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Even with a 50 percent decline in hard corals, Caymans' reefs are still considered among the healthiest in the Atlantic. Scientists say the islands are geographically isolated by surrounding water 6,000 feet deep, which minimizes the impact of pollution from other countries.  The Marine Conservation Law passed in 1986 established the marine park system and has played a key role in protecting Caymans' reefs.  But director of the Cayman Islands Department of the Environment, Gina Ebanks-Petrie, said it has struggled to adapt to rapidly changing environmental conditions.  
Even with a 50 percent decline in hard corals, Caymans' reefs are still considered among the healthiest in the Atlantic. Scientists say the islands are geographically isolated by surrounding water 6,000 feet deep, which minimizes the impact of pollution from other countries.  The Marine Conservation Law passed in 1986 established the marine park system and has played a key role in protecting Caymans' reefs.  But director of the Cayman Islands Department of the Environment, Gina Ebanks-Petrie, said it has struggled to adapt to rapidly changing environmental conditions.  
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Nancy Easterbrook, of dive operator Divetech said "If the coral reef dies, the algae will go, and the tropical fish will go. Then there will be nothing left to see."  
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Nancy Easterbrook, of dive operator Divetech said "If the coral reef dies, the algae will go, and the tropical fish will go. Then there will be nothing left to see."
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He added that more funding has been proposed in the 2007/08 Budget for a continued reorganising of the Grand Cayman landfill.
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Revision as of 21:57, 7 June 2007

Contents

News from Cayman - 2007

January 2007

The tourism statistics for 2006 have been released and are available at http://www.caymanialands.ky/statistics. There were 267,257 air arrivals throughout the year, up on the figure for 2005 be nearly 100,000. This is still way short of the high of 354,087 in 2000. The average occupancy rate for the year for hotels was 59.4% and for condos and apartments was 40.7%. Whilst the figure for hotels was up on the figure of 55.8% for 2005, apartments and condos were down from a rate of 46% in 2005. Both of the current occupancy figures are a long way down from the highs of 73.1% (hotels) and 52.3% (apartments and condos) in 1998.

There were a record 1,930,136 cruise visitors in 2006 - the highest figure to date.


At the end of December a nine-foot long crocodile was captured alive at Old Man Bay in East End in Grand Cayman. It is now being cared for at Botswain's Beach. Investigations are taking place to determine the origins on the croc.


The Europa, a small luxury ship with around 350 passengers visited Cayman Brac. The Europa is the first cruise ship to stop at Cayman Brac for over five years.

Speaking at an American Association of Port Authorities seminar titled 'The Emerging Cruise Product in the Cayman Islands', Tourism Minister Charles Clifford said that government needs to manage the cruise better with the advent of larger vessels visiting Cayman. "Back in December 2000, the cruise ships visiting George Town ranged in size from 23,000 tons to 70,000 tons with passenger capacities of 400 to 2,300 persons. [Now], at the end of December 2006, the smaller ships calling on Grand Cayman are around 70,000 tons with the larger ones now at 100,000 tons and higher." "We must continuously commit to managing the relationship between cruise lines, ports and destinations to better integrate the components which make the cruise industry possible," he said. Mentioning the problems of crowded roads, pavements and stores Clifford said "In the lead time it takes to build the ships and the destination-based infrastructure needed to serve them, cruise lines and destinations may work systematically and jointly to pursue high standards of excellence by being well coordinated, time-efficient, safe and customer friendly." He said that work on the construction for berths for four ships is due to start in March. He added "To neglect our cruise product would, without a doubt, be detrimental in the long run and neither I, nor my colleagues in the government will allow this to happen." The new berth facilities would "allow us to provide a safer, standardised and more enjoyable experience".


Statistically speaking, Cayman's roads are getting safer. Roads Minister Arden McLean revealed in 2005 there were only 16 accidents for every 1,000 vehicles in 2005 compared to 129 accidents for every 1,000 vehicles in 1971, 104 accidents for every 1,000 vehicles in 1980 and 61 accidents for every 1,000 vehicles in 1990. In the same time period the number of vehicles has increased from 2,002 vehicles on Cayman's roads in 1971, compared to a total of 31,466 vehicles in 2005. There were 14 road-traffic fatalities in 2005 but this was lower than the 21 deaths recorded in 1985 and the 20 deaths recorded in 1990. McLean promised to meet with road-safety campaigners to discuss plans for "graduated" driving licences, under which young people must pass a series of tests over a number of months before gaining a full licence. He is also looking at increasing the fines for traffic offences.


