Bush vows to protect SMB
(CNS): Although government says it does not have the luxury of time or money to conduct a full environmental impact assessment on the development of cruise berthing facilities in the George Town Harbour, Leader of Government Business McKeeva Bush has told CNS that he will ensure the protection of Seven Mile Beach from the development. He said it was already well known what the situation was in the capital’s harbour and, provided no solid structures were erected that would impact the current, the beach would not be damaged.
In the face of ongoing community concerns over the development of cruise berthing facilities and Bush’s announcement that there would be no EIA, the LoGB emphasised to CNS on Wednesday evening (12 August) that everything would be done to protect the island’s beaches.
“There is no point is spending time and money, neither of which we have, to conduct an EIA on an area that is not an environmental zone and when we already know the answers,” he said. “But every precaution will be taken to protect Seven Mile Beach. There will be no solid concrete superstructures built that stick out in to the ocean far enough to effect the currents, so neither the Seven Mile nor South Sound beaches will be damaged. But we have to be realistic — the harbour is not an environmental zone, there is nothing in the port to destroy and we don’t have 12 to 18 months to do a report that will tell us what we know.”
He said, however, that the socio-economic effect of port development was being done as that was part of the overall national tourism plan, and it was that which was revealing the driving need for Cayman to begin this development as soon as possible.
“We need this for the future of tourism. We must be practical about the development of cruise berthing,” Bush told CNS. “If we fail to move then Cuba will open up and be ahead of us. The cruise lines have said we must have it and we are the only significant destination in the region without berthing.”
He said the people who were opposing the development really needed to understand how important this project is not only for the jobs it will create during the construction, but that it will protect the future of jobs in the tourism industry as a whole. “The truth is the people who are criticising this project are people that probably have jobs and don’t have to worry about a livelihood,” the leader of government business added. “The same people who burned down the fire station can’t stand around watching and criticizing government about how they are putting out the fire.”
At a recent meeting with the new Port Authority chair, Stefan Baraud, representatives from the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) and the Association of Cruise Tourism (ACT) made it clear that their members were all for the development of cruise berthing and that they needed to do a better job of getting people to understand how intrinsically important cruise tourism was to the country’s overall product. Both bodies acknowledge the need to build support for the development of cruise berthing based on what they said was a very real and pressing need.
However, there has always been considerable opposition to cruise berthing facilities within the community, much of which came to the fore under the previous administration when the then tourism and environment minister, Charles Clifford, put forward proposals to develop a new cruise and cargo port in George Town. Considerable emphasis was placed on the EIA and the Department of Environment spent several months drawing up the terms of reference for any assessment. During a number of community and stakeholder meetings fears about the impact on Seven Mile Beach were at the forefront of the objections.
If you like this article, click here to find out how to support CNS
Category: Headline News
I’m sorry but i believe most of you, are foreigners who are writing these arguments . Because if you work in georgetown you would know that places are closing down. People are getting less work cause cruise lines have been sent away from this island from the previous gov’t listening to this . We have been trying to build a cruise dock on the same property for 16-20 years. Nothing has changed except global warming. That means people don’t see the same reefs they did 16 years ago. I have been scuba diving since i was 15 yrs of age. I have worked as a divemaster since the 70s and retired as a diving instructor in 1988 but i still snorkel and dive today. I have worked with many dive operators on this island who claimed to be diving instructors. Yeah go check see if they can show you when they got there’s. So what does it mean? They are not experts!! When Mr. Linford Pierson was in charge of that portfolio he had a report done that shows the same place where Mac wants to put that dock is the same place. So we have known for a long long time this is the place!! We going to build one and when i say "we" I ‘m talking about Caymanian people. We have some foreigners worried about the smb, well , i hear that some of you have become experts and believe that you feel that the sand will go. I don’t believe it will. I say that because of an experience years ago. Remember the small cruise ship, "Rhadsody" when it ran aground? I was the diver that went