Mangrove destruction is existential threat to Cayman
Destruction of mangroves in Red Bay (photo by Jonathan Schutte) 
Destruction of mangroves in Red Bay (photo by Jonathan Schutte) 
Destruction of mangroves in Red Bay (photo by Mangrove Rangers) 
Destruction of mangroves in Red Bay (photo by Mangrove Rangers) 
Destruction of mangroves in Red Bay (photo by Mangrove Rangers) 
Liquid draining from the landfill kills mangroves (photo by Jonathan Schutte) 
View from the landfill towards Camana Bay (photo by Jonathan Schutte)
The Cayman Islands Mangrove Rangers write: Despite laws protecting Cayman’s mangrove habitat and the proven utility of wetlands in mitigating climate change impacts, mangrove destruction continues at a dangerous pace. The Cayman Islands Mangrove Rangers are alarmed by the ongoing practice of speculative and premature land clearing, rubber-stamped by the Central Planning Authority (CPA), which has left lots of formerly healthy mangroves barren across Grand Cayman. Examples of ill-advised mangrove clearing can be found in every district, but the rangers have flagged two cases in particular, representing around 75 acres of wetland habitat.
Mangrove die-off around the landfill
North of the unlined George Town landfill more than 20 acres of mangrove between the landfill and Camana Bay have fallen victim to die-off. The avoidable ecological destruction here has been exacerbated by the construction of the airport connector road and the lack of culverts to manage run-off. Despite the visibility of this lifeless forest from the roadway, it has not been made clear to the public how toxic run-off will be prevented under current landfill mitigation efforts. Culverts between the dykes and the mangroves are one measure that would have helped maintain the hydrology necessary for the mangroves to survive.
Unfortunately, it has become commonplace in Cayman to sacrifice natural areas to poor land management and later reward such practices by greenlighting further construction on the now barren parcels.
As the proposed extension of the East-West Connector nears, this case should be taken as a learning opportunity to prevent needless destruction and prove that the Cayman Islands Government takes its stated environmental values seriously. The existing stretch between Red Bay and Savannah is singularly devoid of any culverts. The hydrological flow here must be maintained in order for the habitat to survive.
If the practice of piecemeal sub-division and lack of flood planning continues, Cayman risks the destruction of its Central Mangrove Wetlands, the largest contiguous mangrove wetlands in the Caribbean. Best practices in construction and road projects must be implemented with urgency. Otherwise, Grand Cayman’s eastern reaches risk the fate of West Bay’s wetlands, now less than a quarter of their historic acreage.
Clearing of Red Bay’s largest-remaining wetland
In the Prospect/Red Bay community the clearing of the area’s largest remaining mangrove habitat, comprising 53 acres near Selkirk Road, is in full swing. The approval of this subdivision application, which calls for five apartment lots and 74 residential lots, has moved ahead without clear plans for construction.
Despite objectors who raised concerns about the proposal’s mangrove impact, the CPA has insisted that the issue of preserving natural habitat be reserved for a later date.
“The authority noted that the protection of mangroves comes at the stage of reviewing building applications,” the CPA wrote.
Extensive land clearing has already begun, however, and once the application process reaches the building proposal stage it will be too late to discuss the protection of mangrove habitat. Mangrove restoration is an incredibly difficult process with low success rates. The best way to conserve mangroves is to prevent their destruction in the first place.
This clearing, approved by the CPA without building plans, illustrates the willingness of government planning authorities to permit the large-scale destruction of Grand Cayman’s greatest natural asset against flooding and hurricanes. Government planners are well aware of the threats that climate change poses to our low-lying islands. Continued disregard for environmental advice willfully puts our community in danger’s way.
We urge the project developers, Ergun Berksoy alongside Whittaker and Watler, to follow National Conservation Council and Department of Environment advice to hold off on further land clearing until development is imminent. The freshwater pond identified on the western boundary of the property must also be preserved as a matter of priority to conserve habitat for native invertebrates and birds, including West Indian whistling ducks and herons.
Wetland conservation is not only essential to preserving Cayman’s natural beauty, it provides immense benefit to the community through storm and flood protection. These natural spaces also provide important benefits to mental health and can be sources of education and recreation if properly marketed and preserved.
The cumulative impact of this development – including compounded drainage/flooding problems, sewage disposal concerns, the release of greenhouse gasses and wildlife elimination – has not been adequately addressed. The CPA has noted that many objectors who claim they were not informed of the development during the notification period did not have their concerns recognized by the authority.
We encourage the CPA to review its notification process, still dependent on postal mail service, to ensure that neighbours are properly informed of proposals and may practice their legal right to object.
As the Cayman Islands Government strives to lower greenhouse gas emissions, we also remind them that mangroves are incredibly efficient at storing carbon. When mangroves are destroyed, that carbon is then released back into the atmosphere, compromising our islands’ climate change objectives.
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Category: Land Habitat, Science & Nature, Viewpoint
I’m curious – for at least a year before the new Health City development at Camana Bay was announced, I noticed that section of mangroves was dead (the designated site). However, it seems quite coincidental that mangrove were “dying” on a site which was later named to be new hospital.