On the water, there were 10 watersports deaths last year, seven involving snorkeling and three from scuba diving. Eight of the victims were from the US and only one was younger than 48. Coroner's juries have not issued rulings on the 2006 incidents, so no official cause of death has been given. However, the situation is being discussed within the watersports industry. As Rod McDowall, operations manager of Red Sail Sports explained "You will have accidents. There's nothing you can do about a guy who has a heart attack," said Rod McDowall, operations manager of Red Sail Sports. "The unfortunate thing is that it appears – and I don't know the details – but it appears that a couple of the latest related deaths may have been avoided."

In the last incident of the year a 55–year–old woman from Louisiana named Louise Gales was taken on board a snorkel tour boat after suffering difficulty in the water off Barkers in the North Sound. Mrs. Gales was not breathing when she was taken from the water. Tour boat passengers tried to revive her using CPR. None of the tour boat crew members knew CPR. Stephen Broadbelt, who chairs the Water sports Committee of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, said sometimes water sports, diving in particular, get a bad rap. "Debate is certainly on–going within the industry. But you know, just because somebody was having a round of golf and they had a heart attack, it's not considered a golfing accident. But somebody's out on a vessel and they have a heart attack…and for the most part it's a death of natural causes. It still gets called a diving accident or a snorkeling accident."

Unfortunately there were two watersports deaths in January 207. A 54-year-old male US citizen found unconscious after scuba-diving with a friend near Sunset House. In the second incident a 71-year-old Korean man was found floating unconscious at the Sand Bar. He had been a passenger on the Freedom of the Seas cruise ship. Both men had been transferred by medics to Cayman Islands Hospital, where they later died.


A new organisation has been launched responsible for educating residents on threats of disaster while preparing for, responding to, and managing these natural or man-made hazards should they occur Named Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI), this organisation will formulate plans to deal with any hazard the Cayman Islands could face, ranging from the annual threat of hurricanes to oil spills washing along the beaches, explosions, sabotage of the information highway, and terrorism. The National Hurricane Committee will be one of the many sub-groups of the new agency specialising in dealing with a particular threat. Depending on the disaster or emergency, the relevant specialised sub-group will take a lead role in managing the hazard. The new Director of HMCI is internationally accredited disaster management and mitigation specialist Dr Barbara Carby, who heads an office of 10 full-time staff, including persons with expertise in dealing with national hazards. The agency have already organised a simulated disaster to test responses of the emergency services. The exercise scenario was that a fuel truck and school bus collided on the Linford Pierson Highway, with a few deaths and some serious injuries among the 24 passengers, all students of Red Bay and Prospect primary schools. The fire on the fuel truck was extinguished by Fire Service responders, and officers staffing the five fire trucks and six ambulances on the scene contained the problem while treating and transferring "patients." Exercise observers included HMCI Director Barbara Carby and other professionals in the field of disaster mitigation and response.

The simulation is a key component of Cayman's disaster capability management review, which is intended to identify areas for improvement in all of its preparedness plans. Organised by Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI) in conjunction with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the review also is intended to share best practices, particularly among Overseas Territories.


Speaking at a press conference, Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts said that he hoped to have some of the long-promised European Union $7.1 million hurricane-relief fund by early February. The money, earmarked for housing renovations, would be administered by the National Recovery Fund, which has already spent almost $10 million to repair and rebuild more than 450 homes, and supply both furnishings and white goods to another 400. Fund administrators estimate that another 150 badly damaged houses must still be rebuilt entirely, while 100 require major repairs and another 250 remain without electricity, incurring a cost of approximately $5.5 million.


Minister of Tourism Charles Clifford has announced the start of a multi-million dollar development to upgrade Owen Roberts International Airport to enable it to handle more than a million passengers a year. The project is expected to take two years. "The Cayman Islands needs an upgraded airport terminal in order to effectively accommodate projected passenger numbers and to compete at an international level." "An expanded international airport will ensure we are able to maintain our status as a world-class destination for our vibrant and thriving tourism and financial services industries."

The airports current capacity is about 800,00 per year, so the scheme will allow for more flights per day and an increase in the number of airlines that can serve the airport. Parts of the project including separating domestic and international passengers, increasing the terminal building space from 69,000 square feet to more than 205,000 square feet and, more apron space to allow airport parking for 10 jets.