down to do an inspection on the ship. Well they had to get it off the reef . It was on smb. So they got one of the best companies in the world to do it from Amsterdam, "Smitt Rotterdam". They brought down a lot of equipment : 3 ocean going tugs 1 large barge called Tak heave and a dredge boat. When they checked with Gov’t they had to put a bond. I believed it was 1 million dollars in case of any environmental damage. So the dredge boat had just set up the cutting and was suppose to exit the material over the wall but it made a mistake. The material had made a lovely mountain of fill. We had a tourist missing so we went to go look for him, i was in Adrian’s boat and when we were passing adrian said i believe that dredge is not far enough off the wall. So i dove down and took the picture that came out in the next days newspaper. Front page of a mountain of soft marl Well NOTHING happened and trust me you wont see the mountain. Remember to go out there in your boat in snorkel gear to look for the site that they dug up by DREDGE its a very large hole in shallow water and its on seven mile beach. People have been arguing for years "Omg their going to build a dock in town" . Yes we need a dock it will allow for ease of people getting off . Can’t you see people standing for over 1 hour to get on a ship and these are small ships. Can you imagine a large ship of 6000 passengers . People have said that they have been on ships and it doesn’t make a difference. I beg to differ, when you drive your car in town aren’t the roundabouts faster then waiting for the light? How about the traffic light that was taken away on Harbour drive? Flow ladies and gentlemen flow. I believe that georgetown should be closed and only pedestrians should be allowed put some trees and shady areas and have live bands food stalls with local Caymanian foods .Anytime i have seen a crowd of people I have never seen them running away from each other . I have seen them coming closer to see what’s going on like south beach or daytona or miami or fort lauderdale. When i go to a shopping mall or the flea market when there’s a crowd i always think there must be something good for sale there. So they not coming to stay we get new customers everyday Thank you God!!!
POLITICS OF FEAR
This is classic ‘politics of fear’. Frighten the people into thinking that they are about to lose their livlihoods. Then offer the solution with is a free rein to proceed without answering any of the substantial concerns of the people while destroying our delicate environment. Indeed, any sensible contributions are belittled as ‘yapping because they can yap’. Did someone say ‘dictatorship’ or was it ‘Bushism"?
It’s a really sad situation and I am sorry to make yet another political statement but… where are all the UDP/Mac supporters telling the rest of us that we need to support this and that it’s the PPMs fault??
There are NONE I’m sure (at least none to say Mac is doing the right thing)!! As a matter of fact I bet there are alot of people out there second guessing their choice to supprt him/them right about now. Please note I am NOT a supporter of either ‘party’. I do however support anyone who makes desions in the best interests of Caymanians and the people who call Cayman home.
Mac, I truly believe that YOU believe you are doing the right thing but please listen to the outcry of Cayman on these matters and don’t be afraid to second guess yourself; to have another look at the situation to see if perhaps you made a decision in a haste that WILL NOT benefit the country in the long run. If you still feel you are right then who is really here that can stop you right???
This is not the first decision made in the last couple of weeks that has the public outraged but wait until the Immigration Law is amended and made public. People like myself, who are only holding unto their jobs by their fingernails (due to redundancy), will be a little bit more than outraged. It’s not going to be good. There are already many Caymanians who are unemployed right now who WANT to work AND are capable, reliable and honest employees but the jobs are just not there.
Please don’t take away the livelyhoods of those who work in/by our seas/shores.
Any institution or individual who invests in this new Port project will presumably be partly liable for the consequences of damaging the environment (should it occur)….perhaps that is why Mac isn’t bothered about an Environmental Assessement beforehand, if it all goes belly up, then the investors will be the ones to pay to put it right when the SMB Condos and Hotels decide to embark on litigation, because they have lost their beaches!!!
Way to go Mac, do you actually have a "Think Tank" or just rely on your goldfish?
There are over 2 million cruise ship tourists in Cayman annually. Cayman cannot afford to lose out the majority of its tourists. If a dock is needed…build it and they will come…(or at least continue to come)…
Where did the 2million come from? Try 1.5m for last year and going down. If it had not been for the Mexico cancellations thid year we would be much worse off. Forget the permanent dock it is far too late. It should have been done years ago. Lets us keep our beach instead.
Remember when Cuba opens they will have at least seven docks. Some competition eh?
