Critical habitat threatened
(CNS): The one and only remaining animal sanctuary on Cayman Brac is losing its protected status because of a bad smell. Government has gazetted an amendment to the Animals Law which will remove Salt Water Pond from the list of animal sanctuaries in the Cayman Islands. The pond, which is a critical habitat and home to several bird species including the endangered West Indian whistling duck, has created a problem for a hotel owner in the area and, as a result, government is lifting the protected status. The DoE has advised government that the retrograde step could cause problems in terms of Cayman's international obligations on the environment.
As in all cases where methane builds up around swamps, the DoE’s position has been to advise against allowing development too close to swamps and wetlands by setting designated buffers around them.
It is not clear what the government or the hotel owner will do to the pond, which is also known as Dennis Point Pond, once its sanctuary status is removed to stop the smell but the amendment bill states: “An offensive odour has been emanating from the pond due to the decomposition of its organic material.” Although some efforts have reportedly been made to address the issue in the past, they have given only short term relief from the smell, which is part of a natural process.
The pond, located on the West Side of Cayman Brac, is one of very few wetland areas on the island and is a critical habitat. Aside from being home to endangered local species, the wetlands are important for migratory birds, including snowy egrets and herons which have been spotted at the pond. There are concerns from a number of local environmentalists about the sanctuary removal and its implications for conservation in general. The director of the Department of Environment described the move as a retrograde step.
“The DoE views the removal of protections on the only remaining Animal Sanctuary on the Brac as extremely regressive from a national conservation perspective and would urge the government to consider its responsibilities under the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species and the Ramsar Convention on wetlands, as well as the possible negative press from such a decision,” Gina Ebanks-Petrie told government when the removal of the ponds protection was discussed with her department.
In her advice note to the ministry she pointed out that if the decision was taken to remove Salt Water Pond as an Animal Sanctuary, then the DoE strongly recommended another wetland area of at least equivalent size and environmental value be acquired and protected at the same time as Salt Water Pond is de-gazetted. She said that the DoE would be able to assist with the selection of such a site. Ebanks-Petrie indicating that there were a number of possible locations but the department has never been consulted and no new site has been earmarked for protection.
There are also concerns that it is not just the smell that is behind the removal of the protection under the animal law as the premier stated in the summer of 2009 that his government would support efforts by the owner of the Alexander Hotel to construct a marina at the Salt Water Pond. This would mean the pond would need to be dredged and also require the construction of a canal from the pond to the sea.
With so few areas of protection on the Brac, the de-gazetting of this critical habitat does not bode well for hopes of expanding eco-tourism on the Sister Islands.
During his recent visit to the Cayman Islands Henry Bellingham, the FCO’s minister with responsibility for the Overseas Territories, pointed to the importance of environmental protection. He said that some 80% of the UK’s ecological diversity is found in the territories. In addition, the UK has obligations under various conservation treaties to the international community and the removal of this critical habitat, especially for development purposes, could create problems under those agreements.
Category: Science and Nature
As is usual with this government, there is absolutely no concern for the environment. If it ain't the green of money, then it ain't green. The fact that this is the last protected wetland on the Brac (the others having been delisted a few years back to make way for the airport expansion) is meaningless. And as for compensation if it is delisted, PLEASE, you tell me one piece of Cayman land that has been listed in compensation for the destruction of sensitive habitat and I'll give you a green thousand bucks!
It’s McKeeva’s decision and he has stated that he would grant an approval for a Marina if asked. There’s no questioning this man, he has said it time and again that he knows what is best for 50,000 people, the islands’ environment and the economy.
CHEC vs Brac Hotel Smelly Marina?
Done Deal.
Why would anyone here expect anything different in this situation?
First the change…next application for a Marina…watch this space …
Nobody seems to have mentioned the obvious hazard of digging a canal that invites in the sea. How well did that work in GCM in 2004 or in New Orleans in 2005? Look up "Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Canal" in Wikipedia.
Trust me, I live on Cayman Brac and the hotel's problem is not the pond, it is just that it is not a tourist hotel. What I mean by that is that tourists like to be on the beach, where they can sit under a tree or cabana and relax and swim if they feel like it, not be surrounded by roads and a pond. The hotel has no beach, just one very tiny pool, the rooms have no balconies that they could sit on and enjoy the view. Personally, I have never found the hotel appealing at all and avoid it like the plaque.