Clifford added: "The airport is a critical building for the Cayman Islands. It's the first and last building you see. I can assure the people of Cayman that it will be designed to respond appropriately to the islands' history, lifestyle and environment, as well as be inclusive to all aspects of Caymanian society."


For the third year running, Tortuga Rum Cakes have been voted "Best Cruise Souvenir" by Porthole Cruise Magazine. "Given the consistent quality and great taste of Tortuga Rum Cakes, it was again an easy choice for best cruise souvenir. I can't remember a time when I returned from a cruise without one — or several." said Bill Panoff, publisher and editor-in-chief.


February 2007

More changes at Cayman Airways Ltd (CAL), this time on their reservation system. The airline have implemented Sabre, the world's number one computerized travel reservation system, used by travel agencies worldwide to book airline tickets, rental cars, hotel reservations, etc.

The new reservation system brings a host of new functionality to the airline and its passengers including a vastly improved Sir Turtle Rewards Frequent Flyer Program.

Acting CEO Thom Guyton is confident CAL's customers will be pleased, "This new system will greatly improve our customer services by streamlining all travel processes, from ticket sales to passenger check-in."

Sabre Holdings, the parent company for the Sabre online reservations system, also owns the popular Travelocity web site. According to Scott MacLaren, CAL Project Manager for the system, "Sabre has already worked out how to integrate the reservation systems with websites. We can leverage that technology rather than develop it ourselves, enhancing our own customers' experience on the CAL website."

Cayman Airways have also announced that they have filled two of the top posts in the company. Patrick Strasburger has been appointed as CEO and John Wrightington as VP Commercial. Strasburger is a veteran airline executive from the United States with previous roles as Managing Director for International Operations and Cargo for Continental Airlines and Vice President of Airport Services with Spirit Airlines.

John Wrightington is also an airline veteran, most recently working as Managing Director Network Management for Caribbean Star Airlines. Wrightington will be responsible for all commercial aspects such as Sales, Distribution, Promotion, Product, Network Management and the Cargo Department.

The Board continues its work to fill the vacant post of VP Finance.


The Economic and Statistics Office has started work on the National Assessment of Living Conditions Survey. Director of the Economics and Statistics Office, Maria Zingapan explained that this is the first time the NALC will conduct a survey of living conditions in the Cayman Islands. "This study is important to improving our statistical systems in meeting regional and international standards".

A total of 1,900 households were randomly selected for the survey. Apart from a 22-page questionnaire, each household is given two 'diaries of expenses' to fill within two weeks. Ms Zingapan said the dairy of expenses is also a very crucial part of the survey. "It is the basis for estimating the cost of living in the Cayman Islands".

The Cayman Islands is the last member of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to undertake the NALC survey. Results of the survey will be published later in the year.


We tend to think that cruise ships are a recent introduction to the Cayman Islands, but February saw the 70th anniversary of the first cruise ship to visit Cayman. On 22 February 1937, 340 passengers aboard the RMS Atlantis visited Grand Cayman. The visit was recorded in the Jamaican Gleaner; "The ship started its voyage on 17 February from Southampton via Casa Blanca, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, La Guayara and Cristobal with mail and cruise passengers. On the 18th it stopped in Jamaica. A day later it sailed for Santiago de Cuba, returning to Montego Bay on Sunday morning and sailing in the afternoon for Cayman Islands, Havana, Miami, Nassau, San Juan, St. Lucia, Antigua, Madeira and Southampton. The Atlantis left Montego Bay at 7 p.m. for George Town, Grand Cayman." The report added . "At 9:30 a.m. they [passengers] came ashore taking sightseeing trips and indulging in sea bathing and fishing. People from every district came down to the waterfront to view the big liner which sailed at 6:30 p.m. for Havana." Even back then the passengers were able to buy souvenirs of their visit. According to a report by the Commissioner of Cayman at the time, the visitors were able to "... bathe in the sea, sit in deck chairs on the beach under sunshades. They were regaled with rum cocktails, beer, and ice cream. Souvenirs of various kinds were on sale: tortoiseshell, sharkskin, and thatch-work, specially made picture postcards. and Spanish gold and silver coins said to have been recently unearthed in Cayman Brac." To mark the anniversary a special commemorative cover has been produced by the Cayman Islands Postal Service.


