National Conservation Law

| 02/12/2013

The proposed National Conservation Bill is urgently needed, and will provide the Cayman Islands with basic elements of environmental protection which go hand in hand with sustainable development and have long been the norm in most other developed countries. From an international perspective, writing as the Chief Executive of Europe’s largest conservation organisation, it is clear that this Bill does not go as far as much modern nature legislation; it is certainly very far from the extreme environmental measure which some parties are trying to paint it to be.

Instead, the Bill will establish an effective, reasonable and necessary environmental management regime and will fulfil Cayman’s international obligations. Above all, it will help ensure that future generations of Caymanians will be able to enjoy the islands’ world-class natural environment, which is otherwise at risk of disappearing forever.

The RSPB works actively across the UK Overseas Territories, promoting sustainable development and funding local environmental protection. This balanced and relatively modest Bill, having undergone a decade of consultation, only serves to bring the Cayman Islands up to the environmental standards which many other Territories already enjoy. I hope therefore that it may now, at last, be passed.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), a registered charity in England and Wales.

Category: Viewpoint

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  1. The Bird Watcher says:

    For all those who believe in organizations who claim to be protecting our environment, here are the facts  on funds collected and what is collected and what is spent on the actual protection of birds by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

    XXXX

    CNS: Here is the actual breakdown RSPB Income and Spend (go to p28)

    • A Verified Bird Watcher :) says:

      I think CNS may have meant page 52 for the financials.  89% of funding is spent on RSPB projects.  RSPB is not just a birding organisation. Nature is too interconnected; it aims to protect all wildlife.   Check out page 11 also for its work with the UK Overseas Territories. If we were making progress Cayman would be featured there too.

      CNS: The link takes you to a 31-page document.

  2. Anonymous says:

    What about the protection of passengers in planes?   Birds are a continuing threat to air safety and it is the conservationists that go to any lengths to protect their habitat but do not seem concerned that birds can bring down a plane

  3. Anonymous says:

    That this limited law is so controversial shows how backwards the place is and how much power rich greedy landowners and developers have.  The UK should force through proper environmental standards.  They eat turtles in the Caymans.  Says it all.

    • anonymous says:

      And I hear you kill poor little cows over there and eat them as steaks…terrible! next you will be eating Deer..uh, what? you do that also….terrible, terrible!!!

    • A NON I MUS says:

      I'll start by using  your words to reply and I quote:

      That this limited law is so controversial shows how {backwards?} the place is and how much power rich greedy landowners and developers have.  The UK should force through proper environmental standards.  They eat turtles in the Caymans.  Says it all.
       
      So we're backwards and greedy! And you are ill-mannered? Yes it surely does say it all about you!  You obviously are not a Caymanian and you obviously have little or no knowledge of  these Islands, other than perhaps it is the place where people like yourself could not wait to get here because you were unemployed, and knew that if you got to the Cayman Islands and secured a job, you would have begun living again. And We Welcomed You!
       
      It seems to me Sir/Madam, that you are very disingenuous and greatly lacking in social protocol.  One of the things that I was taught as a young person is, that when visiting  another man's country, the least that one can do is to be respectful of their culture, habits and beliefs. I have no idea where you are from, but I'd venture to say that where ever that is, it's a lot worse than it is here in the Cayman Islands. 
       
      Now to your quote again, "They eat turtles in  the Caymans. Says it all!  Now let me ask you have you ever eaten turtle? OK so you haven't!  That is the first indication of ignorance. I say ignorance because, the word simply means "alack of knowledge or information"  so don't think I'm trying to make you look silly. You have done a pretty good job of that on your own. So before you make remarks like those you have made, inferring  that Caymanians are somewhat cannibalistic, do some research. In other words. Put your brain in gear before opening your mouth. And bye the way! Non other than Sir. Winston Churchill said  of our famous turtle soup that was produced here and shipped all over the world years ago He called it!  "The Most Delicious"  HE Liked Our Turtle Soup. Says it all!
       
      Now let me give you a few examples of some of the foods that  are eaten by people  from other countries and some of these animals ARE protected.Those countries are, including that of the good doctor who wrote this piece:
       
      England: bangers & mash. Scotland: haggis, France: Snails, Japan: Whales Australia: Kangaroo, and United States: Alligator. None of the above have anywhere near the nutritional values of Turtle. Check it out! The meat of the turtle is one of the most nutritious of all meats, and is loaded with the omega fatty acids.
       
