Cayman Eco - News & Updates

The Cayman Islands Brewerys latest addition to their lineup, White Tip Lager, recently was crowned the best lager at the Caribbean Rum and Beer Festival in Barbados.

This is the second year running that the brewery takes the crown, as CayLight won the title in 2010. This year, it had to settle for second place behind White Tip. Ironshore Bock also took silver in the category for strong beers.

With three international judges blind tasting 30 beers, that is quite impressive for us, said James Mansfield of Cayman Islands Brewery. Next time that we go to the brewers convention it will be interesting to see what they think of us now, as we are still only 4 1/2 years old, compared to other breweries like Banks Barbados, which is 45 years old.

A unique aspect of White Tip Lager is that a percentage of the sales goes to the Department of Environments shark conservation programmes.

The actual link-up with the Department of Environment was unique, and we will be cutting the first cheque in January, Mr. Mansfield said. Read the whole story here.

A groundswell of public support generated by Guy Harvey's latest film The Mystery of the Grouper Moon has prompted the Marine Conservation Board of the Cayman Islands to extend a ban on fishing the Nassau grouper spawning aggregation site near Little Cayman.

The Board, this week, voted to extend the current moratorium another eight years after reviewing extensive research conducted by REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation) and Oregon State University and a public education campaign supported by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) and the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DOE). The existing ban, in place since 2003, was due to expire at the end of the year. The penalty for catching Nassau grouper in a spawning aggregation site between November and March is up to one year in prison or up to $500,000 in fines.

"The Cayman Islands are celebrating the 25th anniversary since the formation of the first marine park here, so it is fitting that such a strong conservation effort has been made by the MCB and that common sense has prevailed," said Dr. Harvey.

In filming the research work being conducted by REEF, Guy Harvey and award-winning filmmaker George Schellenger created a compelling and informative 45-minute documentary The Mystery of the Grouper Moon. The film's purpose was to document the research and make the results available in layman's language to the residents of the Cayman Islands. The documentary (for a preview go to http://www.guyharvey.com/home.php?id=5) was shot entirely in the Cayman Islands and was supported by REEF and the DOE. The GHOF also supported the education campaign with custom artwork.

More work, however, needs to be done, according to Dr. Harvey, an internationally celebrated marine artist and a professor of marine biology, who makes his home in the Cayman Islands. See the whole story here.

The Department of Environment has launched an online survey to ask the public if it thinks the marine environment in he Cayman Islands is worth saving.

The survey follows a series of public meetings in which the department outlined the threats to the Islands marine parks and measures taken to protect them.

The results of the online survey, along with other public feedback, will be included in a full report due out in April, which will be based on the findings of a three-year Darwin Initiative research project conducted by the Department of Environment with Bangor Universitys School of Ocean Sciences and the Nature Conservancy in the United States.

Laura Richardson, a research support officer with the Department of Environment, said people have until February, 2012, to fill out the short survey, but encouraged participants to complete it as soon as they receive it while it is still fresh in their minds.

"The responses will certainly help inform the options we present to the public next April on how the parks and marine protection may be enhanced through this project." Read the whole story here.

Beginning this weekend, every second Saturday of each month will be plastic bag-free days in the Cayman Islands.

Last year, local supermarkets replaced their nondegradable plastic shopping bags with biodegradable alternatives and started charging 5 cents per shopping bags in a bid to cut down on the number of bags ending up in Caymans landfill.

That first phase of the Cayman BECOME campaign brought an initial reduction of as much as 80 per cent in the number of plastic bags sold in supermarkets. Prior to that, an estimated 12 million plastic bags were being disposed of every year in Grand Cayman.

Now the Corporate Green Team Network is embarking on the next phase to cut down on the amount of plastic finding its way to Mount Trashmore.

Starting this Saturday, 10 December, on every second Saturday of every month, supermarkets will not hand out any plastic shopping bags, in a bid to encourage shoppers to either bring their own bags from home or purchase environmentally-friendly, re-usable bags. Read the whole story here.

The new spa at Jalousie Plantation on St. Lucia was built from indigenous woods.