It's really more of local las vegas for local 'company meetings'…. witout the wife
…. first off why would someone build a hotel next to a pond of which the know it dries up every year…. but the government is going to remove the pond which is home to birds which includes and endangered bird from the animal sanctuaries because it dries up…. its the most FOOLISH thing i have ever heard. the pond was there long before we were even born and it is a home to animals. who care if it smells bad because it is the home to to animals. animals which are unique that you cant even find in other places of the world…..so who ever made the descision to remove is from the animal sanctuaries your so lucky im not your boss, you would have been fired!
PROTECT CAYMANS WILDLIFE!
Who builds a hotel there anyway when a prime piece of beach land would be about 150K?! Stupidity.
Why didn't they re-develop Divi Tiara, it's beautiful and perfect for such a hotel. It never was about the pond, its always been about developing a marina.
Is Juliana going to pave over it?
He could have redeveloped the beach front land at Divi Tiara but apparently this was too expensive. Hate to say it Mr Dilbert, but you got what you paid for with the Alexander in its current location, and I agree with a previous poster that the inland location, lack of facilities and lifeless atmosphere is more responsible for poor tourism than the smell. As a Bracker I for one will be avoiding the Alexander from now on; I do not agree with the XXXX back door way in which this has been handled, so you've lost my business already – good job. I have a feeling that the back lash maywell adversely affect the Alexander's tourism reputation much more than the smell ever did…
Cleveland my friend, you got what you looking for. you should've known the Brackers wouldnt support you with this idia. that idia of 9;25 is so full of it.
Nothing is wrong with a hotel inland. A nice marina located to the east, into that stink pond would only boost the Brac's Economy. it's obvious he is not on the side of this present administration. that is his grip, he cant stand to see this Gov. prosper.
What back door way is he talking about, with his attitude, he would ruin your customers anyway….ban him from your place! for the lack of knowledge and common sense, my people shall perish!
I wish you all success my friend.
A Bracker
Its not a tourist hotel and never will be due to its position and facilities. Your people will perish unless you get a coherent strategy for planning, environmental protection and tourism. After all, what choice do you have?
First lets do a study and identify how much species live there and will be threatened. You will all be surprised! Even the environmentalist! Because whistling ducks do live, feed (only what the hotel feeds them) or nest there!
Hmmm, this stinks! The salt water pond becomes smelly every dry season, this has most likely been the case every dry season ever since the pond formed, well before CB was settled and certainly long before The Alexander was built (BTW, it's notas smelly now since some salt water has been constantly pumped in). The owner is a Bracker and surely knew this when he purchased the adjoining property and decided to put a hotel there. That are a few homes around the perimeter of the pond and have been there for years. Those homeowners accepted that fact of nature when they built there but perhaps some of them might not mind the pond being filled in (?). However, with the real intent being the excavation of fill ($$$$) and cutting a channel to create yacht basin ($$), I know which one will win.
Note, The Alexander is built on the extended centerline of the GSIA runway, immediately underneath the primary take off path. Not smart, but it met (just barely) obstacle compliance requirements. What's next, will the owner request that the airport is moved???
The hotel owner knew this would be a probem before the hotel was built. So did the Water Authority, DOE and quite possibly CPA. Why was the owner not forced to install solar powered aeration to remedy this problem at the planning stage. For the size of that pond such system would cost around 20K and would be duty free since it is solar powered.
This sets a terrible precedence. This means now that if someone with influence who builds next to a saltwater pond in Cayman has carte blanche to destroy vital habitat.
The $ rules Cayman supremely and absolutely! What a travesty! XXXXX
c-o-g (?)
It's not the hotel's land.
It's a Heritage Site, meaning it wasn't meant to be interfered with in any manner whatsoverer.
It was designated not to be used commercially but to be retained in its' natural state as a wetland for domestic and migratory birds and other wildlife.
The intent was for it to be a national treasure for current and future generations.
But this meaning seems to have been lost on those looking to stuff their pockets with a quick dollar regardless of the consequences.
