NCC fights efforts to gut conservation law
(CNS): There are no cogent, compelling or factual justifications for the government to change the National Conservation Act, according to National Conservation Council Chair Stuart Mailer. Members of the NCC were not consulted or told about the draft amendment bill published by the minority UPM government on New Year’s Eve.
As a result, Mailer, with the backing of all the members, has written to the current minister, setting out their concerns and reasons why the amendments are not needed and pose very real dangers to Cayman’s natural resources.
The government has failed to explain to the public why these changes are required, even though the sum of these amendments is to remove the protections provided in the current legislation and set back the small progress made in creating at least some mechanisms for preserving Cayman’s dwindling biodiversity and natural resources.
While this controversial legislation may not make it through parliament at next week’s proposed meeting, the political motivation to change this law, which appears to be pressure from wealthy landowners and the development lobby, means it will likely form the basis of amendments for the next administration.
If the next government is led by either the UPM, the PPM or other groups that are expected to be contesting the 2025 General Election in April, a version of this bill could still be passed later this year. The only party so far that has publicly committed to preserving the legislation is The Cayman Community Party, led by Andre Ebanks.
The TCCP includes three former members of the UPM Cabinet who had objected to the draft amendments and resigned in part because of this legislation. The new party also includes Wayne Panton, who, as the environment minister at the time, steered the law through parliament in 2013.
However, a false narrative that the law and the NCC are hindering development has continued to dominate the government’s agenda, despite all of the evidence to the contrary.
“It is very clear that development has not been slowed as a result of the act,” Mailer wrote in his letter to Dwayne Seymour, the minister who took over the portfolio in October. “The act stipulates that the council may not direct Cabinet, yet these continue to be two of the main criticisms levelled by detractors of the current act.”
This illustrates the continued contradictions by politicians and stakeholders who have always sought to water down or repeal the legislation, even though the allegations have been debunked and no one in government has explained why the law must be changed.
The NCC has no power over Cabinet and the law has not stopped development.
At a meeting with the press on Wednesday afternoon, all of the NCC members, who are volunteers appointed by Cabinet, stressed that they had not asked for, recommended, wanted to see, or felt there was any need at all for these amendments.
Mailer explained that because the government had not consulted with or contacted the NCC, the letter sets out the five key concerns the members have about the amendments. Although the changes might appear on the surface to be innocuous, such as changing “chairman” to “chairperson” in the law, most of them are far-reaching, undermine the fundamental purpose of the law and pose a serious threat to the future of the natural environment in a catalogue of ways.
The NCC members believe the amendments might be unconstitutional, and they will need to seek independent legal advice about this. The changes also pose a threat to Cayman’s ability to meet its obligations under several international treaties and the environmental charter that it signed with the UK almost 25 years ago.
This means the Department of Environment will lose critical research funding. This would be a huge problem for the department, which is massively underfunded and relies on international grants for much of its work, from turtle studies to the conservation of endangered flora and fauna.
The members are especially worried about the removal of technical expertise from the NCC and the creation of a non-technical tribunal. Removing the scientists from the process will spell the end of considered and informed decision-making as the council will no longer be in a position to properly advise government entities on the dangers of a given project or help with mitigation measures.
The current members are a mixed group whose combined skills bring relevant academic qualifications, genuine field research experience, and long-held connections with the natural world to the NCC. They are supported by technical experts from the DoE and planning.
However, the government appears to be keen to remove any expertise and the requirement for advisory boards to help the council in its mandate to implement the law.
For example, the draft amendment bill proposes eliminating the requirement to establish environmental advisory boards to oversee environmental impact assessments, effectively rendering the execution of an EIA impossible. This is just one of many amendments that will have inexplicable but far-reaching consequences.
The members of the council all expressed their disappointment with the government’s failure to discuss the changes in the law with them and remain at a loss as to why any of the changes are considered necessary and for what goals.
They knew changes were likely coming because of public declarations by UPM ministers and MPs and had urged against them. However, Mailer said he was made aware that a bill had been published by a member of the press just weeks ago. Because of this, the NCC decided to write to the government and make its collective position clear to the public.
Frank Roulstone, who represents the National Trust, said he found it “amazing” that in such a small place as Cayman, the government could not communicate its justifications for this legislation or consult with the council and the public, especially since the proposal to amend the law has been in the works for many months.
He questioned who benefitted from these changes and wanted to know why, if they were in the public interest, the drafting was done behind closed doors without any consultation.
Patricia Bradley, a well-respected local ornithologist said the council had “been kept completely in the dark”.
Lucille Seymour, who represents George Town on the NCC and has long advocated for Cayman’s cultural and natural heritage, also questioned why the public had been ignored in this process. She said she was “very disappointed that the government is coming down so hard on the council… I don’t think the public understands what’s really happening at all.”
CNS has asked the ministry a number of questions about the draft amendment bill. However, despite our continued efforts, the ministry has said it does not have any answers for us yet.
See Mailer’s full letter to the ministry below, and check back to CNS later for more from council members and their concerns about the amendments and what they mean for the country’s future.
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Category: Land Habitat, Science & Nature
What is needed to convince our politicians of the importance of our environment is a ‘go bribe me’ campaign.
What is needed is for these tree huggers, making pronouncements, to live in Northside or East end , so tgey will understand that a single road is no longer capable of dealing with traffic demands .
Seymour’s donkey is smarter than him!
Ha-ha-ha Mr Chairman of the NCC, do you really think the buffoon Seymour even read your letter? He could care less as long as his handlers keep him afloat and his pockets lined. More than likely he threw the letter in the garbage can.
