Land Habitat
Listen Up! Gutting the Conservation Law
(CNS Podcast): Just last week a new government committee established to review the Cayman Islands National Conservation Law had its first meeting behind closed doors. The decision to review and, as most people suspect, water down the law comes at an alarming time for our planet. In Episode 4 of ‘Listen Up! with CNS, podcast […]
Terms for conservation law review under wraps
(CNS): The new committee formed to review the National Conservation Law, after government expressed ‘concerns’ that the legislation is hampering development, met for the first time last week behind closed doors. Government officials said that the committee, comprising around two dozen people and chaired by the premier, will be engaging with the public, though CNS […]
600,000 greens culled as breeding season starts
(CNS): As the green iguanas have begun to break cover again over the last few weeks ahead of the annual breeding season, cullers have been capitalising on their amorous activity with a surge in culled numbers. Between them, the iguana hunters have now bagged well over 600,000 since the nationwide initiative began last October. According […]
One million species on brink of extinction
(CNS): More than one million species of plants and animals, from orchids to turtles, are on the brink of extinction, according to a new report based on the work of an international team of scientists, which warns of an acceleration in species extinction rates that are already unprecedented in human history. Without transformative change to […]
National Trust to create North Side bird sanctuary
(CNS Local Life): The National Trust for the Cayman Islands is planning a new gated bird sanctuary overlooking Malportas Pond in North Side that will provide public access for viewing a range of resident and migratory birds, which depend on the area for feeding. Nadia Hardie, Trust executive director, estimates the project will cost about […]
Frigates study to help define need for protection
(CNS): Cayman is taking part in an important new study tracking magnificent frigatebirds, some of the Caribbean’s most important avian predators, which will help define what areas here and in the region may need to be protected. Department of Environment (DoE) Terrestrial Resources Unit Research Officer Jane Haakonsson and two PhD students have placed tracking […]
First turtle nest marks start of season
(CNS): Local turtles are off to an early start for this summer’s breeding season, with the first nest of the year already having been recorded by the Department of Environment’s team on a beach along Grand Cayman’s south coast. From now until at least November turtles will be nesting and hatching on local beaches and […]
Minister dodges NCL review in Earth Day message
(CNS): In his message to mark Earth Day, Environment Minister Dwayne Seymour claimed achievements in conservation in the Cayman Islands, but made no mention of the planned review of the National Conservation Law (NCL) that is expected to remove some of the protections for the islands’ natural resources. ‘Protect Our Species’ is the theme of […]
Visiting scientist studies invasive threat to local anole
(CNS): Inbar Maayan, a graduate student in biology at Harvard University, spent the summer in Grand Cayman to study one of the less conspicuous invasive species that are finding their way to our shores. The impact of the brown anole on Cayman’s indigenous blue anole is an important line of research because it could help […]
500,000 iguanas culled but more hands needed
(CNS): Although the current team of cullers bagged more than half a million invasive green iguanas in the first six months of the island-wide operation, the Department of Environment is calling on more people to train and register in order to make sure there is not an explosion in the population as the breeding season […]
DoE Director welcomes governor’s support
(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 […]