If c-o-g, by the way, do you still enjoy sitting on your property and watching the parrots come back in the evening to roost? Sometimes the simplest times are the best times. Enjoy.
BR
A striking resemblance to the GCM dump relocation issue. It seems $$$ talk with this administration, not common sense.
Maybe the Smell is coming from another source!
Has anyone checked this out?
The hotel is built on low lying land and an old or poorly constructed sewage septic system could be contaminating the area.
The Govt should test for human ecoli (poop germs) in the pond and surrounding waters.
And if this is the case then I recommend tearing down the hotel and building a wetland.
Signed.
Donald Duck
Quack Lawyer
I’m pretty sure I know where the smell is coming from.
Thank you for your support and confirmation.
D Duck
yeah, I think it's coming from GC
The hotel, on Brac, is saying its business is suffering because of the smell from the pond.
The hotels and condos on Little are doing great business and the smell from the Boobie Pond (a Ramsar site) which is huge and located behind them, smells worse and doesn’t seem to effect their profits or the number of people wanting to stay there.
Because business and profits are poor there’s no reason to blame it on pond smell or endangered birds.
There are obviously other reasons.
And the ONLY reason some want a Marina is to Make More Money for themselves!
Typical gutless people who are only in this for one thing.$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$What the hell is wrong with some of you people?Cant we leave well enough alone for goodness sake?If nature had wanted that to be a deeper area it would have provided that hundreds of years ago.I have said it over and over on here in the press and on the airwaves.Leave well enough alone for if not nature will bite you all in the backside with profound results.
When was the last time the Cayman government made a decision that could be classified as common sense, good for the next generation, smart, ethical or just anything that’s not all about the money?? Why aren’t Caymanians more outraged about their own government? I’m not Caymanian but love these islands and call them my home. Unfortunately, I do not yet having voting rights so no politician will listen to what I have to say, but it is very upsetting to see how this and previous governments are destroying this country by bad policy. Sorry, I just had to vent….
welcome to wonderland…….
Very sad, but unfortunately not the least bit surprising under the current administration.
As a point of clarification, the smell does not come from methane (at least not directly). Methane is a completely odourless gas and is almost certainly being produced in the swamp, but the smell comes from decomposition of organic materials, usually with a significant sulfur concentration.
I'm trying to understand both sides here. I do know which side I'm leaning towards simply because of my personal gain, however, we have to look at the flip side also.
Why I support the pond being converted to a Marina has many benefits;
1)Relief of the smell
2)Marina Access for boats
3) More business for the Island
4)Birds will still have access to pond.
Cons;
1) Birds will lose total control of the pond
2)Environmentalists will frown upon the move
3) Surge imact study concerns?
As it is right now, people are starving for business. The Island is hurting and we (GC) have to hand out all the time. If given the opportunity, maybe they can float their own boat for a minute.
I love the Brac and would visit 5 times as much is we had a parking spot for the boat…as would others I'm confident would also.
Try breaking the Cayman Airways monopoly before buliding a marina into which only the wealthy will cruise into. Tourism on these islands will only increase when it is cost effective to do so, the strangle hold that CAL has on these islands is disproportionate to the amount of tourism that it promotes. They wouldn't have needed to build a hotel on a swamp if tourism numbers were rising, but then again its not about common sense, its about personal gain and self interest as usual. Sell off CAL, stop the drain on the public purse and open up the tourism sector to the open market.
First they take the grouper away from our men and then they complain about us shooing some birds away?? These environmentalists are crazy! God bless the people of the Cayman Islands!
Brackers have taken most of the groupers from Brac.
Now as I see it, they're trying to take whats left from Little.
After they've been all removed….God Bless Us!
Don’t worry, God is dealing with you as I speak
MUPPET.
What's the big fuss. If they get rid of the pond they can always gazette another habitat in its place. And a marina dredge into the pond would be great harbor against bad weather. It will also remove the awful stench that will make tourism more pleasant on the island.
You need to change you thinking
Which pond ont he Brac do you suggest they protect in its stead?
What on earth are you saying?
Bloody madness. Cayman, what do you want to give your children? Never again should one person responsible for this decision, or capable of voicing adissenting opinion, complain about any other nationality, or jurisdiction, or the way in which others have ruined Cayman. You are ruining your country, in an absolutely irreversible way. You also have the power to prevent it. Speak out. Vote. Act.
