Land Habitat
NCC votes for increased turtle protection
(CNS): A green turtle narrowly escaped poachers in West Bay recently after a member of the public called 911 to report an attempt to steal her away as she came onto the beach to nest. Conservation officers responded quickly and got her back in the sea, and then watched the beach through the night. However, […]
Plan afoot to save extremely rare plant
(CNS): The critically endangered Aegiphila caymanensis is a woody, clambering shrub with soft, downy leaves that is unique to Grand Cayman and so rare that it has no common name and until recently was believed to be growing only in two places on the island. The National Conservation Council has drafted a species conservation plan […]
National Trust calls for locals to buy back Cayman
(CNS): The National Trust for the Cayman Islands has launched a new campaign urging local people to buy back Cayman and save the islands’ dwindling natural resources from the bulldozer. Buying land to conserve it for the Cayman people so that no one can ever develop it is one of the main goals of the […]
Complaints about MRCU boss under investigation
(CNS): Complaints by staff of the Mosquito Research and Control Unit about the director, Dr Jim McNelly, are under investigation, Health Minister Dwayne Seymour and Acting Chief Officer Nellie Pouchie have confirmed. The complaints were set out in a letter to the ministry in July, signed by what is believed to be a significant number […]
Cullers back as green hatchlings emerge
(CNS): Following the suspension of the green iguana culling programme following the COVID-19 lockdown in March, a limited number of cullers returned to the job in June. But now that restrictions have largely been lifted, 171 officially registered iguana bounty hunters are taking down the invasive species just as the hatchlings begin to emerge, according […]
Sahara dust and mozzie surge add to 2020 trouble
(CNS): Earthquakes, dump fires, a pandemic, and now a dust cloud from the Sahara Desert and a surge in mosquitoes are combining to make 2020 a pretty miserable year. While the dust plume stretching across the Caribbean will produce some pretty sunsets, it will also make life uncomfortable for those with respiratory problems. Meanwhile, a […]
Cops lend hand in protecting turtles
(CNS): Unable to call on their usual army of some 70 volunteers because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Environment has enlisted the help of the RCIPS to monitor turtle nesting sites this season, which began at the beginning of last month. Some exemptions were granted for DoE staff to monitor beaches but crews […]
NCC and DoE urge move to green economy
(CNS): As Cayman emerges from the social and economic shutdown in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, local environmental experts are urging government to make it a “truly sustainable economic recovery” and use this opportunity to reset. Cayman needs to turn away from traffic-gridlock, over development and mass tourism towards climate-sensitive and resilient systems, according […]
Anti-plastic campaign persists under lockdown
(CNS): Plastic Free Cayman has continued its campaign to rid Cayman of unnecessary plastic throughout the shelter-in-place curfew using technology to organise virtual events. Despite the challenges, the group wants to keep reminding people of the dangers of plastic and recently successfully hosted a free screening of a new full-length documentary, The Story of Plastic, […]
Reduced army of cullers reining back iguanas
(CNS): Measures taken by government to curb the spread of COVID-19 put the nationwide green iguana cull on hold for several weeks, just as the pesky reptile moved into its breeding season. With exemptions now in place for the consultants managing the cull and around 50 top cullers, war on this invasive species has restarted. […]
Mangrove protection official
(CNS): Cayman’s mangroves now have official legal protection, which should, finally, prevent these dwindling yet critically important species from being removed by developers without consequence. On Monday, the National Conservation Council gazetted the adoption of a Species Conservation Plan, which formalises mangrove protection in law and outlines the very strict conditions under which they can […]
