Scientists not consulted over conservation law changes
(CNS): The minority UPM government did not consult scientists or technical experts at the Department of Environment when it drafted the controversial amendments to the National Conservation Act. Since publishing the amendment bill, there has been no comment from the sustainability minister, senior ministry officials or the premier on the proposed changes, the justification for them or who drafted these changes that would effectively gut the legislation.
While the bill remains unlikely to pass when parliament meets later this month, it could still become a starting point for a new administration headed by the Progressives or any re-elected UPM members, and any MP elected with the support of the powerful development lobby will be expected to pick up the amendments when taking office.
CNS has learned that outside legal consultants drafted these poorly thought-out amendments to the law with no indication of input from any environmental scientists or technical experts.
The DoE has confirmed that they were not consulted about the amendments to the legislation, and although they offered comments on it once it was drafted, they were unable to say if any consideration was given to their after-the-fact advice as it does not appear to be reflected in the draft bill.
CNS has asked the ministry who wrote the bill and the justification for it, and we are awaiting a response.
The DoE experts between them have postgraduate qualifications in multiple disciplines relating to environmental management, biology and marine science. However, the proposed amendments seek to remove technical expertise from the decision-making process, handing the final say to unqualified politicians with no environmental science credentials.
Under the changes, the National Conservation Council would be unable to delegate any of its functions to the DoE director without Cabinet’s approval. The NCC would also lose the power to appoint advisory committees to help with its work.
From the elimination of these critically important advisory boards to taking scientists off the NCC and the creation of a non-technical appeals board, the amendment bill proposes a shocking backward step to where politicians and political appointees with no technical expertise, experience or scientific knowledge would make decisions on road building, public projects and private development.
Responding to CNS questions about removing scientific advice from, for example, the planning process, the DoE explained why the original legislation had called for experts on the NCC. The decision about whether or not a project needs an environmental impact assessment is best fulfilled by those with relevant scientific or technical experience and knowledge.
“To not require some technically versed persons on the NCC would be akin to not requiring some persons
with some relevant medical experience on the HSA board,” a DoE spokesperson stated. “It is not that in either case would we expect good people to not make the best decisions… but it will be much harder for them to do so in an independently informed manner.”
The coordination, establishment and adoption of national policies for the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources such as wetlands or the excavation of aggregate and fill areas would also require expert advice.
Recommending and maintaining protected areas and conservation areas and conserving, maintaining and restoring their natural resources need the input from qualified scientists, not to mention emergency responses to activities or events, whether caused naturally or not, that present a grave and imminent danger to biological diversity and encouraging international co-operation to supplement national plans.
If the next government supports the climate policy adopted by the PACT Cabinet in 2023, even more scientists will be needed to help protect the Cayman Islands and mitigate the already worrying impact of the warming climate and rising seas. Yet the current Cabinet, without any justification, is choosing to ensure that politicians, not experts, will have the final say on the future of the country’s natural resources.
Local environmental activist groups continue to urge the public to lobby their MPs not to support these changes and to voice their commitment to protecting Cayman’s constantly threatened natural environment on both land and sea.
See the proposed amendment bill here and the existing legislation here.
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Category: development, Land Habitat, Local News, Science & Nature
Why didn’t this surprise me?
Their names should be marked in the history books and forever remembered in Cayman history as some of the most corrupt and self-serving individuals to ever hold power.
Voters must have deep concern for the unelected UDP’s continued appetite for last minute deal-making of any kind, in particular the secret negotiations with developer interests. It’s more than ironic that they are dangling additional valuable crown assets as remedies for previous regime’s incapability at sensible deal making. Cayman doesn’t need any more novice Cabinet assistance at this time with our crown property. We can only wonder what temptations beckon to motivate this further betrayal of pubic trust.
Adeptus Ridiculous: The God-Emperor, Chaos, and Conservation Carnage
“Citizens of this fragile hive world, the Adeptus Ridiculous calls upon you to witness governance at its most… surreal.