The NCC is actually fighting the outcome of corruption. We need to change the way these politicians are elected and we need to take away their easy access to corrupt money.
Does anybody remember the West Indian ducks that kept coming back to the dept. of vehicle licensing? I asked them if they were feeding them and they said ” no, no-one is feeding them”. In fact they got the dept of environment to take them to Colliers in east end and they kept flying back the next day?
So should we knock down that building? We could give them that area? It would be nice the students from the baptist church could see ducks. Maybe a new tourist bird watching site? We could give more swampland to George Town.
Boo Hoo.
It’s weird that parliament hasn’t been disbanded by the backbench majority. They should have a vote of no confidence and prorogue all business until after the election. There is nothing mission critical to action right now. All pens and pencils should be down.
PPM will never do that, because they agree with everything this current administration is pushing through, they just won’t say it out loud. They would push for the exact same changes if we are so foolish as to allow them to regain power in our country.
If that were done, elections would effectively need to be brought forward which would disenfranchise the newly registered voters. Which is the biggest point as to why the various MPs on the opposite side of the aisle are allowing this minority government to persist.
The date is fine, there being no business for this parliament to convene on. It can be suspended by the Governor, if voters ask her to do that.
“Breaking News: PPM and UPM Find Common Ground—At the Expense of the Environment!”
Citizens of Absurdistan, rejoice! For we are witnessing a historic moment: the PPM and UPM have finally found common ground. And what is this miraculous point of unity, you ask? Why, it’s the rallying cry of “Pave the Reef!”
Yes, when it comes to gutting conservation laws and bulldozing Cayman’s natural treasures, bipartisanship thrives.
But why stop at the reefs? Let’s throw in a cruise pier, a dry dock—for cruise vessels only, of course, because why have something genuinely useful like cargo capabilities when you can waste billions on limited utility—and the crown jewel of our territory, Mount Trashmore.
Ah, Mount Trashmore, a towering beacon of everything wrong with waste management, conveniently located right next to a healthcare facility AND a school. Because if there’s one thing we value more than education and healthcare, it’s exposing children and patients to toxic fumes and runoff. Imagine picking up your kids, gleaming in biohazard masks and shiny level 4 hazmat suits—what a legacy to leave behind!
And let’s not forget Mount Trashmore’s trusty sidekick: the **Waste-to-Energy plant—or, as we like to call it, the Energy-to-Waste plant—**working tirelessly to ensure that every carcinogen finds its way into our waters, air, and loved ones, just in time for the arrival of cruise vessels run by companies infamous for monetizing ecosystems into oblivion.
Let me take you back to the COVID lockdowns. When the dust settled and we could return to the beach, our waters thrived with sea life. If you wanted to see the coral, you had to shoo the fish away! Barracudas were forming cathedrals in the shallows, and turtles were laying eggs along Seven Mile Beach. Why? Because the cruise ships—those plague-ridden floating casinos—were nowhere to be seen.
Now picture the scene our leaders envision: endless rows of cruise ships belching smoke, the dry dock humming with industrial noise (but only for cruise liners, mind you), Mount Trashmore leaking its toxic love into the ocean, and children nearby learning their ABCs through a haze of hazardous fumes. Truly, a postcard-perfect example of “sustainable” development.
Meanwhile, the National Conservation Council fights valiantly, a lone voice trying to halt this absurd march toward ecological and fiscal ruin. But against this bipartisan juggernaut of destruction, one wonders how long they can hold their ground.
And let’s not forget the irony. These are the same leaders who tout “sustainability” and “green initiatives” at every photo op. Yet here they are, uniting not for the people or the environment, but to dismantle the very protections that make Cayman unique.
It’s as if their motto has shifted from “Leave no stone unturned” to “Leave no reef unpaved, no ocean unpoisoned, and no billion-dollar boondoggle unapproved.”
If “Pave the Reef!” is the legacy of this newfound unity, then it’s time we all ask ourselves: is this the future we want? It’s not too late to demand better for Cayman’s future—before the paradise we love becomes a cautionary tale.
Cayman has the best government dirty money can buy. And the hell with the Caymanian people.
There is not even a reason to amend chairman to chairperson, as the Interpretation Law takes care of that change.
The NCC were not consulted because Julianna, Jay, Dwayne, Kenneth and Isaac were not intending to conduct ANY public consultation on their proposed amendments.
This is evident because they will not have time between the closing of public consultation on 27 January and start of Parliament on 31 January to incorporate the public comments into their proposed amendments
Why ask the public to comment if they are not going to respect the public and include the public comments?
Does the Governor believe this is good governance? She seems to be doing anything Julianna and Dwayne tell her to do
The current Governor is nothing but a lackey stooge for O’Connor Connolly. She is the worst Governor that Britain has ever sent to Cayman.
Voters can ask her to prorogue parliament until after the elections. Voters have the power to ask for things. That’s how democracy works.
Worse than Scott..?
Why? That is indeed the question. Why these changes – specifically. No one has been able to answer that that I’ve heard. And why now? They worked on them for ages but no time for the public to actually figure out what they mean. And the Cabinet can’t, or wont, explain them. – If they can’t answer why, then the answer from the public should be no.
money makes the world go round — and it pays for election campaigns and it pays for so many other things that bought politicians like.
Why – because it will benefit the high and mighty therefore enriching certain people. Do you really think any of our decision makers give a crap about any of the regular folks? Just what is Seymour doing about labor issues which he has been in charge of longer, never mind the environment. He is lucky to string some words together in order to make a meaningful statement.