Hotels around the globe are making significant efforts to go green. Though many Caribbean resorts have been slow to embrace the green movement, the majority of them have spent the last few years playing catch-up. Whether its relying on local farmers and fishermen for produce, creating awareness about marine ecology, using earth-friendly construction materials, or offering travelers give-back initiatives, its clear the islands are engaged in some impressive environmental activity. Here is a look at programs aimed at maintaining and protecting Caribbean landscapes.

With more conscientious chefs putting down roots, the reliance on local farms has blossomed. Eric Riperts Blue at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman (Seven Mile Beach, 345-943-9000, www.ritz carlton.com) carries a fish fund to patronize local fishermen and farmers, and offers 20 seats at Lunch in the Kitchen, where the chef de cuisine shares the highlights of the catch of the day. Read whole story here.

Participating in lionfish culling dives is about to become a great deal more affordable for residents in possession of the required culling licence, thanks to Fosters Food Fair IGAs donation of $20,000 to the Cayman Islands Tourism Association.

When Fosters joined the Cayman Become Campaign [an environmental initiative] in June 2010, and introduced reusable cloth shopping bags, they announced that the five cents charged for every biodegradable shopping bag used would be reinvested in an environmental fund, said Ayiesha de Cocteau, marketing manager at Fosters. This fund is then used to support a number of environmental programmes in the Cayman Islands. The lionfish culling initiative is one programme we are passionate about as the fish have now become a menace in our waters and continue to eradicate too many of a smaller marine animals. In an effort to continue the preservation of our dive sites we have partnered with CITA on this initiative, added Ms de Cocteau. Read whole story here.

Despite the continued breeding problems at the Cayman Islands Turtle Farm officials said that the annual release will still go ahead this year during Pirates Week. The farm said that the release will include 9 yearlings and up to 40 advanced hatchlings, depending on sponsorship. According to a release from the farm the yearlings will be fitted with Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT tags) which are micro transponders encased in a glass case about the size of a large grain of rice. These electronic tags are injected under the skin and can only be detected with a scanner allowing researchers around the world to identify individual animals and better understand migration and nesting patterns.

Last season, five females tagged and released from the Cayman Turtle Farm in the 1980s, returned to lay their own eggs on Cayman beaches. Read whole story here.

Starting next week, local primary schools will begin competing to see which of them can collect the most old Cayman Islands Yellow Pages directories as part of the second annual telephone directory recycling programme, Yellow2Green. The main goal of the three week initiative, which kicks-off Tuesday 15 November, is to keep old phone books out of the landfill, but primary students can win cash prizes for their school while they are helping the environment. CIYP is also offering a prize to the member of the community who comes closest to guessing the total number of directories collected for recycling.The school with the most directories per student will be awarded a cash prize of $1,500, with $1,000 going to the second place school and $700 for third place.

The Environmental Impact Report on the East End Seaport was
delivered to the Department of Environment on Wednesday, 11 May, and was released on the projects website this week.

Joe Imparato, of the developer City Services (Cayman) Ltd. said making the report available to the public was something he consistently said he would do when it was completed.

The rational, objective concerns generally fell in to two main areas the risk of coastal flooding and the impact on the water lens, he said in a press release issued Wednesday. It made the most sense to go to the District of East End when I had factual answers and information to address those concerns. Read the story here.

If you're living in Cayman, your carbon footprint may be one of the largest in the world with constant travelling and cooling your home all pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Well, a new not-for-profit business is on a mission to offset Cayman's emissions.

While sea turtle remains a popular national dish in the Cayman Islands, the public is being asked to join a world wide effort to halt the decline of these endangered species. The Department of Environment (DoE) is appealing to the public to aid in the recovery of Cayman Islands sea turtle nesting populations by reporting turtle nests to a new DoE Turtle Hotline 938-NEST (938-6378) whenever sea turtle tracks or nests are found. The goal is to find all turtle nests and protect them from the time they are laid until they hatch two months later.

DoE Research Officer Dr Janice Blumenthal explained that during the turtle nesting season DoE staff and volunteers patrol beaches four days per week finding and protecting nests but they are not able to visit every beach every day so rely on the public to assist them.

She added, While sea turtles spend the majority of their lives in the ocean, from May to November females make their way on shore to lay their eggs. On the beach, nesting turtles, turtle nests, and baby turtles are extremely vulnerable. We hope that with the new and easy to remember Turtle Hotline number, members of the public will be better able to assist in sea turtle conservation efforts.