The idiots responsible for this decision should read the tourism brochures regarding the Brac and Little Cayman. They mention the islands as being eco-tourism destinations and extol the virtues of the bird-watching and diverse habitats the islands offer – which they do.
These ponds need protecting permanently. The profit of one person (read: every person who ever asks the government for anything) should not corrupt the right decision. The bluff cliffs need protecting permanently too. Boobies, frigate birds, peregrine falcons, ospreys and so many birds, rare in most places, make these islands either their home, or use them as a critical part of their migratory journeys.
What Cayman has here is a prime opportunity to easily and very cheaply safeguard areas of international importance and mark itself out as an enlightened first world country, easily promoting tourism in Brac and Little Cayman. The cost is nothing (or practically nothing when considered against, for example, the huge scale of the For Cayman Alliance deal recently concluded). Just pass a law and no-one will loose out – except the owners of a hotel, who chose to build where they did, in full knowledge of the existence of the pond, birds and smells. The owners could have built on the ocean, where the birds would not have been adversely affected, but cheaply they chose to build inland instead. The inland location is far more detrimental to profits than some birds. Imagine a developer building a hotel next to the Botanic Park and later requiring the Blue Iguanas to have their protection stripped and their park concreted over. This is no different.
Lastly, it costs nothing to pass a conservation law. The price is literally nothing (other than some lawyers/legislators fees). In return a few private landowners are unable to develop their land. However, in most cases those owners own massive tracts of the three islands – MASSIVE tracts. Do Dart, Frank Hall, Joe Imparato, and the criminally sought Mr. Zimmerman and presently bankrupt and civilly sued Mr. Ryan deserve, or need more millions at the expense of Cayman's natural heritage and the existance of various species? The remaining property holdings of these developers will increase in value as they will be close to wildlife sancturaries and preserves. If conservation was really viewed by the politicians as being as important as it in fact is, the government could compulsorily purchase this land. That would be for the good of the Cayman Islands' people. They would then own the land in perpituity and a conservation law would ensure that Cayman has more to demonstrate to it's children than a comical drama on the radio using bygone accents.
Get off your currupt arses Cayman government and for once – just once – do something right and worthwhile. It would be the most lasting and worthwhile legacy any politician could acquire. It was worthwhile enough for Theodore Roosvelt: http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/history/ep2/
Anonymous 10:20, That is a well written and poignant comment…… and so very true. Let us hope that those with clear heads and a vision of the future prevail. I stand with you.
WHAT???
I can't believe this is even being discussed. Which was there first — the pond and diverse wildlife or the Alexander Hotel? It has been known for years that the pond smells, particularly when the water level is low. Mud has been dragged from the pond, and that has helped the smell quite a bit.
What about the other ponds that begin on the other side of the road from the Alexander? Wipe them out too — to hell with the wetlands, right? Pave it all over and build more [mostly] empty hotels, that's the ticket. /sarcasm off.
This pond is a habitat to more than birds, and seems insane to even consider removing the pond, if that is even possible. Pump the water and blast up the bluff and fill it? These wetlands are more than just a depression in the land where water collects — they are areas where water percolates through the soil also.
How much in fill would this cost, and WHO would own the resulting "land"?? hmmmm. Maybe the motive is becoming clearer.
ahh…this must be the caymankindness i've been reading about…….zzzzzzzzzzzz
the only thing that stinks is the politricks involved here…….
The headline is dead on!!!
The story however is NOT!
The habitat that is being threatened is that of the brackers. The fact that another 3 years has passed since elections and;
1) There are no new jobs for educated locals to work in.
2) Tourism is deader than the premeirs investigations.
3) People have less money in their pockets
4) There is no hope!!!
Don't worry about the pond, worry about the people or we won't survive!!!
Maybe tourism isn’t your thing.
Or thinking?
So tell me how thinking is not my thing when I am concerned for my fellow residents instead of birds that people imagine live in this pond? The birds are over in the pond to the West in a habitat that a local has created. Do your research before you accuse me of not thinking!