Initial results into the use of wind turbines to generate power on Caqyman Brac look promissing. An anemometer to measure wind speed was installed on the Government communications tower on the Bluff at the start of the month. On the first day of testing, it measured average wind speeds of 18 to 20 miles per hour at a height of around 250 feet above sea level, which is well above the 14 miles per hour average wind speed required to make wind turbines feasible. Readings from this device as well as historical data gathered by the Cayman Islands Civil Aviation Authority at Gerrard-Smith Airport will be sent later in the year to a firm in the US who specialise in analysing wind speed data. From all this data their analysts should be able to make reliable estimate of the average wind speeds on the Bluff over the last ten years, and from that make predictions for future wind speeds.

According to Cayman Brac Power and Light (CBP&L) General Manager Jonathan Tibbetts, "We're hoping to complete the study by the end of the year. Obviously this is a huge project for a little company and we want to make sure the decisions made will benefit the customers, who will eventually get their electricity at a lower rate".


Legislation has been now passed that establishes the Cayman Islands Society of Professional Accountants (CISPA) as the official regulators for their own industry. The CISPA will be the first private-sector organisation to take responsibility for monitoring, licensing and disciplining its own members and those practicing public accounting. The organisation is the largest professional association in Cayman with 850 members, 15 of which were elected to form a governing council. This council consists of four officers and 11 members from various companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young and Deloitte.


Law firm Mourant announced its intention to merge with Quin & Hampson. All of the partners of Quin & Hampson will form part of a new Mourant partnership in Cayman and the employees of Quin & Hampson will transfer to Mourant. In addition Mourant is acquiring Q&H Corporate Services, Ltd., the corporate services affiliate of Quin & Hampson.

Subject to regulatory approval, joint operations will begin by the end of April 2007 and Quin & Hampson will rebrand as Mourant with effect from Monday 1 October 2007.


Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts announced the establishment of a Constitutional Review Secretariat to start work on reviewing Cayman's constitution. Mr. Tibbetts said the Government had a timeline in mind to achieve the new constitution. "We would wish for the process to be completed as soon as possible, but we're not going to… rush and not do it properly." The Constitutional Review Secretariat will be charged with establishing the campaign to educate and consult with the public on the issue. Mr Tibbets expects a national referendum to be held on the issue before the next elections.


Amendments to the Marine Conservation Law were published in February. One of the amendments is in a new paragraph that reads: "The Governor [in Cabinet] may make regulations prohibiting or regulating (i) touching or feeding of or other human interaction with marine life of a prescribed kind or description; and (ii) the promotion or use of any area of land or waters as a place where such interaction is invited, encouraged or facilitated." Additionally, the Governor in Cabinet is authorised to regulate the use of vessels in Cayman Islands waters whether or not within a restricted marine area or marine park. Among the ways this regulating can be achieved are issuing of licences and scheduling of journeys on the location. Another insertion into the law allows creation of regulations authorising fisheries officers to stop and enter vessels.

I haven't seen any comments about these changes, but to my mind this could Government power to ban the proposed dolphin swim encounters.


Another amendment to existing laws now allow the Governor to exempt expat workers from the rollover policy by designating them as "key employees". "In issuing policy directions in relation to the designation of persons as key employees, the Governor [in Cabinet] shall have regard to the following criteria: (a) there is a global shortage of persons in that profession or vocation; (b) notwithstanding the absence of a global shortage, there is a difficulty in attracting or retaining a particular professional category or sub-category in the Cayman Islands; or (c) there is a desire to attract certain types of business in the islands."

The change gives the Governor and the rest of the Cabinet, for the first time, the power to exempt entire categories of employees from obligatory departure from the Cayman Islands after the expiry of a seven-year term limit.


Government is looking at making sure that there are suitable boat ramps in the George Town area into North Sound. This has been highlighted in the wake of a number of serious medical emergencies at Stingray City/Sandbar. The Marriott Beach Resort is working with the Department of Environment (DoE) and visiting US–based Reef Ball Foundation to protect the reef. The DoE is also working on a reef ball project to help restore locally devastated red mangroves by planting more than 800 reef ball units containing thousands of mangrove seedlings. DoE Assistant Director Tim Austin said "With approximately 860 'reef balls' of seedlings planted in pots made out of marine–based cement (Ph balanced for marine environments), the young mangroves are protected against storms and have a better chance of surviving." "We are hoping to establish this as a technique to restore other areas that were damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004". The areas under consideration include North Side Public Beach and South Sound.


