Science & Nature
El Niño may quieten 2023 storm season
(CNS): Current neutral El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions look fairly likely to transition to El Niño during the summer or autumn, reducing the likelihood of a busy Atlantic Hurricane Season for 2023, according, to storm forecasters. Colorado State University is predicting a quieter than average season with around 13 named storms, of which six are […]
Little Cayman is ‘national treasure’, says Premier
(CNS): Premier and Minister of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency Wayne Panton, who has officially endorsed the community-led nomination for Little Cayman to become a UNESCO World Heritage site, described the island as a national treasure. Thanking everyone involved in the bid, the premier said the existing protections on the island had helped in getting the […]
Little Cayman reefs on UK wishlist for UNESCO Status
(CNS): The United Kingdom has added Little Cayman Marine Parks and Protected Areas to its list of sites it is nominating to be given UNESCO World Heritage Status. About once per decade, the UK publishes its Tentative List of the sites believed to have the best chance of achieving this prestigious global status and joining […]
Non-profit stops efforts to control feral cats
(CNS): The Department of Environment’s feral cat control project has been stalled again by local animal rights charity Feline Friends as the Grand Court has granted a stay on the rollout of the National Conservation (Alien Species) Regulations. The non-profit organisation has run both a feeding and a trap-neuter-release programme on Grand Cayman for feral […]
Endangered hawksbill turtle saved from poachers
(CNS): A large, critically endangered hawksbill turtle was found tied up on an undisclosed beach Sunday and rescued from poachers by DoE conservation officers and the RCIPS. The turtle was still alive when found, and thanks to the fast response of the rescuers, she was released back to sea after a health assessment.
Work still underway on new line in the sand
(CNS): A recommendation to establish a Seven Mile Beach coastal setback reference line is expected to go before Cabinet for approval in the second quarter of this year. The Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency is preparing a proposal for an updated line in the Seven Mile Beach sand, based on decades of coastal data, […]
No easy fixes for giant sargassum ‘blob’
(CNS): Dubbed the ‘great blob’, the ever-increasing sargassum belt that circulates in the Atlantic has grown to more than 5,500 miles across and is currently moving through our region. Government officials are warning that the belt is likely to wash ashore in the Cayman Islands again this year. But there is no easy fix. Officials […]
100+ acres of natural habitat already at risk this year
(CNS): Since the start of this year, the Central Planning Authority has heard applications for development projects and sub-divisions that threaten well over one hundred acres of primary natural habitat, including mangroves. Despite mounting public support for conservation and significant concerns that development is destroying the environment, in less than two months the CPA has […]
OAG reveals Cayman’s lack of sustainability
(CNS): As the Cayman Islands Government embarks on an independent initiative to help it link policy with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the Office of the Auditor General has revealed the existing lack of sustainability and some major challenges ahead in dealing with climate-related issues in Cayman. The country is generating five times as much […]
Project aims to focus civil service on sustainability
(CNS): Premier Wayne Panton has said his government’s goal is for the Cayman Islands to be held up as one of the most sustainable countries in the world. However, two years into the PACT administration, very limited progress has been made on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that he wants to be the […]
CORE rates for solar are fair to all, says CUC
(CNS): Grand Cayman’s power provider has said it will not increase the rates it currently pays for solar energy generated by customers in its CORE programme. Responding to a statement by the Cayman Renewable Energy Association, CUC said it is not against rooftop consumer solar but it “does not support paying inflated prices for energy” […]