Did I say to do anything to the pond? NO, moron. I simply said that it is ridiculous how an article can get this much attention and there are families who are sleeping without having eaten dinner tonight. Think for yourself! There will be no one here to leave the pond to if everyone leaves because there is no work on this island.
Your preservationist thinking is why this island is stuck in handout mode. We need to move forward. We need to have jobs. We need to have people paid enough to enjoy a decent standard of living.
Enough said. I think you should think!!!!
If you were truly a thinking man, which I doubt, you would be able to look further than the narrow mindedness that you preach. Eco tourism isn't some kind of wooly minded idea thought up by do gooders from across the seas, its a very lucrative form of industry in the many countries that have embraced the idea and moved forward with it. If you spent a little more time in the real world and did your home work, you would see that huge amounts of revenue are available to those who expoit their natural surroundings for the good of their people and the wildlife that lives alongside them. Exploitation doesn't necessarily mean destroy or damage, in fact controlled and considered exploitation is the best option for all concerned and will bring socio-economic benefits. Think about it, what other industry do you think is appropriate for the Brac, what do have to offer an employer, are you educated sufficiantly to be able to be employed. Why do you employ expats in hotels, bars and as domestics or cleaners, shouldn't those who you say can't feed themselves be doing those jobs instead? So thinking man, before you start name calling, think about why the island is in the position it is and think of how to improve your future without relying on handouts. It seems that everyone appears to know their 'rights' but fails to understand their responsibilities, you have a responsibility to improve the future for present and coming generations, get on with it and stop attacking those who only offer the best intentions for a beautiful island and a brighter future forall.
Let me get this straight… You are accusing me of preaching narrowmindedness by writing that we should worry about humans over the birds that, once again, DON’T LIVE IN THIS POND! (go and look. I see it every day!)
I have work. I try to help everyone out. I believe in helping the birds and other organisms/animals that are endangered but I certainly believe that protecting the human race is more important.
As for education, we won’t go there as you will quickly become embarrassed. Yes we have a couple of enviro-tourist that show up here occasionally. But most of them don’t spend enough money to support the industry. We must think big if we plan to achieve great things. So, with that said, you can continue to preach small minded ness to others who haven’t seen the world but for someone like me who has you better prepare a better sermon than that.
I’m sure you are out there doing your responsible part helping our environment but you have never and will never give me a handout as I am by far withouth such a need or want.
What best intention has anyone offered thus far? Preserving a pond? Like I said, I cross there everyday and have never seen tourist stopping to admire the birds that aren’t there lol. Some people really need to come out from their caves and look at the island around us. Go visit the pond to the west of Southern Star apartments and you will see the endangered whistling ducks thriving thanks to the responsibility of one of us.
In the main time, I don’t say to make a marina there but we must progress or we will have nothing to stay for. We will all have to move to Grand Cayman to find work. Wonderful thinking there!!!
just leave it be. for god's sakes just leave somethings alone.
Having spent a lot of time on all three islands it is clear that serious problems exist on all three that are perpetuated by blinkered ignorance of how the real world works. You seem to be blindly following a conversation about one small pond, well, that in itself is important but not really the point. The wider concern is if you continue to destroy ANY natural habitat you will soon run out of your only asset, your wildlife. I note that you 'talk the talk' and espouse your prowess in education and employment, however you don't seem to be able to 'walk the walk'. So exactly what, oh great thinking man of the Brac, do you plan to do about it. What big ideas do you have and precisely what kind of employment do you foresee coming to such a small island? And that's the point, you don't have any nor do you understand why. No one is going to pile huge amounts of money into an island that has little in the way of resourses or infrastructure and is quite simply too expensive to get to and from. So I ask again, big thinker, what kind of employment do you think should be located on the Brac and how are you going to pay for it? In regard to your comment that I would be embarrassed re: education, well after reading your illegible diatribes that continue to make no grammatical or socio-economic sense, I don't think so. Oh yes, and you conveniently forgot to explain why expats are needed to do jobs that Braccers could be doing instead of receiving handouts. Expats travel further than Grand Cayman for work, what's your excuse? Difficult isn't it, but keep thinking.
'Go visit the pond to the west of Southern Star apartments and you will see the endangered whistling ducks thriving thanks to the responsibility of one of us.'