March 2007

For the first time since the introduction of The Port Authority Law (1999), the Royal Cayman Islands Police shut access to the Stingray City Sandbar to watercraft. Superintendent Mike Needham said "We were very sorry we had to do this, but on the evidence ... we decided that it wasn't safe." The weather and wind conditions were extremely hazardous." "The officers actually witnessed two boats nearly collide with each other." This coincided with a number of minor injuries at the site: two cruise ship passengers suffered stings from tiny jellyfish known as sea thimbles (common in the waters of Cayman at this time of year). A third tourist was injured when a stingray barb pierced the skin of his arm. I can't remember the last time that a visitor was injured by a ray at Stingray City. According to Superintendent Needham "The stingray was thrown onto the tourist (by) the wave action. The animal was likely scared. I don't think this was a deliberate action by the stingray." The Legislative Assembly are still working on drawing up marine regulations for Stingray City and the Sandbar.


A Tobacco Bill is currently under discussion. If passed, it would not allow smoking in restaurants or bars. In outside areas, smoking is also banned if they are within 10 feet of an enclosed public space, or within 10 feet of a place like a public park. Vehicles used for commercial or public transportation are also included in the ban. It may be that cigar bars will not be covered in the legislation as their purpose is specifically to allow smoking.


One of the six original "Batmobiles" built for the original 1960's Batman television series was sold at auction in London recently for US$230,000. According to auction house Coys, the winning bid came from a private museum based in the Cayman Islands. Since 2004 there has been talk that an antique car museum may open near to the Turtle Farm/Boatswain's Beach.


Cayman Airways have announced that, subject to regulatory approval, they will start direct flights to New York in June. The three weekly flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport will leave Grand Cayman on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 4:10PM and depart New York at 9AM on Thursday, Sunday and Monday.


The Cayman Islands Brewery has launched it's first brew. Caybrew is a full-bodied premium lager with a crisp, clean hop finish. It is brewed and bottled at their plant on Shamrock Road, George Town.


The Central Tenders Committee has awarded the contract to remove scrap metals from the George Town Landfill to Matrix International. Selected following a government tender process in which three companies applied, Matrix will pay the government CI$1.25 million for the metals. As part of the contract schedule of payments, the ministry received the sum of CI$100,000 at the signing of the contract. Matrix has been contracted to remove, by March 2008, scrap metals that include derelict vehicles; furniture; and construction and demolition debris. The metals concerned are those that have been stored at the landfill prior to 24 November 2006.

April 2007

The scientists at the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University have issued an update to their predictions for the 2007 Hurricane Season. They predict that the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season will be much more active than the average 1950-2000 season. They estimate that 2007 will have about 9 hurricanes (average is 5.9), 17 named storms (average is 9.6), 85 named storm days (average is 49.1), 40 hurricane days (average is 24.5), 5 intense (Category 3-4-5) hurricanes (average is 2.3) and 11 intense hurricane days (average is 5.0). The probability of U.S. major hurricane landfall is estimated to be about 140 percent of the long-period average. They expect Atlantic basin Net Tropical Cyclone (NTC) activity in 2007 to be about 185 percent of the long-term average. The full report is available at http://typhoon.atmos.colostate.edu/forecasts/2007/april2007/. Their next update will be issued at the end of May - just in time for the start of the Hurricane Season.

April sees the pomp and ceremony of the State Opening of the Legislative Assembly. As usual there were two keynote speeches - that of the His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Stuart Jack, CVO, and also the speech of The Leader of Government Business, the Hon. Kurt Tibbetts.

The Governor said "We can look forward to the next financial year with considerable confidence", but warned that Cayman musn't become however, becoming complacent about the challenges ahead. The Governor focused on three major challenges likely to impact the Islands - globalisation, climate change, and developments in neighbouring countries. He also said "we need to understand the way globalisation works to plan for contingencies, to be flexible and ready to move quickly. " When talking about climate change, Mr. Jack urged, "We must now start addressing its implications for us" be it for disaster preparedness or planning and building regulations. Developments in neighbouring countries could provide challenges for Cayman, in areas such as criminal activity and migration, as well as opportunities for collaboration, he pointed out. His full speech is available online at http://www.gov.ky/portal/page?_pageid=1142,2072969&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

