.8 million is almost 4 million . I would not dare wonder who got taken care on this Deal of Century certainly not we the public.
Nice of CIG to weigh in on the “prescriptive rights to the land” issue. Perhaps they’d like to side with the owners of Britannia in their multi-million dollar fight against Dart to protect their rights too.
The headline is that the CIG continues to target a generous Chris Johnson, and not Kel Thompson. Entirely different lenses being applied on these private landowners. Not a new thing either! Make it make sense.
This is so screwed up. We complain, daily, about land being snatched up for development and construction.
Here you have a guy who probably paid peanuts for prime oceanfront land in the 1970s and instead of building on it or selling it for a fortune he wants to preserve it.
AND in their infinite wisdom, our s#!tbird government wants to seize it by compulsory purchase?!?!? AND DO WHAT WITH IT?
SMFH
Summarised to perfection
This market is selling fish caught in foreign waters by Honduran fishermen, which are sold by a Jamaican.
The fish are a week to 10 days old when they are dropped off at the fish market, then they sit out on display in 90° heat all day waiting for some poor fool to come buy them. If they don’t sell they go back into the cooler to be out on display in the heat the following day.
When was the last time someone from government went down with a temperature probe to check if the fish is safe for human consumption?
Minister of Health, who???
Such a dangerous precedent to set. I hope that Mr. Johnson does not fold to the pressure of the government. Imagine government trying to force you to sell your land that you bought fair and square? Sure, the good intentions may be there to keep the fishermen at that spot, but at the end of the day, they are on land that does not belong to them. Mr. Johnson has every right to ask them to leave, and every right to refuse to sell to government.
Why would we need to compulsory purchase land already being used and enjoyed by fishermen, and public, at the generosity and altruism of Mr Johnson? Where is the battleground conflict in this use case?
Power, ignorance, dictatorship by air head criminals!
better looking for ulterior motives, such as cruise piers….
…and more deeper corruption!!
A very dangerous development by any Government but not surprised that this bunch of misfits did it.
Listen to KB speech. You will be frightened. Cayman deserves better.
Also listen to Turner it wasn’t me speech on the mental health facility. Got to go.
Don’t be frightened, don’t be threatened, bullies will not win in Cayman!
Reason #117 why Wayne Panton was ousted.
He refused to entertain Kenneth repeated wishes to use compulsory acquisition to purchase this spot.
Be warned Caymanians – fish market today, your land tomorrow. Once they start with the compulsory acquistion, they will come for your land next.
Kenneth just bought land next to Lobster Pot, move the fish market there. It will have better parking and less impact on traffic, and become part of the tourism establishment planned for this site.
If Government has millions to spend by property, please buy more land a modern college, UCCI and its students deserve better.
OR put that money in to the storm water management to deal with people’s houses flooding in low lying areas.
I wish the fish people would go somewhere else. That is a nice spot for swimming but is so nasty with the fish smell. Not only that, I wouldn’t risk eating that fish that sits out in the heat and no one is washing hands or tables. Gross.
It should be shut down just based on the DEH’s own food handling guidelines. Same for all the Honduran monger boats and crews in the harbour. Not a cube of ice to be found. Won’t happen though.
LOL, now we know why they are borrowing another $150M, to pay for the Civil Service COLA and a little drop left in the bucket for all the lawsuits coming their way.
Perhaps the DOE/NCC should do something about the illegal concrete the squatters have poured on the sand first?
Or is it different strokes for different folks as usual?
Planning (its on land, even if sand)- And do try to stay on topic here without the red herrings.
Let’s be clear about something, more than 90% of the fish sold there has been sitting on ice for weeks and came from Honduran fishing boats.
Has anyone ever observed a Caymanian fisherman come in there and drop off his fresh catch?
Now tell me which locals have been doing that for generations so we the people can spend our money to preserve that right.
very true, fresh my a^^
I and others have sold fish at this spot that we have caught locally since we were kids i.e. 35-40yrs.
Pish
Over the last 35-40 years I have sold 3 used cars, but that doesn’t make me a used car dealer.
We can only be thankful that you didn’t blatantly lie and say you and others “regularly sell fish there” and your catch constitutes the majority of fish sold there.
I’ve been buying my coke there for the same period of time. Coincidence?
All the local fisherman perhaps? Linden, Eddie, the Ebanks Twins, the list goes on.
Definitely the fisherman twins (Adrian and Adroy Ebanks), their brother (Charles “Chalo” Ebanks) and their father (Ferris Ebanks).
Now Mr Johnson, here are at least 6 names of those fishmongers who you should be suing for using your land.
Life changes, sometimes for the better.