Poachers undermine conservation efforts
Conch seized by police
(CNS): The Department of Environment recovered dozens of illegal conch and lobsters taken out of season from the Barkers area on Sunday, which were donated to the Pines Retirement Home. The poached catch was seized following an operation in West Bay by DoE conservation officers, who recovered 43 conch and seven lobsters that were illegally taken from Cayman waters. The haul was recovered after officers spotting two men on board a vessel offshore who appeared to be acting suspiciously. The two suspected poachers were brought to shore, the catch recovered and the men were then warned for intended prosecution.
Lobsters seized by police
Poaching continues to undermine conservation efforts by the DoE, which is battling to preserve Cayman’s natural resources that are under increasing pressure from development and climate change.
The DoE said the closed seasons for various marine species coincide with each species’ peak reproductive season and is in place to allow each species the time to reproduce, in an effort to ensure a healthy population of each species for future generations.
Cayman’s conch and whelk season does not open until 1 November and closes 1 May, while the lobster season begins on 1 December each year and closes 1 March.
Under the National Conservation Law, anyone who takes lobster, conch and whelks out of season faces high fines, imprisonment and possibly forfeiture of their vessel, vehicle or equipment used in commission of the act.
Category: Crime, Environment, Marine Environment, Science & Nature
I hope that the Police don’t start excepting the line from these poachers, we are catching it to feed the elder People at the Pines .
Why are we donating the conch and lobster to the Pines? The residents cant eat that stuff, too chewy and high in cholesterol. So who eats it? I believe these donations come in the front door and go out the back door.
It cant be sold to a supermarket because we cant certify the sanitation of it.
Better if we just throw back in the ocean and make the fish eat it.
I know one guy in there who would eat the lot.
No wonder poaching is not considered to be an offense by many because there NEVER seems to be any serious consequence when caught.
Why so much hate towards the Cayman people?, put them in jail for food, even for just trying to make a few bucks, you people are so ignorant it’s a wonder how you all made it anywhere by plane. This was once caymanians livelihood, we are a small island surrounded by the sea so therefore people needs to eat, especially when the politicians have sold out the country to every Tom, Dick, Harry, Larry, Curly and Moe, leaving the Cayman people to fend for themselves by any means necessary, people catching food from the ocean cannot cause the extinction of marine life, especially not the little few that has been left out of the so-called rat race.
FYI large scale development causes more extinctiont to the marine life than anything else, but you all don’t ask for the big developers heads on a stick do you, just the blood of the poor caymanian trying to survive, and at the end of the day guess who is ordering what from the menu(caught locally) served at the fine dining restaurants all over Cayman, is it because the rich who investes big money here for further developments wants it all for themselves?, idk but there seems to be some form of conspiracy behind it all, and who is supplying said restaurants?, defiantly not the so-called poachers, ever wonder why the dive operators can quarantine off the ocean, not just for their safety I’m sure, but anyways here’s a fun fact for all of you, Cayman is sitting on the edge of the trench and all of these developers that are putting down all of the steel and concrete on the land is only making it much more heavier and soon it’ll be just a matter of time before it breaks off and sink deep into the ocean,but there is some form of good news to all of this when that day comes though,that the same marine life that you all sworn to protect will be the same feasting, lol oh what away the tables have turned. Hahahahaha.
Ignorant of ignorance. Explains a lot.
So same as in Africa for those poachers killing endangered species? And elephants for their tusks? Just trying to feed their families…
There are other lawful ways to make money honey. You are deluded if you think poaching is okay.
Well moron this is not Africa, and elephants doesn’t reproduces like marine life, so your point is?, but all the poaching that goes on there is to feed the greed of the rich, just like the millions of fish eggs used to make many beauty products that poor people can’t afford, haven’t you heard about blood diamonds, so now guess whose the deluded one.
@8:30’s point is that people illegally hunting or fishing under the lie of “feeding their families” is a primary cause of modern day extinction. Oh the fact that you bring up blood diamonds in this context (meaning that poaching is in the same realm as blood diamonds.. just in case the word context confuses you.) do you even know what a blood diamond is? So you aren’t deluded anymore than you are.
“Blood Diamonds, also known as “Conflict Diamonds,” are stones that are produced in areas controlled by rebel forces that are opposed to internationally recognized governments. The rebels sell these diamonds, and the money is used to purchase arms or to fund their military actions.”
Before engaging mouth or opinion, ensure brain is in gear.
You truly believe they took 43 conch and seven lobsters because they were hungry? Really?
Hungry for crack rocks!
9.19pm It is sad that there are Caymanians like you who just do not get it. The only blood involved with these lowlives is the blood on their hands for killing off what we have left in the ocean.It is such a shame you never received an education.
Before driftwoods like you caymanians used to live off the land and ocean and there is no way on earth that anyone can kill off anything that comes from the ocean, common sense should tell you that but I guess with all of the education you’ve gotten they forgot to teach you about that, oh I forgot Harvard doesn’t teach about common sense, sorry not your fault.