ONE of us, wow, where are all the others? How responsible of you thinking man, keep it up.
You live on a tiny island. Why can't you understand that your tiny island will never have a real economy? If you want to live and work like the rest of the world, you will have to go there. No one is going to come to you but people who want to see special places and things–which you apparently want to get rid of. Go ahead and pave your island, no will will care, but they won'tcome to see it either.
Well then you should go tell that to Bermuda and several other islands that are just as small.
Enough Said! I think you should think!
I smell a rat and something fishy is going on here so be on the lookout Brackers.
Why are people upset over this? Whatever happened to trusting in our elected politicians such as our Premier and the other members of his Government? Our Caymanian people need jobs! They need to support their families! If we need to get rid of one pond and to shoo away some lazy birds that should be not matter! Put decent, hard-working Caymanians to work getting rid of this swamp! Between money and some birds I choose money!
OMG! The stupidity and ignorance is horrifying.
UDP Supporter, I can only conclude that you are stunningly and embarrassingly full of sh*t!
To UDP supporter,
Ya be greedy! And stupid, if you trust da goverment.
To strip away the 'Animal Sanctuary' status of Salt Water Pond is profoundly wrong, and has the potential to damage to the wildlife that has used these wetlands for thousands of years. It sends a truly bizarre signal to the World, that not only are we unwilling to move into the 21st century with a properly constructed Conservation Law, but we will strip way all protection from the most valuable habitats that these islands are blessed with, protection put in place by our visionary forefathers. This move will propel us backwards into the middle of the last century. That would be a shameful, irresponsible and totally insupportable act.
I urge our legislators to take a stand, and throw out this bill unanimously:there is no other right choice..
I agree with this completely. It's time people stop this from happening! Something must be done to stop this plan from going ahead! What a tragedy this will be if this goes ahead!
The Cayman Islands is the most "animal unfriendly" place I have come across!!! Its just an animal who cares (that is their mentality)
Without doubt one of the cruelest and most uncaring societies towards domestic and wild creatures that I have had the misfortune to witness. Having travelled around the world, most similarly cruel peoples are located in 3rd world countries having to concentrate on basic survival rather than animal comfort. However, there is no such excuse here on the Cayman Islands, it would seem that here animals are only to be exploited or ignored and if they get in the way of man, beaten or destroyed. Shame on you.
A marina has been talked about for years at this location, certainly long before the hotel was built. This is yet another example of developers getting their own way through the back door, with the complicity of politicians. I was a stuipid location for a hotel in the first place, the smell is nothing new and everybody knows it. How did it get planning permission in the first place, who was responsible and who is behind further development plans, surely not a self serving politician or businessman?
We are the dominant species. If the ducks are in the way, get rid of them! They can always find another wetland to roost. That is like saying we won't develop and fill land because it will be killing mosquitoes! Dummy, who cares about killing wildlife? Aren't we a part of wildlife too?!!
U R N S sir
My sentiments exactly!
Yes we are a part of wildlife. We are to wildlife as cancer is to the human body
not unlike a certain city and a certain mountain here on cayman. There is nothing new in the world.
The smell is not as bad as it used to be… (and let's just say that the smell has been there for 20 years at least). This change is only coming about because the Alexander Hotel was built overlooking the pond. This is an example of money coming before the environment. Why build a hotel next to a smelly swamp and then complain you can't get guests because of the smell?
If the smell is natural, I say get rid of it. I am soooooo sick of the nasty parts of nature. soooo sick!!! Hornets, ants, spiders, that damn rubbery sap in the neeseberry trees, the list is endless.. Why do we put up with nature. Are we not 'Man'? Who is in charge on this planet? WE ARE!
Go live elsewhere then, if paradise isn't good enough for you, go live in NY and be prey to your fellow man, you know, the dominant species.
ahem… you weren't supposed to make that connection.
Amen.
Hmmmm? Just setting it up nicely to divert the south road, open the pond to the ocean and create a nice yacht marina/safe haven marina right next to the hotel?
I'm all for that! Lets get this economy moving.
Lets see what the Cayman Brac People will say about this. One thing I know about them they stand their ground on issuses of importance and cannot be moved, so lets see their position on this one. My suggestion . THE POND STAYS, move the Hotel.