Data collected by DoE over the past decade show that Cayman Islands sea turtle nesting has begun to increase but many nests are in highly developed areas such as Seven Mile Beach. This makes nests susceptible to threats such as lights near the beach, beach driving, heavy equipment operation, bonfires, and poaching. The Turtle Hotline makes it possible for members of the public to help by alerting DoE when they spot turtle nests or see a nesting turtle or baby turtles in danger.

In addition to reporting nests, beachfront property owners and residents can assist by following the DoEs guidelines for making beaches safe for turtles:

Reduce beach lighting: turn off, redirect, or shield any lights that can be seen from the beach during the turtle nesting season (contact DoE for more information). Lights near the beach can lead baby turtles away from the sea and result in their death. Lighting may also deter nesting females from coming ashore.
Remain quiet and stay at a distance if you see a nesting turtle. Flashlights, loud noises, or getting too close might cause the turtle to abandon her nesting attempt.
Remove obstacles such as beach chairs and recreational equipment from the beach at night.
Do not drive on the beachthis can crush turtle nests. Contact DoE before using beach cleaning machines or heavy equipment.
Protect beach vegetation. Vegetation blocks light from buildings, stabilizes the beach, and encourages turtles to nest.
Do not have bonfires on the beach in the summeruse a designated BBQ pit.
Do not rake or cover turtle tracks. Department of Environment staff and volunteers use the tracks to find and protect nests.
Call DoEs Turtle Hotline if you find a turtle track, nest, or baby turtle.
Remember that sea turtles are protected under Cayman Islands Law and turtle poachers face steep fines and imprisonment. If you see persons harming or taking sea turtles or their eggs call DoE Enforcement or the police (911).

Contact Janice Blumenthal at DoE for more information or to volunteer for the Marine Turtle Beach Monitoring Programme. DoE Turtle Hotline: 938-NEST. General: 949-8469. Emergencies: 916-4271 or 911. Email:DoE@gov.ky.

Louisiana State University Professor, Dr. Harry H. Roberts, said dredging a channel in the North Sound could change it significantly and many others are saying that government needs to do its homework before the digging starts.

Caymanian Compass
21 January, 2011

The Cayman Islands Government has decided to cap and remediate the existing George Town Landfill and establish a new solid waste management facility at a site to be determined.

Premier McKeeva Bush made the announcement during the Fidelity Cayman Business Outlook at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman on Thursday morning.

With our encouragement, Dart [Enterprises] has agreed to take over and responsibly cap and remediate the existing site, Mr. Bush said. Furthermore, Dart has agreed to provide a site of similar acreage to the Crown and establish the platform for a new solid waste management facility. Read the whole story here.

1 November 2010
Cayman Islands Yellow Pages Press Release
George Town, Grand Cayman

'Yellow2Green' programme aims to keep 60 tons of old phonebooks out of Caymans landfill in 2010

The next twenty days will see one of the most important recent environmental initiatives as the Cayman Islands Yellow Pages (CIYP) launches Yellow2Green, a programme designed to recycle old phone books into insulation for homes. The launch coincides with the release of the 2011 Cayman Islands telephone directory and will run from November 1^st 20^th.

Our intent is to keep 60 tons of phone books from ending up in the landfill and to elevate everyones awareness about the importance of recycling and conservation, explains CIYP Marketing Manager Eileen Keens. This is the pilot programme and were very hopeful that everyone in Grand Cayman will participate businesses and individuals alike. If were successful, this will become an annual event to include Cayman Brac and eventually Little Cayman.

Theres absolutely no down-side to this, adds Ms. Keens, its easy for people to take their old phone books to any one of 11 drop-off points island-wide but, more importantly, its a benefit to our country and our environment its the right, responsible thing to do.

The programme includes the Yellow2Green School Challenge, where all primary schools can compete to win a pizza party and up to $1500. The school that collects the most books, per student body, wins. This is a great way to get kids excited about recycling this is about their future, so its critical that they value preservation and grasp the concept of personal responsibility, explains Ms. Keens.