In his speech the Hon. Kurt Tibbetts launched a policy statement titled Making a Difference: Delivering Results. The Leader also highlighted the various plans and programmes that would be undertaken by the various departments under his Ministry of District Administration, Planning, Agriculture and Housing. He noted that the three principal factors affecting people's finances are interest rates on loans and mortgages, fuel costs and electricity rates. To obtain meaningful results in tackling these issues, the private sector stakeholders have to assist, he stressed. Government for its part was meeting these challenges head on and would be meeting with commercial banks to find ways to both lower interest rates especially of mortgages and offer fixed rate lending. On the issue of bulk fuel distributor prices, Mr Tibbetts commented that the arrangements "they enjoy now will not continue beyond that time [early 2011]" and that "armed with the knowledge of their mark-up methodology and profit margins" government would open negotiations with the two companies concerned. He also said negotiations with CUC have been "extremely difficult". They hope to have had a new contract fair to the consumer and the company in place by now had not materialised. Cabinet is expecting to receive soon a presentation from the negotiating team and the following week "we will invite CUC to explain their position to us". Following that, a position for the negotiating team to take to the table would be agreed upon. "If there is an impasse, then Government will have to do whatever it has to do and move on," Minister Tibbetts said. "Of this I am sure, there will be no more monopolies and if the negotiations are not successful, the Board of Directors of CUC will have to explain this to their shareholders," he added.


A team from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) visited the Cayman Islands, to meet government and private-sector officials about issues relating to the environment, disaster management, and human development. Key objectives were to further develop co-operation with Cayman; present the UN's Human Development Report 2007; and brief the government on political and strategic issues in the Caribbean sub-region. The group took time to conduct a public presentation on the Human Development Report 2007 – HDR 2007: Human Development and Climate Change – and sustainable development. UNDP Governance and Poverty Programme Officer Dianne McIntosh spoke on a variety of social issues and said that one area of particular relevance to the Islands, with its large foreign workforce, was the problem of getting local people to address issues such as crime, educational problems, sexual abuse and other issues that impact directly on the quality of life. She highlighted that these problems do not surface in Cayman because ex-pats in jobs are afraid to speak out for fear of losing their work permits. Fellow team member David C Smith, concentrated on the threats presented by global warming. Much of Caribbean tourism depends on the coral reefs, which are under direct threat from increased sea temperatures, which kill the reef structures and without the coral are likely to lose the fish. This could result in a substantial reduction in the tourist value of destinations such as Grand Cayman. Mr Smith also addressed the physical threat to property and facilities. Cayman has two of the 26 airport runways in the Caribbean less than 26 feet above sea level; Owen Roberts Airport on Grand Cayman, at eight feet above sea level and Gerrard Smith Airport on Cayman Brac, at seven feet. He was also concerned about buildings and roads close to the high water mark which interfered with the natural movement of sand thereby causing beach erosion. He also warned specifically that Cayman must protect its diving tourism market. "Diving tourists make a lot more money that cruise ships. These are what you want – not people who simply come in, buy a $20 t-shirt, then leave."


If you are flying with Cayman Airways from Miami, then their check-in counter is now on Concourse F next to the Air France check-in counter and near to SBarros Italian restaurant. Dave Gibson, Cayman Airways Miami Station Manager said "This new location will shorten the walking distance from counter to gate significantly. In fact, it will be one of the shortest walks at the Miami Airport for any airline!"


A dinner and auction held in the Houses of Parliament in the UK raised just under CI$50,000 for the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme in Cayman. The event organised by Ms Kate Kandiah of the Cayman Islands Government Office in the UK, was initiated by the Friends of Cayman's UK Chairman John Owen, CMG, MBE. The event was sponsored by Andrew Rosindell MP, a member of the Cayman Islands All-Party Parliamentary Group, and was co-hosted by Friends of Cayman and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. An informative presentation by Mr. Fred Burton, director of the recovery programme, outlined the important work that needs to be done in Cayman to protect the blue iguana. Ms Jennifer Dilbert, MBE, Cayman Islands Government representative in the UK said "The atmosphere on the night was fabulous and, along with raising funds, events like these also raise the profile and standing of the Cayman Islands in Westminster."