Oh @3:26… FYI
1. Steller’s sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas) was literally eaten to extinction by humans. It was sent to oblivion 27 years after Europeans discovered it.
2. The sea mink (Neovison macrodon) was hunted to extinction for its fur. It lived along the Atlantic coast of North America.
3. The New Zealand grayling (Prototroctes oxyrhynchus). This species spawned in streams but grew into maturity in the oceans off New Zealand. Hunted into extinction.
4. The Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis) was only declared officially extinct in 2008 by the IUCN Red List, though it died out in the 1950s. The seal was largely hunted to extinction, though overfishing of reefs may have also depleted its prey source.
5. The great auk (Pinguinus impennis) was the only species in its genus. Largely decimated for its meat, oil, and feathers to make pillows, the species was also a victim of collectors who paid heavily for its eggs.
6. The Japanese sea lion (Zalophus japonicus) was driven to extinction by hunting for food, oil, and body parts used in traditional medicine.
Need I continue? I can if you wish. Living in your ignorant world must be amazing.
4:26 THANK YOU!
Ignorance is bliss and it is a shame. The worlds fisheries are being destroyed. It does not matter if it is unsustainable overfishing, destructive fishing, or unlawful / illegal catch, they all upset the ecological balance by depleting a natural resource.
9:19, your comment mentions dive operators quarantining off the ocean – are you saying that dive operators are illegally taking marine life? Whoa! That comment, amongst all your other crazy, leads me to believe you may be certifiable. Please, do us a favor and DO NOT reproduce. And for the love of Jesus, please do not tell me you are a teacher…of anything.
Maybe you can help all of us and spend some time along the trench supporting the island.
Oh I’m sorry I thought you all where ignorant but now I can see clearly that you all are just retarded.
I’m not saying they do and I’m not saying they dont, but who can tell what their doing out their under the water, surely you or I can’t see from shore, and how is it that every fine dining restaurants in Cayman has fresh local seafood on the menu all year round, defiantly not from the local poachers(as you would call them).
Sorry to burst your bubble but I have five children all made from the same lobster,steam fish, conch and turtle stew,and I am doing pretty well for not being a teacher, just plain ol common sense, something that you seems to be lacking for sure,I feel real sorry for people like you just empty balloons and if it wasn’t for the Internet you probably couldn’t tell your own face from your ass, don’t worry Jesus still loves you.
11:53 Great, so you have reproduced. Perfect.
Why stop, go for #6
And I do know what’s going on down under because I dive. The diving industry here is more reliable and sensitive to marine laws than your own DOE.
Damn you reproduced.. Yes dive masters are taking marine life illegally in front of boat loads of tourists and selling the fish and lobsters to the restaurants as they sail back to dock. SERIOUSLY!?! You are seriously deluded, dive masters if they could legally would cut your nuts off if they found you taking sea life illegally from the ocean. They care more about the sea life than probably most on the island. Other than being eco friendly, why would they kill what they bring people to see?
The reason restaurants are filled with fish, lobsters, etc are because of the LEGALLY LICENSED importers and fishermen who go out every day and catch fish. If you got out of your closet once in a while and stood by the little bay at the head of Mary Street you would see fishermen who fish legally, bring in their catches to sell. And they don’t do it by the reefs, the go deep sea fishing. The lobsters come from the coasts of Belize and Honduras as do the conchs. and the turtle meat is from the Turtle Farm. Damn open a window and see the world outside or better yet, if you don’t know something.. ASK!
Take a Survey of Tourists, how many return from their dives with a Conch, Lobster or two and so on.
Perks from the Sea, legally or illegally bring in better tips!
The problem with this attitude. This person only thinks, it’s just a few lobster or whatever that is being poached. But they fail to realize, once that goes unchecked and overlooked. Its’ more than a few people then doing it. It’s many people, and eventually becomes a free for all.
And one day, it gets harder and harder to “make a few bucks” then what? Our crabs have been raped, and we no longer see even close, the amount of crab migration we used to see even 15 years ago.
Speak what is from the heart! Independents is the only way to right the wrongs!
Please remember you and the rest of the Cayman People are the ones who elected and keep the thugs in office. Not the foreigners who pump up your economy so the government can spend endless money on you to keep them in office.
There is so much wrong in @9:19 posts that my anti-virus was triggered.
1. Large scale development does not cause more extinction than anything else. Over fishing does that more than development and these 2 were caught OVER FISHING.
2. “This was once Caymanians livelihood.” Key word there.. ONCE.
3. “people catching food from the ocean cannot cause the extinction of marine life”. Turtles were hunted to the edge of extinction for food and materials by only a few people. That’s why we have the Turtle Farm.
4. “Cayman is sitting on the edge of the trench and all of these developers that are putting down all of the steel and concrete on the land is only making it much more heavier and soon it’ll be just a matter of time before it breaks off and sink deep into the ocean.” You really didn’t pay attention in school didn’t you. I suppose you believe the earth is flat or hollow and the moon is made out of cheese.
