Tag: National Conservation Law
Cayman marine environment worth near $200M
(CNS): The minister with responsibility for the environment has said that initial results from work currently underway by local environmental researchers to assess how much the natural environment is worth to the local economy suggests it is reaching almost $200 million a year – and thats just the ocean. Wayne Panton, who made history when […]
First dozen sites proposed for protection under NCL
(CNS) Six sites on Grand Cayman and six on Little Cayman situated on crown land have been identified as possible future protected areas under the National Conservation Law. The proposed locations were accepted by the National Conservation Council based on a public survey, and the details have now been published on the Department of Environment’s […]
NCL will need public support
(CNS): The full implementation of the National Conservation Law is “not a panacea” to address all of the challenges surrounding conservation and environmental protection in Cayman and it will still need the support of, and pressure from, the public to ensure it is used properly. The Department of Environment’s director has said that ensuring government […]
Law paves way for environment priorities
(CNS): The last two crucial parts of the National Conservation Law came into effect on Monday when the environment minister announced its implementation, which will finally see environmental considerations given lawful weight in government decision-making. With the commencement of Parts 5 and 7, critical public agencies and entities, such as the Central Planning Authority, are […]
Public asked to wade in on conservation sites
(CNS): The National Conservation Council is asking the public to make their suggestions and proposals for suitable sites in the Cayman Islands that could be protected under the National Conservation Law. With only around five percent of land in Cayman having any protection at all, local conservation experts are looking for areas which are predominately […]
Photographer calls for far reaching reef fish protection
(CNS): As the Department of Environment continues to push its proposed conservation plan for local reef fish under the National Conservation Law, well-known local photographer Courtney Platt is calling for an end to the unsustainable take from spawning aggregations of any species, as well as tighter restrictions and more spending on enforcement. Platt believes that […]
Four MLAs vote ‘no’ to land conservation
(CNS): Four members of the opposition benches have voted against plans by Environment Minister Wayne Panton to purchase land for conservation purposes over the next 18 months. Just before Tuesday’s Finance Committee hearing on the budget adjourned at around 10:30 last night, Ezzard Miller, Arden McLean, Alva Suckoo and Winston Connolly attempted to block the appropriation […]
NCC faces speargun conundrum
(CNS): The National Conservation Council is facing a challenging problem because of a compromise the environment minister was forced to make over spearguns in order to gain support from his political colleagues on the National Conservation Law. As the last parts of the law are implemented, which is expected to be over the next few weeks, […]
Threats continue as CIG mulls marine park plans
(CNS): The National Conservation Council (NCC) and the Department of the Environment (DoE) are waiting for the greenlight from government to begin implementing the proposed enhancement of local marine parks in an effort to conserve local reefs while they are still relatively healthy. As the conservation clock ticks, direct threats to coral reefs around Cayman […]
Funding secured to protect local sharks
(CNS): The Department of Environment has secured a funding award of around $300k to continue the study and conservation of local sharks and other big fish on Cayman’s reefs, which experts say are essential to the enhancement of reef resilience in the islands’ marine habitat. The two-year Darwin Plus Award will fund an ongoing project to […]
Conservation will influence Cayman’s future
(CNS): Environment Minister Wayne Panton has said that the entire National Conservation Law will be fully in force before the end of this year, when the preservation of the Cayman Islands’ valuable environment will finally be given equal weight as social and economic considerations when it comes to future development. With 80% of the law […]