The Cayman Islands will host the annual DirecTV National Football League (NFL) Quarterback Challenge. The NFL has signed a three-year agreement with the Cayman Islands to host the event. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Charles Clifford said "The Cayman Islands is proud to become the first international destination to host this high-profile NFL skills event. Together, the NFL and Cayman make an excellent partnership for the owners, managers, players and fans to combine a vacation with their passion for football." The two hour special will be filmed in May and aired on ESPN at the start of August. In its 17th year, the Challenge tests the NFL's premier quarterbacks in four skills competitions: accuracy, speed and mobility, long distance throw and "No Huddle." Top NFL receivers also will participate in the "No Huddle" timed event in which the quarterback completes passes to receivers.


Volunteers from the Cayman Diving College and friends undertook a Clean-Up Day to help celebrate Earth Week, gathering an impressive 300 kilos of refuse from the Wreck of Cali.


Red Sail Sports Grand Cayman has agreed a partnership with the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman to be its preferred supplier of scuba diving and watersports services for its guests. There is even a Red Sail Sports representative at the hotel seven days a week to answer questions and make reservations. The dock at Morritt's Tortuga Club has been re-built and is now in service. To celebrate Red Sail Cayman's 20th anniversary they are giving away a six-day dive package for two worth $1,200. For more details see their website at http://www.redsailcayman.com/gc_contest.html


May 2007

With the Hurricane Season about to start, experts at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center are projecting a 75 percent chance that the Atlantic Hurricane Season will be above normal this year. They predict 13-17 named storms, 7-10 hurricanes ov which 3-5 will be major of Category 3 strength or higher. Their full report is available at http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/outlooks/hurricane.shtml. The team at Colorado State University have released their final predictions before teh start of the hurricane season. They expect 17 named storms, of which 9 will turn into hurricanes and five intense hurricanes. This continues to indicate that the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season will be much more active than the average 1950-2000 season. Their full report is available at http://hurricane.atmos.colostate.edu/Forecasts/2007/june2007/

Here are the names to look out for: Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dean, Erin, Felix, Gabrielle, Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Noel, Olga, Pablo, Rebeka, Sebastien, Tanya, Van and Wendy.

The Public Works Department has issued its updated list of public hurricane shelters and emergency medical centres (EMCs) for 2007. Hurricane shelters are provided in each district. They are for persons whose homes are not hurricane resistant or who live in a location which is considered to be especially at risk in a particular storm and who do not have an alternate safe shelter. Emergency medical centres provide shelter for chronically ill persons, the elderly and women in the last three months of pregnancy. Medical personnel and equipment are provided at EMCs.

Grand Cayman will start the 2007 season with 4010 hurricane shelter spaces, and the Sister Islands with 810. Another 325 shelter spaces will be added to Grand Cayman's stock with the completion of the West Bay John Gray Memorial Church Hall scheduled for the beginning of July.

Approved hurricane shelters for the 2007 hurricane season in Grand Cayman are: John Gray High School Assembly Hall, George Hicks High School Multipurpose Hall, George Town Primary School Assembly Hall, University College of the Cayman Islands Hall, Red Cross Building, Prospect Primary School (EMC), John A. Cumber (West Bay) Primary School Assembly Hall (EMC), John A. Cumber (West Bay) Primary School - some classrooms, West Bay John Gray Memorial Church Hall (available 1st July 2007), East End Primary School - some classrooms, Gun Bay Community Hall, East End Civic Centre (EMC), North Side Civic Centre (EMC), Breakers Community Hall, Bodden Town Primary School Multipurpose Hall (EMC), Savannah Primary School Assembly Hall (EMC).

Shelters for Cayman Brac are: Aston Rutty Centre (EMC), West End Primary School, New Day Care Centre.

The hurricane shelter for Little Cayman is: The Public Works Department Building (EMC).

Further details can be found on the CaymanPrepared website at http://www.caymanprepared.ky


It's over two years since Hurrican Ivan, but the clean up is still going on. Speaking in a debate at the Legislative Assembly, Minister of Works and Infrastructure, Hon. Arden McLean said the company that government contracted for disposal of solid waste stemming from Hurricane Ivan recently sent off two shipments totalling approximately 5,000 metric tons of solid waste comprising 10,000 vehicle batteries, 4,000 cars, 900 tons of scrap metal, and five 40-foot containers of baled cardboard. The minister estimated it will take about 30 shipments before all the discarded material is shipped out. Interestingly the government is making some money out of this. The contractor has to pay $1.2 million for the scrap metal. On top of this, the firm is paying a rental of $190 per hour for using government's metal bailer to press the metal into compact sizes.