I’m sorry but people like you REALLY need to sit down, write out your post and really think about what you’ve written before posting. Remember it’s better to be thought a fool and to open your mouth and prove it.
There is a guy in Bodden Town takes conch any time of the year and puts them in a suitcase to hide them from people. His yard is full of empty conch shells. The cops know about him but he is married to a Caymanian so……………….
This is an offense to ALL Caymanians…he is selfishly cheating the future generation(s) who will have nothing. Use the SIREN app to report to DOE and they can get a warrant to search his house.
DoE@gov.ky, copy to the complaints commissioner so you can follow up there if you don’t see action. (SIREN reporting function is not fully functional, don’t trust it.)
Send them to jail and seize the boat !!!
Why does everyone always get a warning. F@cking throw the book out of them. It only gets worse as it gets closer to season.
‘warned for prosecution’ is the technical term for ‘putting in the paperwork to take them to court’. – IANAL
Police should be monitoring the activities taking place at the end of Uncle Bob road on various nights. Various cars and vans mysteriously appear and take away bags and buckets of who knows what from who knows who. Perhaps a camera firmly mounted on the pole at the end of the road pointing towards the Bush/ water……
I can look forward to some lovely seafood in The Pines!
You gotta be kidding No arrest? no confiscation of vessell? Cat & Dog really na ga the same luck kmt DOE unneh so fool must been one of unneh friends
LMFAO @ 18/09/2018 at 2:41 pm you so dumb u cant read awa “the Pines”
The police should check a certain individual in East End.
And Lower Valley
3:36 pm , Sounds like you know that there’s illegal poaching going on in East End , and you aren’t helping the Police , why not ? Do we see the problem why the illegal poaching won’t stop . When there’s no more sea food to be gotten from the water of Cayman islands , I don’t want to hear those famous words , wish I had told the Police years ago .
If we don’t start looking at these criminal illegal issues in a responsible way and start blowing the whistle on everyone that you know that is breaking the Laws , things are going to get worse for everyone including the ones you’re protecting .
Ron, are you serious? Everyone knows the poachers. Are you going to tell me the police don’t? Maybe that is what you are saying, but then that is also admitting how horrible they are as a force. The police know, or should know, since everyone else on island knows. It’s called being lazy and/or turning a blind eye. Spend some time out East, on boat or land, and I 100% guarantee you’ll see someone poaching some marine life EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Protecting?
Seems the RCIPS and Marine Patrol are doing the protecting?
They know. They see. They hear.
They have been informed many times…
Anonymous 6:56 pm , do you just call it in to the Police Station ? If you do , that’s not the way to do it , get to know your law enforcement Officers , then deal and report to that one you both trust in .
I was unaware there’s a “How To” manual on dealing with our police. The way you say it makes it sound very organized, if you know what I mean.
Better to speak in person. . .
Why do you judge me, you have no idea who I know.
Call DOE!
Marine Patrol has been informed over the last couple of years, too.
Time and time again these poachers ignore the law and they are nearly always from the same district. The only way to stop them is to put them behind bars. We need mandatory jail sentencing and longer sentences.If it’s not conch and lobsters its whelks and turtles, ignorance knows no bounds with these people.
Who are the Poachers’ customers?
Which Restaurants?
. . . the rich get richer as they take whatever they can from the Country.
Laws? Why should Laws be followed? No one cares, no enforcement.
Lots of Poachers out there daily.
✓ exactly!
What other illegal activities could restaurants be doing?
And I have not been to one restaurant yet that has any Caymanians employed.
Why not?
Just out of curiosity….please tell me what happens when conch and lobster are seized.
Are they thrown away, destroyed. eaten maybe?
Because, whilst I agree with enforcement action, this is FOOD we are talking about. So is it wasted?
Please answer.
CNS: The answer to your question is in the first sentence.
Just out of curiosity…. did you really just type all this before reading the FIRST sentence?!?! How embarrassing.
LOL @ CNS’ comment.
Seized marine life is usually donated to the Pines Retirement Home.
this is ridiculous. why weren’t the arrested?
If it’s unbearable, leave. If it upsets you but you can forget about it, try to stay. I will tell you this though; it’s not going to change.
Idiotic comment of the week
Oh do tell me why sir.
Why wasn’t the boat impounded? Cayman has to get serious about the constant crime.
I think we all know it depends WHO is doing the poaching
Even if they cause 3 deaths in EE of Tourists from the UK?
Caymankind
Maximum punishment please!!! This f*ckry needs to stop!!!!
Name and shame the poachers please – they don’t deserve the anonymity!
I just wish they would stop publishing who they gave the loot to. Next thing you know they start robbing the place to retrieve the loot. No need to publicize it like that.
I hear ther’s a long waiting list to get into the Pines. Fresh seafood every week.