Is there some process employed to kill mangroves or did those mangroves simply die naturally (coincidence) and is Dart off the hook?
Developers, speculators and politicians will grab short-term value at the expense of a legacy of future natural beauty for later generations. Your grandchildren will sing:
They paved paradise
Put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone?
28 @ 3:09 pm – Check out John Mellencamp’s “Between a Laugh and a Tear”. That’s Cayman now, compared to the one in which I grew up!
Some of the most scenic trail runs in Cayman, are being destroyed by grotesque looking boxes that are being built everywhere.
Let’s keep giving to our National Trust to purchase and preserve our natural heritage before our islands become the paved-over blight so many others have suffered.
Until CIG start imposing and recovering hefty fines for mangrove removal without the required permissions people will just continue to take the piss.
Can’t fight Caymanian Culture in the Cayman Islands. Or can you?
It really hurts me to know that little care is given to the concerns expressed by the general public – group or individuals.
As the mass of development taking place is NOT for the average Caymanian or resident, those who are able to afford to buy these developed properties will also have the monies/means to get up and go when they need to and for whatever reason i.e. total destruction by hurricanes. Guess who is left to suffer the losses?
We are truly setting up this country for a massive fall and it seems those in power and/or at least those who have the authority to ensure that the developments take place with care for our natural environment and our overall well-being in the future, really and truly seem not to give a flying fart about this country now or anything thereafter.
Timothy 6:10 (King James Version): For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
The developers have so much money and pay off governing bodies to do as they wish to keep on going and building, going and building getting richer and richer while destroying Caymans beautiful wildlife and nature. After the developers have ruined Cayman they will be off to another island. Cayman is a beautiful island from near and far away until you look under the rock and see the crap that is going on and ruining the island. Money talks today. Those that take the money are just as guilty as the developers and need to be fined and or imprisoned!!! Stop them now while you still have a chance on the mangroves coming back….oh and the “sinkholes” too.
I agree with the person who is for development. They are right for saying mangroves did nothing to keep the storm surge from happening or from crossing the entire island. If all you people who want to save the swampland would have petition the Gov’t to make them pay the landowners the value of their swampland they would sell. But all you want to do is stop people from selling their land to developers. So realize YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. Get off your high horse and pull out the money to help the National Trust instead of blowing gloom and doom. Cayman Islands is to small for Mangroves to stop storm surge.
Rene Hislop model house on the ocean in Red Bay had very little flooding. Leonie who owns Hurleys in Grand Harbour had barely 2 inches of flood water. How? Mr Bell who filled the mangrove was able to move the sea water around to the North Sound through drainage and sloped land. Stop talking about what you don’t know and research by talking to people in the flood zone and see for yourself. Some people in Governors harbour built or replace their windows and doors to hurricane standard and had no flood from the sea except in their drains coming up. They had 8 feet of sea water passing them for over 2 hours. We have the technology to solve these problems.
Today we see Ukraine suffering because nobody wants to help them, true? Why? Because Europeans in NATO don’t want Russia to shut off their gas and oil. The save the Climate agenda. Amazing they use a little girl to push their agenda. I hope they don’t use her to BLah,Blah to PUTIN. John Kerry is flying around in a private jet trying to talk about saving the climate and is upset that the invasion could interfere with his climate agenda? Are you kidding me. Grow up we are in the real world. We can’t solve Climate change this way. We will all die of starvation and the rest will be poorer then they are in Venezuela.
They need to compromise with Putin, he is one of the allies to help in our fight against China. This crap started while Trump was in office. The Liberals created such a storm about this problem and that problem we stop watching what the other Nuclear countries were doing. China has stockpile the most Gold in the world. If we lose Russia and they ally with China what next WW3? Was all those little problems more important now? Biden has a problem and its definitely mental. Is he the Anti Christ that Nostradamus predicted? We should stockpile food as canned goods and start growing more plants, not in the swampland but in farmland. Storm surge doesn’t come from the swamp it comes from the sea we need higher land. The only place we can make that is the swamp, by filling it and slope it back to the sea. Remember Hurricane Michelle? The land by Turtle Farm and Tortuga rum is sloped, they have a high wall, the store had sea water bust through the back door and through all the rum to the street BUT not across the street. It was like the sea running up the beach and running back.
Ask the people who were ON the beach around Grand Cayman during Ivan.
Mann it no way on earth you could be that stupid bro ! The trouble with ignorance is as it goes along the way it picks up confidence and you have travel way too far Star you need to stop now !
Without that swampland things would have been exponentially worse. You are picking and choosing facts regarding the play mangroves had back in Ivan. Red bay, as close to shore impact as it is, was saved due to the mangroves along that line (now diminished due to development). Save does not mean unaffected, it means could have been a hell of alot worse considering the circumstances.
You need to realize that mangroves don’t stop entirety of a surge or flood, they lessen the impact. As in, what Ivan touched would have been a higher percentage than recorded. Now you take a good long look at all those areas the mangroves were in place to save and imagine, stars forbid, a storm like Ivan passing here again and if you are confident enough with such drivel go ahead and spout nonsense where others can see just how ridiculous some mindsets are.