CIYP will accept any dry phone book, even if its not one of theirs. All books will be shipped via Thompson Shipping Line to Tampa where theyll be 100% recycled into GreenFiber insulation, an all-natural, high quality fiber insulation product used for homes. GreenFiber is North Americas leading natural fiber manufacturer and they have been working with communities across the US, and now in the Caribbean, to help keep over one million tons of paper out of landfills.

This really is a big deal. Were pretty sure everyone agrees that our landfill doesnt need any more unnecessary waste, each one of those recycled directories is one step closer to a greener community adds Ms. Keens. And were thankful to all our sponsors for making it happen.

All businesses and individuals are encouraged to deliver as many old phone books as they can to any drop-off location by November 20^th. For businesses with large amounts of books, the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce has been designated as the primary corporate collection site at their new Governors Square office.

All Fosters Food Fair locations island-wide
Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square
Camana Bay
LIME Galleria Plaza
LIME Anderson Square
Hurleys Grand Harbour
Kirk Supermarket

BB&P
Camana Bay
Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce
Fosters Food Fair
GreenFiber
Hurleys
Kirk Supermarket
Lemmies Trucking Services
LIME
NCI Services
Thompson Line
Vision Marketing

The much anticipated request for proposals to deal with the Cayman Islands George Town dump has been officially released. Government is now inviting proposals for the redevelopment of the landfill also known as Mount Trashmore, reports The Cayman News Service.

Although the government had previously expressed its preference for a Waste to Energy Facility (WtE), it is reported to also be inviting tenders for Comprehensive Solid Waste Disposal Management Facilities (CSWDMF).

According to a release from government, it is seeking an entity that will manage all waste generated in Grand Cayman through the establishment of a CSWDMF and WTEF, while enhancing the island's recycling capabilities and producing green by-products such as biofuels and composting.

"All entities interested in providing a Comprehensive Solid Waste Disposal Management Facility and Waste to Energy Facility Facility in Grand Cayman should respond to the Request for Proposal by noon, 19 November 2010," the release from the Department of Environmental Health stated.

"The George Town landfill currently receives all types of waste and recyclables. The existing method of land filling municipal waste is not sustainable," government officials said.

Entities making a bid to solve what, at 80 feet high (25 metres), has become one of the country's biggest problems, will also be required to provide future waste disposal management options for the Sister Islands.

"The issue of a Request for Proposal is a long anticipated and welcomed step in the process of redevelopment of the George Town landfill," said the Minister with responsibility for public works, Juliana O'Connor-Connolly. "The Ministry is seeking an entity that will provide a practical and reasonable long-term waste management solution for the Cayman Islands."

Mount Trashmore is considered the highest point on Grand Cayman at well over 80 feet and certainly its worst eyesore. As the dump has not been lined it has been leaking into the North Sound for several years, causing major pollution problems for the marine environment.

Tackling the dump has been a controversial issue for some time but more recently a group of activists under the banner of Waste Initiatives & Sustainable Environments (WISE) began a campaign to oppose the concept of mining and incinerating the dump as its sole solution. The group has instead suggested capping and remediating the landfill. WISE proposes turning to a new eco-waste management park elsewhere on the island, which would focus on composting, recycling, reuse and the reduction of waste in general with limited incineration and ultimately zero discarded or dumped garbage.

The activists have said that incineration will create further pollution, as will the mining of the current landfill, which will release dust and debris into the air as well as generate persistent bad odours during the lengthy period of mining, which they warn could go on for years.

However, the relocation of the waste management facility has caused controversy, with no district welcoming the idea of a new, albeit modem, 'dump' in its neighbourhood.

The tender invites proposals that will deal with the landfill on the current site and it is expected that the existing rubbish at the dump will be mined and burned in a waste to energy conversion and it is hoped that there will also be some recycling undertaken at the site.

Interested parties must be mindful of the noon deadline on 19 November, as late submissions will not be accepted. Excluded from the RFP will be the collection of residential and commercial waste; this will still fall under the responsibilities of the Department of Environmental Health.

Cayman News Service
Saturday 14 August 2010

A report published by the United Nations last month has revealed that critically important mangroves continue to be lost at a rate three to four times higher than land-based forests. The news comes at a time when the Cayman Islands own proposed national conservation law is still at the consultation stage with no guarantee that it will make it to the Legislative Assembly next month as was hoped. During a series of public meetings in July when the Department of Environment director spelt out the pressing need for a conservation law here, Gina Ebanks-Petrie, noted the massive loss of mangroves that Cayman has suffered over the years and their current precarious protection. The NCL, she said, would offer a way of protecting what remains of the country's mangrove areas.