At the helm, we have the Premier, who believes herself to be guided daily by none other than the God-Emperor of Mankind Himself.
Yes, the figurehead of humanity in the Warhammer 40K universe, whispering directly into her prayers—because apparently, this hive world is now on par with Terra. Meanwhile, the Silent Arbites, our Governor, presides with the detached serenity of someone who might as well be offering daily sacrifices to the Gods of Chaos.
Let us unpack this bizarre intersection of divinity, silence, and governance gone awry.
The God-Emperor of Mankind: Humanity’s Savior and Grimdark Icon
For those unfamiliar, the God-Emperor of Mankind is the central figure of the Warhammer 40K universe.
Over 10,000 years ago (30,000 years into the future) , He united humanity during the Great Crusade, creating the vast Imperium of Man.
A being of unparalleled psychic power, the Emperor sought to guide humanity into a new golden age of rationality and enlightenment, free from the shackles of superstition.
However, betrayal during the Horus Heresy left Him mortally wounded, and He now resides on the Golden Throne, a life-support machine that keeps His decaying body alive while His mind acts as a psychic beacon for humanity.
His whispers—cryptic, fragmented, and rare—guide His followers, though often misinterpreted.
One must wonder what He might truly whisper to our Premier:
• “Amend the Conservation Act; mangroves are overrated.”
• “Let Donkey Riders handle environmental policy. I’m sure that’ll end well.”
• Or perhaps: “Stop calling Me for advice about parking lots. There are Tyranids to fight.”
It’s hard to imagine the Emperor Himself taking a break from managing galactic crises to draft environmental policies for a tropical backwater.
The very thought might make an Adeptus Astartes—one of the Emperor’s genetically engineered super-soldiers—fall on his own chainsword in sheer disbelief at such trivial misuse of divine whispers.
The Premier and the Emperor’s Divine Hotline
The Premier’s governance style reflects what happens when whispered directives meet unchecked confidence. The proposed National Conservation Act amendments, crafted without scientific input, are a testament to faith over function.
By stripping power from experts and placing it in the hands of politicians, these changes risk turning the Cayman Islands’ environment into a grimdark wasteland—eerily similar to the polluted, lifeless lower levels of a Warhammer 40K hive city.
What makes this even more absurd is the looming economic disaster. If not for the revenues from financial services, which account for the majority of the island’s economy, this hive world would already be relying solely on tourism—a sector this leadership seems determined to undermine. Coral reefs, mangroves, and pristine beaches are the lifeblood of Cayman’s tourism industry, and yet they’re treated as disposable commodities.
Moreover, a significant portion of those who chose to reside in the Cayman Islands came not only for the tax neutrality of the jurisdiction but for its unique natural environment.
When the coral reefs are barren, the beaches are choked with erosion, and the air is thick with pollution, these residents will inevitably leave.
Their departure will suppress the island’s prosperity further, creating a cascade of economic and social consequences. If the environment disappears, so does much of what sustains the Cayman Islands.
The situation is so fundamentally absurd that even a stoic Space Marine—engineered to endure the horrors of the Warp and countless xenos invasions—would struggle to comprehend its lunacy. “Surely this is a plot by Tzeentch?” they might mutter before collapsing in despair.
The Donkey Rider: A Collision with Conservation
Enter John-John Seymour, the infamous Donkey Rider turned Minister of Environment. Tasked with protecting this hive world’s natural resources, his tenure is less about conservation and more about collisions—both metaphorical and literal.
In fact, as the coral reefs crumble and the mangroves are paved over, the lobsters themselves have decided enough is enough. In a scene straight out of a grimdark fable, the lobsters have packed their shells and are leaving the island.
But who should they encounter on their exodus? None other than the Donkey Rider, careening wildly through the convoy on his latest adventure, sending crustaceans scattering like debris after a poorly planned orbital bombardment.
The result?
• A tiara-wearing lobster filing for a restraining order.
• The Donkey Rider loudly proclaiming, “They were in my way!”
• And the convoy of lobsters realizing that perhaps fleeing this hive world was the best decision they’ve ever made.