Only developers have money to fight. Islanders don’t have money to just give away and then to have the other person win and then you gave up your grocery money and nothing to eat. While the big man eats well off of exploiting Cayman. YOU know people have no money for that here! Why even say something like that.
No one raised a hand or finger when Mike Bell developed Grand Harbour. This new development is the same thing however sentiments have changed since 1992. The policy and legislation has not evolved with sentiment, so now we stand to lose the last bits of natural habitat in coastal areas.
With all due respect, Premier Panton is the first leader of our territory to publicly utter statements that champion the environment. That said, why has he not expedited a review of our legislation with regard to changing our planning laws and policies in line with what he has been preaching?
Where does this stop or in this case how could the developer strike a balance between preserving habitat and laying waste to it for structures? Obviously some tough questions need to be addressed if this type of development is to change with new sentiment. But if relevant questions are not asked and changes made then it will continue as it has in the past and very soon the will be no natural habitat left, no argument, only fallout and consequences.
There needs to be a policy where a certain percentage of mangroves need to remain as well as coastal mangroves for any new developments
no one did anything to Mike Ryan when he destroyed mangroves for the Ritz Carlton accept to give him status
Why can’t we name the Minister that’s in charge of the CPA and responsible for CPA’s backward parameters? There are only so many layers to this onion.
Why can’t we vote out or kick out the money-grubbing creeps and put some people in office that love Cayman more than money……… or do such people exist? When any elected or appointed person tries to enrich themselves instead of making Cayman better for the people, they should be put in prison…….. even if he/she is a friend or relative or club member!
Mangroves are essential to Cayman surviving in the long term. They are also essential to our long term tourism product though many continue to fail to realize this. Major storms also dictate the need for a strong mangrove buffer throughout the island.
Real initiatives need to be implemented to maintain this natural resource before it’s gone.
Or we can always plant fake plastic ones, they do require less maintenance.
The mangroves do nothing in major storms. Look at the Ivan photos.
Please do take your own advice, then look at where was affected and why, then compare to the areas today and take a good long hard guess at how badly they would be damaged now. Time must have hardened your head as well as blemished your memory of what Ivan was like in areas that had little to no mangroves to ease those waves. Try hush.
Nothing “eased the waves.” They went all the way across. The only places that came out ok were at least 10 ft above sea level.
Lol – you have no idea what you’re talking about but do carry on with your fantasy that mangroves had an impact on Ivan.
27 @ 8:56 pm – and if the mangroves were NOT there during Ivan. What then??
Mangrove buffer makes a difference!!
Says one who has witnessed major hurricanes here since the early 1960s!
You cry babies need to just stop, we need development as it brings many jobs and lots of money. Sir Alden knows this and he must come back to lead us ASAP
Short term gain for long term pain.
Brilliant strategy.
A developer Troll!
What an idiot.
At the rate development is going in the Cayman Islands what will be left to sell exactly?
What will be left to advertise?
What will tourism welcome you to?
Once everything has been paved and stories built high enough to block the view what will be sold next?
You must have a pretty good escape plan, please share for the rest of us stuck in jobs that hardly cover mortgage much less rent because the so called investors for development can’t hire anyone that isn’t overseas and already loaded to the collar in dollar bills of various value.
Where will that leave you?
When nothing is left you can rest assured that Alden certainly won’t hold your hand around his fists clenched with blood money bills, you better swim when the time comes. Or sink with the rest of us…
Dear mangrove rangers.
Serious questions:
Being that most of the remaining land in Grand Cayman is wetland containing mangroves, where exactly would you recommend that it be allowed to remove said mangroves in order to provide housing?
Or will you simply continue to act like the last mangroves are being destroyed every time a development is approved?
Should development stop, now that you have your home, and in “your” opinion, the country has reach to the point where no more development should take place?
Why do you get to decide what is enough development and when no more homes should be built?
How much wealth and power is enough? What are people like you leaving behind for your legacy?
Do you even care?
“Repugnant is a creature who would squander the ability
To lift an eye to heaven, conscious of his fleeting time here”
Homes for whom?
The people who clean the toilets you don’t want to clean, the people who prepare the fast food you don’t want to prepare, the people who serve the tourists you don’t want to serve and generally the people who all the things you don’t want to, or are too good to do.
If that is the case then you should be smart enough to realize that when land is developed for homes it is not for hardworking people such as yourself, the price of these homes is ridiculous and beyond the paygrade of many. So for you to raise a hand in agreeance with such a fact means you will only be due for extreme disappointment later on when those mangroves are gone and the homes you wanted are being sold at extorted prices.
Dear Developer Troll. When the entire Island is paved over, where will you go next to destroy another’s homeland?
reading comprehension is key. the text doesn’t call for an end to all development. it calls for responsible development that follows environmental advice and holds off on land clearing until construction is imminent. this island is full of empty lots that were cleared and then nothing was built. environmental protection and development aren’t mutually exclusive concepts.
It is NOT a landfill. It is an open air Dump. Crime against Nature.