For a good while alot of caymanians have been biting their tongues and clinching there fists. Mr Bush there is a line and you not only stepped over it but you have done a double back flip with a twist over it. You are in office to represent the people not to do as you please without consulting with them and then have the audacity to make yourself sound like a GENIOUS. If they think all of this gun violence is bad at the moment ….huh, tell them to hold on because it seems like they take joy in throwing gas on the fire. People are getting fed up and the last thing I want to see in cayman is political violence, don’t matter if you are UDP, PPM, independent we couldn’t care less, we care about these islands….but at thisrate the s*** will eventually hit the fan and all of us are going to have to deal with it.
Yep, we need capital projects that are going to cost the country hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars. Because right now the government is rolling in money and the global economy is so good. Oh I forgot, they are going to be privatley funded so the government won’t have to come up with the money up front. Well that’s OK, we’lljust pay the toll later. And pay dearly. Institutions don’t loan money for nothing and they will want to get a signifigant return on their investment. Who do you think will be paying that tab. ALL OF US!! Just over 3 months ago we heard over and over from the now elected government how the last administration spent us into the ground. Are you kidding me, these proposed projects will dwarf the millions spent on the new schools by a long shot. But wait, its in the country’s best interest because it will create jobs. That’s great we can import even more labor. Take a look around at who works on the construction sites, and drives these trucks up and down the road, some Caymanians but mostly Jamaicans and Fillipinos. This island has 200% employment which is why half the population are expat on work permits. You want to solve the unemployment problem for Caymanians then take a look at finding way to replace some of the 10,000 plus work permit holders.
We never seem to be able to get a true definition of our Tourism product.. You hear we only want high end tourists but then we are clammering for cruise business; when we get the high end tourists here what exactly do they get here that they couldnt get in another island, what’s so exclusive and appealing here, we don’t even have a proper golf course. The amountof bantering is crazy with this subject. There is no clear defined vision for our tourism product, how can you really sell something that you don’t understand or know??
At the end of the day if we have a well sought after valuable product the cruise ships will find a way to make it here.. It does not make logical sense to me to build this huge monstrosity and risk destroying the little that we have left for the "possibility" of larger ships coming here!!!
I have been on cruises and I will do whatever is necessary to get off the ship IF I am interested in the destination! Plain and simple. Lets re-focus and work on our PRODUCT and we have to start pushing back on these cruise ship operators who could careless about OUR product they only care about their bottomline. Do you think they will remove the Cayman Islands from their itinerary if cruise passengers were clammoring to come here…………Absolutely not fix the PRODUCT and they will come!!!
I do not understand how Mac can say it will not be a solid structure! If it is built on pilings it will be damaged in a storm, just look at the beating the seawall currently takes! To have the ships just pull up to the berthing will remove the tenders from the port, what will those operators then do? They will be unemployeed, not what the island needs. Mac speaks that this must happen for tourism, not so, he is speaking of cruise tourism only. If the cargo port is moved to the East End,we can say goodbye to condo rentals. The number of trucks running on the roads will scare off the remaining stayover tourists. It is foolish to move the cargo port to build a cruiseship parking lot. If the cruiseships don’t like it, tell them to cruise on by. I have been on a cruise to Cayman and many people, including my 78 year old grandmother, loved the ride in on the tenders because it was unique! The wait to get back does need to get addressed, but it would be cheaper to pay Caymanians to entertain the people waiting, then build a whole new port. The People would be paid to get to know our visitors and show them Caymanian Kindness. They would not be selling anything, so the people would not feel pressured. If we allowed the ships to remain overnight, that would reduce the surge of tourists trying to get back onboard all at once. If the cargo port moves to East End all the residents of these islands will suffer! Port fees would go up to pay for the new port, simple math! The trucking fees would go up, more miles, again simple math! Traffic would get worse because of the added trucks on the roads. The Cargo port must not be moved as it will cost everyone far too much.I may not be Caymanian or have status but I will fight to protect these islands, shoulder to shoulder with my Caymanian brothers and sisters. I do choose to live here and I can always go back to my country, which has been destroyed by greed. I truly believe we can all come together for the good fight even if we don’t always agree.
Boy oh boy – same old thing time and time again!
Save the beaches????
He mean the beaches dat only the Condo owners can see?
I can’t even drive on SMB and see the ocean from the road anymore!
And now I must listen to people TRYING to make us believe deh "understand" where wepoor people are coming from?!?
No wonder the caymanian youth rebeling – THEY ARE BORED AND ANGRY BECAUSE THEY CAN SEE THAT THEY HAVE NO FUTURE TO WORK WITH!
