Tag: Department of Environment
Fisherfolk credited for grouper project success
(CNS): One of the lead scientists behind the Nassau grouper conservation project in Cayman, which is receiving accolades all over the world, has credited local fisherfolk for their sacrifice, which enabled the conservation work. Department of Environment researcher Croy McCoy, one of the lead authors on the report published in the academic press this month, […]
Hawksbill turtle killed by fishing line
(CNS): Local divers found a dead hawksbill turtle off the coast of Lighthouse Point on 30 December, the Department of Environment has said. It was found at a depth of about 80 feet with its left front flipper wrapped in fishing line. Hawksbills, which are critically endangered, lay very few nests on our shores and […]
Grouper conservation an official success
(CNS): Successful conservation efforts in the Cayman Islands to protect the now critically endangered Nassau grouper have been documented in an academic report, published this week, that underscores how important marine protection can be. The Grouper Moon Project, a joint effort by the Department of Environment and US-based scientists at the aggregate site off Little […]
DoE warns of King Tides and calls for info
(CNS): Cayman is expected to experience some ‘King Tides’ from this weekend, according to scientific predictions, and the Department of the Environment is asking people to help them collect information on these higher than usual tides and potential flooding. DoE officials said they need data to better measure the effect such tides can have, coupled […]
Iguana cull secures budget for 2020
(CNS): Having already killed well over one million invasive green iguanas, local cullers will be able to continue their important work in 2020 to keep the population down after financing was secured for the cull to continue in 2020. By the end of December, hunters had killed 1,123,526 iguanas, but the prolific breeding ability of […]
DoE urges end of illegal land clearing
(CNS): The Department of Environment has expressed deep concerns, once again, about the continued clearance of land on potential development sites before planning permission has been granted. Responding to another situation, where four acres of mangroves and important flora were removed illegally, the DoE urged planning to educate the public about the law because trying […]
Plan devised for key pond habitat
(CNS): The National Conservation Council has approved a much needed conservation plan for Meagre Bay Pond, one of Cayman’s oldest protected areas. The conservation law provides for management plans to protect important habitat and allow public access. Meagre Bay is in need of help to restore the water quality and the surrounding black mangrove forest, […]
Turtle farm keeps lid on reports
(CNS): Following significant public support for the Department of Environment’s turtle conservation plan, the National Conservation Council has ratified the proposal and sent it to Cabinet for approval. But while the public was fully behind the plan, the Cayman Turtle Centre (CTC) has been less than supportive and refused to share critical data with the […]
Stingray injured by boat at sandbar
(CNS): Just a week after one local watersports owner warned of the dangers presented by overcrowding at Stingray City, the Department of Environment confirmed that a ray was recently hit and injured by a boat there. The department also posted on its social media pages what is believed to be a very recent picture of […]
Lobster catchers urged to stick to quotas
(CNS): With the opening of the lobster season, the Department of Environment is urging the public not to exceed the daily catch limits or take what is still a threatened species from protected areas. The season lasts three months, from 1 December until 29 February, but there are strict rules about how many lobsters, and […]
Gov’t warned EIA needed for road extension
(CNS): Government is pointing the finger at the National Conservation Council for delaying the start of the East-West Arterial Extension, despite knowing for five years that if it wanted to press ahead with this road it would need to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA). A screening report from the Department of Environment for the […]
