Protected areas first goal with advent of NCL

Ghost Orchid

(CNS): Selecting the terrestrial areas to be designated as protected habitat will be one of the first things on the agenda for the Department of Environment once the National Conservation Law is fully implemented. The passage of the legislation took more than a decade to achieve and its implementation is also taking time due to the complexities of the law, but the National Conservation Council  has now established the process that will allow the public to nominate areas and species for legal protection.

Environment Minister Wayne Panton, who championed the legislation, despite opposition from his own colleagues as well as the opposition benches, has said he is hopeful that most of the remaining provisions in the law that are not yet in place will be in the next few months.

But the actual protection of flora and fauna on land is not yet in effect and officials are paving the way to make that happen. The National Conservation Council held its second meeting this week and members focused on the processes now needed to implement the parts of the law that will see local terrestrial flora and fauna protected for the very first time. The framework for the law is, however, complex and officials are keen to ensure endangered and indigenous species will be properly protected while still allowing for sustainable development.

A number of next steps have now been approved by the council to allow the public to nominate species or areas of land in need of protection and why.

DoE officials say that this will be a priority, particularly designating specific protected areas where some of Cayman’s unique flora is in danger of extinction unless the habitats in which the plants can flourish are protected. While there are plenty of species for the public to choose from, the DoE has not yet indicated any specifically threatened flora or fauna that would be s priority.

The council will soon be inviting nominations, and with the development of a formal process this will become an annual event. The council’s next meeting, which is open to the public, is scheduled for May 16.