Why so many condo’s?!?!? When the owners are only here about 2 weeks out of the year when they are here just to store their money! Gov’t KNOW what going on enah – they just playing FOOL!
Gov’t una betta don’t jesta round – cuz dem youths out der is angry!
Save Our Shores!
Caymanians just look at the Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 08/13/2009 – 09:03.
Whoever wrote this posting – we need you to run in the next Election! Nuff said…
I agree!
…löoks like he got rid of Pirates Week, but he still is the Pirate!
Yes, tourists will prefer Cuba to Cayman because Cuba has not sold out it’s culture or history for a quick buck. It also helps that the country has been locked away for so many years and is now opening for tourists.
As someone who is neither a UDPer or a PPMer,(I am really bored by those guys now anyhow but that is another story) I believe this project should happen and happen now. The design process takes into account the environmental issues. No need to wait for an EIA to hold up this project to start the process. Proceed now.
Marine park, not an environmental zone. Not that I’m defending nor disagreeing. Just commenting…
I didn’t even bother to read this article. I only wished that superman was here to save SMB a LONG time ago. Every time I cross there next toPublic Beach West Bay Road
But whatever this story was about, I do hope that Mr. Bush will do something to preserve what is left of SMB.
Caymanians just look at the type of dictatorship governance you now have, take to the streets to object to this Mac Port Madness you now have in progress – destroying Grand Cayman from the East to the West, to benefit Mac and his foreign billionaire buddies, some of whom he rewarded with paper Caymanian Status and the Caymanian professional “fronters”.
Caymanians (including Mr. Dick Arch, Mr. Norman Bodden and Young UDP) if you do not stand up now, take to the streets and be counted for the Cayman Islands your children and grand children will see you as the weak, complacent, intimidated poor creatures that we all are becoming.
Examine what Mac the Dictator said:
“when we already know the answers”
Mac, all dictators hear only their own pompous voice and their bowing minions. Mac there has been dictators before and there will be many after you – your type of dictatorship regime is common.
“But every precaution will be taken to protect Seven Mile Beach”
Mac come on, you know that this is not true, just look at how your previous dictatorship rule allowed the ambiance of West Bay Beach to be destroyed with the monstrous overbuilt block that is the Ritz, it is UGLY and too close to the ocean and many other overbuilt condo sites. Compare the Ritz to the Westin and you will see balanced development as opposed to overbuilt greed with the involvement of Mac’s destructive development projects. Mac if your nose was of wood it would reach the moon – just ask Pinocchio what happened to him when he told a lie. Mac you have never protected the environment you only protect your bank account and your billionaire buddies.
“But we have to be realistic .. the harbour is not an environmental zone, there is nothing in the port to destroy”
Mac, the harbour is “an environmental zone”, as the past Minister of Environment it just shows how little importance you paid to the environment. From Northwest Point to Southwest Point it is an “an environmental zone”!
LOOK AT THE ENVIORONMENTAL ZONE MAP! See the map at:
http://anthonyfraser.tripod.com/JohnGrayRecyclers/id14.html
See the Google map showing the dive sites in the George Town harbour, zoom in to see the dive boats at the dive sites:
http://www.scuba-diving-smiles.com/grand-cayman-map.html
Mac, this statement just shows how you are ignorant of the natural attractions that have been the reason why tourism developed in the Cayman Islands.
Mac, ALL of the Cayman Islands is “an environmental zone”. Please Mac, take a dive!
Justask Capt. Bob Soto, Adrien Briggs, Attlee Evans, Peter Melbourne and many, many others who saw the development of tourism in Grand Cayman begin in George Town Harbour and the North Sound.
Where else does the cruise industry have multiple fantastically still beautiful water sports sites within a few hundred yards of the ships’ anchorage site?
Destroy George Town harbour and you destroy part of our dive industry, Eden Rocks, Cheeseburger Reef and numerous other fantastic coral heads that are attractions bringing visitors back to Grand Cayman for generations.
Mac, tourism now seems to be driven by your few big buddies in the Caymanian cruise ship business (owned mostly by foreigners) and the cruise lines. As tourism develops in the Cayman Islands, Caymanians are less and less involved, foreign investors are more and more involved, hiring more and more foreign workers with a few professional Caymanian frontiers and politicians benefiting.