In 1980 there was over 5,000 acres of wetland and mangrove habitat on the western side of Grand Cayman. Today just a fraction of the mangroves remains, with more than 66 percent of those areas being lost. Read the whole story here. (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)

When the Ching-chings start dive-bombing unsuspecting tourists walking through George Town, it is clearly nesting season.

Unfortunately, with nesting season come baby birds in need of help, and although Cayman Wildlife Rescue makes every attempt to restore nestlings to their wild families, this is not always possible.

The organisation is appealing for volunteers to hand-raise baby birds for release back into the wild. Read whole story here.

Cayman residents can have their say on the newest version of the National Conservation Bill.

Environment Minister Mark Scotland wants to bring the bill to the Legislative Assembly before years end.

I believe that we need comprehensive conservation legislation to adequately protect Caymans future, Mr. Scotland said. I also hold that the environment is an issue that affects everyone, and therefore it is vital to gauge public opinion on the matter.

The Department of Environment has started public consultations with key stakeholder meetings and the launch of an explanatory guide to the proposed National Conservation Law.

In addition, district meetings will start the week of 5 July. The department will announce times and venues as soon as possible. Read whole story here.

Plastic bag charge starts today

Starting today, supermarkets will be implementing a new 5 cent charge for plastic bags as part of the Cayman BECOME campaign to encourage the Cayman Islands public to bring their own reusable bags when they shop.

To prepare for the big day, cashiers and baggers have received training from the Cayman BECOME education and training committee.

We are aiming to adapt the interaction between cashier and customer for when the charge is introduced, said Senior Sustainable Development Officer at the Department of Environment Joni Kirkconnell, one of the trainers.

She said cashiers are now being urged to ask customers directly if they have their own bags with them and if not they will ask whether the customer needs a bag and wishes to purchase a reusable bag, or purchase plastic bags. This should not only make people think about bringing their own bags in the future, but it will also make cashiers more aware of how many plastic bags they are providing, and customers more aware of how many plastic bags they are using, said Ms Kirkconnell. Read whole story.

The Observer on Sunday - Local News
By: Basia Pioro McGuire

The way we think about waste in Cayman is at the forefront these days, with reminders about Mt. Trashmores state popping up with news that some of the sites scrap metal is now being shipped off Island.

The sites appearance from the Esterly Tibbets bypass may seem to indicate fewer junked cars, but the overwhelming feature, the 60-foot tall mound of garbage, still dominates the Grand Cayman skyline.

The Observer, the Compass the Journal have all reported extensively on Caymans trash situaiton and some of the available options. Currently, Dart the company, behind the massive Camana Bay development located adjacent to the hundred-acre landfill site, is holding town hall meetings with various stakeholders to explore possible solutions to the dump dilemma. Read whole story.

Reusable bags catching on

Local supermarkets are reporting an increase in demand for reusable shopping bags, and thanks may be due to the Cayman BECOME campaign.

The campaign, which launched at the beginning of April, is encouraging the Cayman Islands public to bring their own reusable bags when they shop and in doing so to become plastic free.

As part of this campaign, the major local supermarkets will start charging 5 cents per plastic bag from 9 June onwards.

Over the month of April we sold six times the monthly average of reusable bags that we were getting through last year, said Raquel Solomon of Fosters Food Fair.

Caymanian Compass

The vast majority of respondents in last weeks caycompass.com online poll say that when it comes to being green, they conserve but admit they could be greener.

Of the 297 respondents, 204 - or 68 per cent - when asked how green they were, answered that they conserved energy, but could do more for the environment.

One respondent boasted that he was greener than most of his neighbours, while another said: I am very conservative, not wasteful. Re-use!

One respondent echoed a sentiment often repeated in Cayman. It would be helpful if there were more options here for recycling.

Nine of the respondents, or 3 per cent of those who took part, gave themselves a pat on the back, saying They dont come any greener than me, while 26 people, or 9 per cent of respondents, insisted they were not green at all and dont plan on turning green...read full story.