DoE Director welcomes governor’s support
Governor Martyn Roper and DoE Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie talk with Marine Resources Unit staff
(CNS): The Department of Environment’s director welcomed the support offered to her team’s work by Governor Martyn Roper when he visited the department Friday, accompanied by political leaders and senior civil servants. Gina Ebanks-Petrie said the DoE was glad to have the opportunity to tell the governor a “bit more about the work we do every day and were very pleased at his supportive response”. The work of the DoE was also praised by Minister Dwayne Seymour, who is responsible for the department but has been critical of the National Conservation Law and has done little to advance the review of marine parks and other important environmental issues since taking office.
Roper, who was on his first visit to the DoE since arriving in Cayman, said the range of work being done by the DoE with a relatively small team was “hugely impressive”.
“It’s great to know that all of this work is ongoing to protect Cayman’s natural environment,” he said on the tour of the facility on North Sound Road, where he learned about the units within the department dealing with marine and terrestrial conservation, environmental management and enforcement under the National Conservation Law.
In the GIS release about the tour, Seymour was described as expressing a keen interest in a number of projects underway, despite his past criticisms and apparent lack of interest in this element of his portfolio.
“In everything, from marine parks protection to establishing protected land areas to the Green Iguana Cull Project, this department punches well above its weight when it comes to results,” Seymour said in the release.
Category: Land Habitat, Marine Environment, Science & Nature
Hope they served him a big old plate of turtle for lunch.
I think Gina is probably the only honest, caring, credible and unconflicted senior civil servant on these islands. I’ve been to several events and presentations involving DoE and she doesn’t take c**p from anyone.
Too bad no one takes any notice of what she says. She’s irrelevant.
Governor Roper needs to fire those at the ministry level
Fire?? He cant do a damn thing. You forgot what happen to the last govenor??
They’re only doing what Dart tells them.
Minister of Environment Dwayne Seymour Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn and Deputy Chief Officer Nancy Kirkalady are all major parts of the problem and do not really support Department of Environment or Environmental Health.
Look at their collection actions and track records while in those positions.Everything they touch becomes a bigger mess. Dumb Deaf and Blind is the best way to describe this 3 headed monster of mismanagement.
Rubbish.
DoE was never given the teeth and resources promised in the NCL and is vetoed into insignificance by a Cabinet that is more determined to monetize our environment for their preferred developers than to protect anything.