Again our dive industry, which is central to the stay over tourism industry, is being ignored.
“the socio-economic effect of port development was being done as that was part of the overall national tourism plan, and it was that which was revealing the driving need for Cayman to begin this development as soon as possible”
Mac, you are the killer of previous Tourism Development Plans, Vision 2008, and the Planning Department’s Revised Development Plan. The only plan you follow is the plan to grow your personal bank account and that of your billionaire buddies. The Cayman Islands does not have an “overall national tourism plan”, you killed them. Sadly no Cayman Islands Government has ever allowed them to be constrained by true measurable compliance with development plans or economic plans.
“We need this for the future of tourism. We must be practical about the development of cruise berthing,” Bush told CNS. “If we fail to move then Cuba will open up and be ahead of us. The cruise lines have said we must have it and we are the only significant destination in the region without berthing.””
“At a recent meeting with the new Port Authority chair, Stefan Baraud, representatives from the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) and the Association of Cruise Tourism (ACT) made it clear that their members were all for the development of cruise berthing and that they needed to do a betterjob of getting people to understand how intrinsically important cruise tourism was to the country’s overall product”
Mac, you fell for the cruise lines scare tactics again – “Duppy sure know who to frighten” – we always thought that you were more of a man than that. Yes, Cuba will be a Port of Call on the cruise itinerary, but so will Grand Cayman, unless we make it an unattractive common destination that we are fast becoming – a Cayman Islands that has no more unique features because we have copied all that is common in other countries. How sad, the “Isle that time forgot” our original tourism charm is being lost playing copycat.
Mac, we know that “Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA)… it clear that their members were all for the development of cruise berthing…intrinsically important cruise tourism was to the country’s overall product”. Most of us in the dive industry do not support the destruction of a very important dive area, we would be mad to kill our product – George Town Harbour dive sites – that you do not even know exists.
Mac, by this statement you are now saying that “the future of tourism” will be pegged to cruise tourism, sad for the Cayman Islands tourism industry and the Caymanian people – cruise lines and a few other foreigners now own US, you and the UDP sold US out without our permission.
“He said the people who were opposing the development really needed to understand how important this project is not only for the jobs it will create during the construction, but that it will protect the future of jobs in the tourism industry as a whole. “The truth is the people who are criticising this project are people that probably have jobs and don’t have to worry about a livelihood,””
Mac, cheap shot at us concerned Caymanians who are not the type you scare into submission with your loud mount intimidating dictates; it just shows up your dictatorship qualities that we already know that you are. This project is important to your pocket, that is what is important to you and that is all that it always is.
It is because we are worried about our livelihood is exactly why we are opposed to the destruction of the natural attraction of George Town harbour.
However, there has always been considerable opposition to cruise berthing facilities within the community, much of which came to the fore under the previous administration when the then tourism and environment minister, Charles Clifford, put forward proposals to develop a new cruise and cargo port in George Town. Considerable emphasis was placed on the EIA and the Department of Environment spent several months drawing up the terms of reference for any assessment. During a number of community and stakeholder meetings fears about the impact on Seven Mile Beach were at the forefront of the objections.
Mac, understand this opposition is not against you or Chuckie or UDP / PPM it comes from concerned true Caymanians whom you ignore as long as you and your paper Caymanian friends benefit.
We are the ones who will loose from your East to West Port Madness while you celebrate with your billionaire friends raping the Cayman Islands.We gone down again to see the sea one more time before what you say does not exist is destroyed.
When we come up we be MARCHIN!
The Minority, the True Caymanians, small numbers, big spirit.
I like how Mac called into Crosstalk this morning and kept saying that ‘the port is not an environmental zone’…it may not be an environmental zone but it is a marine park zone…check out this link: http://anthonyfraser.tripo
Furthermore, he kept cutting off the hosts, wouldn’t let them ask any questions and took a political stance on a NATIONAL issue….hmm…
Once again, greedy ‘ole Mckeeva thinks he has all the answers!
" …..But we have to be realistic — the harbour is not an environmental zone, there is nothing in the port to destroy and we don’t have 12 to 18 months to do a report that will tell us what we know.”
