Tag: Department of Environment
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.
New ‘Tech City’ PAD poses significant flood risk
(CNS): An application by Cayman Enterprise City to expand and modify its Planned Area Development on a 75.5-acre site in the South Sound mangrove basin has raised “grave concerns” about further seasonal flooding of homes and existing developments in the area. The Department of Environment has said the revised plan is likely to make a […]
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 […]
NHDT plans to develop land picked for conservation
(CNS): The National Housing Development Trust is seeking planning permission via an application from the Lands and Survey Department for a 54-lot subdivision on Austin Conolly Drive, East End, on four parcels of crown land, part of which has been nominated to be a protected area. The nearly 20-acre site includes Sunrise Cottage, a retirement […]
Rules on invasive species ‘gross’, say animal activists
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Humane Society has called the new rules surrounding invasive species “gross” and “an unnecessary, disproportionate” response to the problem of feral animals and “a drastic regression for animal welfare”. As the public backlash continues against efforts to protect Cayman’s threatened endemic and native species, the non-profit organisation has claimed that none […]
Chickens not the target of new conservation rules
(CNS): No one is going to jail for feeding animals in their own yards, even wild chickens, the Department of Environment has said. The regulations relating to the control of alien species come into force today, but over the last week social media has exploded with misinformation about the new rules, which have been drawn […]
Multiple threats from EWA detailed in ToR
(CNS): The terms of reference (ToR) for the environmental impact assessment of the East-West Arterial Road extension, released by the Department of Environment Monday, outline many of the potential negative impacts this controversial road will have on nature and society that will need to be closely examined during the process. Covering seven defined areas, from […]
DoE battles misinformation over feral cat cull
(CNS): The Department of Environment’s effort to control invasive species and the growing detrimental impact on endemic and local species have met with a significant amount of misinformation recently, especially on social media. The rollout of the alien species regulations that provide a lawful, clear platform for the control of feral animals and protection of […]
Feral cat cull underway near booby bird nests on Brac
(CNS): In response to the number of brown booby birds that have been killed recently on the southwest shoreline of Cayman Brac, the feral cat and rodent cull that began last week around the Lighthouse area on the Bluff in the eastern end of the island will be expanded to include this high-density pocket of […]
More brown booby birds killed on Cayman Brac
(CNS): The bodies of two brown booby adults and one chick were found on Cayman Brac last weekend and were likely killed by cats, according to the Department of Environment. The news comes on the heels of a report last week outlining the grim circumstances of the brown booby colony on the island. During the […]