The Silent Arbites: Chaos or Complacency?
While the Premier communes with the God-Emperor and the Donkey Rider ricochets through crises, the Silent Arbites, our Governor, remains steadfastly unmoving. Her silence is both profound and mystifying.
One can only wonder which Chaos God she prays to during her idle contemplation:
• Tzeentch, to weave a web of plans so complex they lead to perpetual inaction?
• Nurgle, to embrace the slow rot of governance as inevitable?
• Or perhaps Slaanesh, indulging in the serene pleasure of sipping tea while Rome burns around her?
Her role as the Silent Arbites seems to embody a single unifying mantra: “This too shall pass—preferably without me lifting a finger.”
The Chaos of Governance
Together, these figures form a governance trifecta so absurd it rivals the worst of grimdark theater:
• The Premier, enacting policies as if the Emperor Himself handed her blueprints.
• The Donkey Rider, galloping headfirst into crises while barely holding onto the reins.
• The Silent Arbites, who watches it all unfold with the serenity of someone who knows the tea won’t steep itself.
While they play their parts, the ecosystems of the Cayman Islands—its coral reefs, mangroves, and marine life—bear the consequences. The proposed amendments to the NCA are not just a legislative misstep; they are a full-blown ecological and economic catastrophe waiting to happen.
The Emperor Protects?
In the grim darkness of the Cayman Islands, one must ask: does the God-Emperor of Mankind truly protect this hive world? Or has He turned His gaze elsewhere, leaving the people to fend for themselves amid divine whispers and donkey collisions?
Citizens, beware the dangers of whispered governance and silent oversight. For when one acts without thought, the other refuses to act at all, and the third crashes through what remains, it is not leadership but chaos that reigns.
Final Observation:
As the lobsters flee, they leave behind not just their reefs but a message for humanity:
“Protect what matters, or watch it leave.”
May the Emperor protect this hive world—because the current leadership certainly won’t.
Urgent Call To Protect Our Natural Heritage
Don’t let the amendments gut our National Conservation Act! This New Year’s Eve attempt to alter our environmental laws threatens the very core of our island’s ecological integrity and governance. 🌿🏝️
📢 Act now! Send a letter to MPs. Copy and paste the link below to find out more and have your letter delivered to MPs.
🛑 Say NO to Weakening Our Environmental Laws. Demand transparency and integrity in environmental governance.
📞 Demand Action! Call on all Members of Parliament, to uphold our constitution and reject these detrimental amendments.
🌍 Let’s Preserve Cayman for Generations. Do not let political interests compromise our natural beauty and sustainability. Tell our leaders to preserve our constitution and protect the Cayman Islands’ future.
https://forms.gle/Yu11D2H3UwuKzKb37
https://www.facebook.com/reel/597204099694967
Vote them out! Vote all 19 of the out!!!
Pity. You can’t legally vote.
I’m voting for André.
Can we agree on 16? (Andre, Wayne and Kathy all seem pretty capable, and fundamentally honest).
Because scientists are always objective and seek the truth. No matter what.
Except for social distancing, safe and effective, and masks.
We know the development mob here just wants more money. Somehow, I think the environmentalists just want more money and power too.
And yet, it’s the UDP Cabinet that seeks to formally steal $55 mln, betraying the founding mandate of the Environmental Protection Fund (funded from passenger fees) and add this money to CI General Revenue. It’s literally theft and the opposite of prudence.
Jay Ebanks the Minister of Planning undertook to hire a lawyer to craft changes to the NCC laws according to the former Sustainability Minister Wilks.
It was not the interim Minister Seymour.
Why the interim UPM government allowed Jay Ebanks to interfere with another Minister’s portfolio is laughable.
The people should be asking why is Jay Ebanks so hell bent in these changes. We already have out of control development but looks like they want more.
As the comedian Bill Engvall would say “here’s your sign”
Because he is in close alignment with MAC and all the big money people that have zero care about the environment..LETS VOTE THEM ALL OUT ALL 19 NEEDS TO BE GONE.