Ahh helloo?!? nothing to destroy?! And what does he know? did he get a degree in this field overnight? Mac you don’t know a thing! What about all the coral and wildlife that would be affected by this?! Of course we already know there isnt much left now, after all these cruise ships already come here and destroy them with their anchors and carelessness! Now we are going to let Mckeeva destroy it all!!!
This is what the tourists on those cruise ships come to see! If you have ever been out near the water trampoline in Georgetown by Paradise Restaurant you know what im talking about!
McKeeva if you want to do a half-job on things….fine…. but dont let the rest of the community suffer because of your laziness and greed!
Helloooooooooooooooooo…….to add to all the areas where Mac is an ‘expert’ we now have environmental expert………WOW!! I often wonder how the people behind Mac who actually have some education/supposed smarts can sleep at nights…..they must be under serious stress (Rolston??) not knowing what’s coming out of his mouth next…..puzzles da hell outta me! But fa sure I not having any sleepless nights cuz I know I not in any way responsible for this mess you call UDP governance!
Sorry, I missed that, what planet did the Honourable Mac say he was from?
Perhaps he would like to crawl back under his stone before his brain explodes with all that knowledge he professes to have.
I have never heard such arrogance and you know what?…when SMB is all screwed up, he will either deny it all, blame the opposition or say the fairies told him to do it…….one way or another it will all be irreversably ruined and he will worm out of it just like all his predecessors with no accountability.
One day Cayman will wake up and realise that voting for idiots is not doing anyone any good, we’d be better off with a real dictator!
Mac, do the world a favour and show some responsibility and less arrogance and do the EIA. It is not simply a matter of ‘the currents’, there are many other potential issues that need to be carefully studied by experts. There is no way known to mankind you can build a cruise dock in George Town to accommodate four ships at any one time without a significant, if not massive, amount of dredging. Create huge holes and displace sand levels that have maintained a natural balance over the years and take away shallow bottom that has acted as a natural wave break to the shore during storms and who knows what will happen. If sand is taken away or would flow in greater quantities over the wall it will be replaced from somewhere and the logical place is from Seven Mile Beach. Have you forgotten how bad the erosiion was infront of the Marriot and other properties just a few years ago from natural weather cycles and the impact that had on the condos and tourism levels at that hotel? For goodness sake, proceed with due diligence. Make the wrong call through haste and ignorance and it cannot be repaired. Seven Mile Beach is the country’s tourism backbone. Lose it in any form and we are doomed. At least we will all know who to blame.
Add story A "No EIA" to story B "I will protect SMB". A+B= "I will protect SMB except when it comes to the one proposal that cloud irreparably destroy the beach forever, in which case I am happy to take the risk"
After reading 5 recent stories on CNS-
* covering the Pension Holiday
* the East End Port project
* the dismissal of an EIA
* travel expenses
* and yet another article of Bush saying he will ‘push’ another project through the red tape without it being contested.
i feel bewildered (or is that betrayed?) does anyone else?
One reads the headlines of Misick in TCI and wonder if you may be heading down a similar path?? These CNS articles read like the wild wild west- there is a new (old albeit trimmer) sheriff in town and he is wreaking havoc.
Bush uses a fear based platform to convince his followers that ‘if’ something doesn’t happen than the sky will fall etc.
Cayman needs new leadership (other than UDP or PPM)- this has been stated in numerous comments prior to the election, and rings even louder 90 days into this term. I cringe to think what mess Cayman may be in by the time UDP complete their reign.
To Dr. Gina and the rest of the dedicated staff at DOE… it can’t be easy to face these headlines day in and day out- hang in there, your efforts are appreciated.
Honestly, who is he trying to fool?
Here we go again.
Mac now knows that there will be no effect on seven mile beach by this project. Let’s see his credentials on this.. We need to have peilpe who know check it out not peiple who want to sell out.
I think he is afraid of the results if and EIA is done.
For once Ma,c do what is right.. Get qualified people to inform you. You are not qulified in this area.
We are talking about doing what is ethically right. Your decission will speak for itself.
Ha! That’s laughable! Bush vows to protect SMB!
I’ll believe that when I see him utilizing the EIA that Charles Clifford and the DoE spent so much time and money working on. But then again…how can I believe that, even then, when ‘the father of the LA’ was part of the government who helped sell out SMB decades ago!