Mr McLean also said that Grand Cayman produces 460 tons of waste daily, Cayman Brac six tons, and Little Cayman one ton. He commented "Waste generation in this country is the worst in the Caribbean. It shows how we live in this country." The minister is also chairman of a Solid Waste Management Committee, charged with reviewing Cayman's waste disposal practices, researching to find other disposal methods, and making recommendations. The committee will shortly be visiting the North American Waste Disposal Council of Florida to see how discarded material is got rid of in that state.


Government and the Port Authority have reinstated the ban on all cruise ships anchoring at the Spotts Dock in Savannah. "Because of damage to the living coral reefs caused by ships' anchors at Spotts, cruise ships are no longer allowed to anchor at this location," said Port Authority Director Paul Hurlston. However, it is possible for ships to stay in Spotts Bay without anchoring, said the Department of Environment's Research Officer John Bothwell. "Modern technology enables cruise ships to stay in position on engines when in harbour. The ships can simply hold position and the tenders can come to them." "Over the years the Department of Environment has documented the damage to reefs by cruise-ship anchors and chains in the Spotts area," Mr Bothwell noted. "Because cruise ships are the biggest vessels to use the area regularly, their chains tend to cause a lot of the damage. We have recorded that one cruise ship anchoring for one day destroys 3150m² (0.8 of an acre) of previously intact reef."


The National Archive and Public Records Law has now been passed stipulating that every government agency shall store and arrange its records to allow for quick and timely access. This law gives to the National Archives overall supervisory authority of public records and provides for creation, management and disposal of the public records of every public agency. "Every public agency shall make and maintain full and accurate public records of its business and affairs, and such public records shall be managed and maintained in accordance with this Law," the new law reads in part. It calls for the National Archivist to issue record-keeping standards and to inspect files and the manner in which they are stored.

The freedom of information bill soon to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly specifies a time-frame of 30 days in which government entities must respond to public information requests. The new law's quick retrieval provision will make finding information easier for civil servants, thereby ensuring prompt service for members of the public making freedom of information requests.

The National Archive and Public Records Law also prohibits unauthorised destruction of records and allows for disciplinary measures - including dismissal.


The CARICOM Special Visa, which was issued to accommodate travellers during World Cup Cricket, enabled all citizens of CARICOM member states to travel to member countries without visas. Now that the World Cup is over, all Cayman Islands passport holders are required to apply for a visa if travelling to Jamaica. Jamaican Consulate officials remind the public that the processing time for the visa is 24 hours. "All applications should be submitted to the Jamaican Consulate office at the Dot Com Centre on Dorcy Drive, Industrial Park," said Honorary Vice Consul to the Jamaican Consulate Elaine Harris.


Scientists from the Central Caribbean Marine Institute in Little Cayman announced that the reef system of the western Caribbean territory has lost 50 percent of its hard corals in the last 10 years in spite of strong environmental laws. President of the Institute, Carrie Manfrino said "We are at a very critical time in the history of coral reefs. It is like working with a sick patient. How well we treat that patient will determine if that patient survives. We could potentially see the end of hard coral reefs in our lifetime." A U.N's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that the world must make sweeping cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to avoid a rise in temperatures that could inundate islands and coastlines under rising seas, and kill off the world's temperature-sensitive coral reefs. In a recent report the IPCC said keeping the increase in temperatures within 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) would only cost 0.12 percent of the world's annual gross domestic product. Global warming is heating sea water, which leads to coral bleaching, an ailment that causes normally colorful corals to turn white, and white plague, a disease sweeping and killing coral around the world.

To Cayman residents who depend on tourism, that would be a small investment if it were enough to save the coral reefs.

Even with a 50 percent decline in hard corals, Caymans' reefs are still considered among the healthiest in the Atlantic. Scientists say the islands are geographically isolated by surrounding water 6,000 feet deep, which minimizes the impact of pollution from other countries. The Marine Conservation Law passed in 1986 established the marine park system and has played a key role in protecting Caymans' reefs. But director of the Cayman Islands Department of the Environment, Gina Ebanks-Petrie, said it has struggled to adapt to rapidly changing environmental conditions.

Nancy Easterbrook, of dive operator Divetech said "If the coral reef dies, the algae will go, and the tropical fish will go. Then there will be nothing left to see."

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