      We Eat Turtle, Doesn't Say It All.   Just had to let you know we're not all backwards
       
      By the way "I'm all for the protection of our environment" but, it has to be in conjunction with the protection of the lively hood of everyone, including us "HomoSaipeans". Otherwise we may have to start eating the very birds and animals we want to protect.
      • Anonymous says:

         Sir Winston Churchill would have been eating wild turtle, as the farm started three years after his death. A soup-canning factory operated near the Barcadere. Such an interesting part of Cayman history. But it should be just that : history.

      • Anonymous says:

        I have tried turtle.  Once.  Was not impressed.  Something you typically stew is never going to be a great meat.  But if that is your history,consign it to history, where it belongs.  If that is your "culture" then you have no culture worth speaking of.  I agree 100% with the poster to whom you responded in your little rant.  And don't go using Latin terms if you can't spell them, it shows you up, sweetie-pie.  And I did not know that "bangers" or "mash" were endangered species.  You learn something new every day.  is it both of them?  Or just the "bangers"?

        • Anonymous says:

          Just because you declare that we have no culture doesn't mean that we have no culture. What it does mean is that you are uncultured to make such a comment.  

          • Anonymous says:

            Since the "culture" seems to be largely limited to eating turtle, then that counts as no culture to most civilized folks.

            • Anonymous says:

              ah, so now we're culturless and uncivilized? Wow, care to call us any more nasty names to make yourself feel superior?

              • Anonymous says:

                No, cultureless and uncivilised will do for now.  But thanks for asking.

        • The Bird Watcher says:

          Bonne  Nuit,

          I feel really badly that my comments may have hurt your feelings, but you started it by saying some pretty nasty things about The caymans. We are gradually beginning to understand the importance of the protection of the natural environment. So please bear with us as we adjust to the ways of the bird watchers. Just kidding!

          Seriously I'm sorry I said all those nasty things I did! So please calm down! I'm so sorry! Thanks for reminding me that I misspelled Homo-Sapiens, so from now on I'll use Neanderthals instead. We shouldn't  get angry, it's bad for us! My point was in the piece I wrote, is, that when I go to England I'll have a dish of bangers and mash, or if I'm in japan I'll have some whale soup. The English and the Japanese think that their dishes are delicious just like I think my turtle is too, and I'm happy for them. But none of them are as nutritionally healthful as my Turtle, that's a fact. So let's be friends, and not disparage each other.  OK? You can say PO-TAE-TO and I say PO-TAH-TO and we'll all get along some how. After all Christmas is around the corner so let's be friends.

          Have a Wonderful Christmas. 

          • Anonymous says:

            So you love turtle meat and whale. Do you eat shark fin soup in China? Do you wear  ivory and black coral jewellry?  Do you drink Rhinocerous horn tea for your impotence? Not only can we not be friends but don't come around my family.

            • The Bird Watcher says:

              Wow ! I never knew that! Could you spare a little of the rhino horn!

          • Anonymous says:

            Neanderthals were a different species.

      • Anonymous says:

        Tell me where you stand on juicy blue iguana steaks?

      • Anonymous says:

        You have a point – people who eat turtle are as objectionable as those that eat whale.

        • Anonymous says:

          Ummmm…nope. Last time I checked there were no whale farms. They are hunted from the wild. Big difference. Try again.

      • Anonymous says:

        Proof turtle munchers have nothing worth saying.

    • Anonymous says:

      Europeans always have to be believe they are culturally superior to everyone else. When they are not enslaving or making war on the defenceless they are telling you what to think and how you should act to conform with them. 

    • Windward Road says:

      I don't eat turtle anymore and I believe Boatswain Beach should be closed down. However, in fairness I will observe that Cayman has a turtling past precisely because there was once huge international demand for turtle products. Green turtlesoup was once a staple item on supermarket shelves in the UK and US. Winston Churchill ate a bowl of green turtle soup every night.

       

    • Anonymous says:

      When you people came here to visit and live YOU liked it the way it was. Thats why you stayed. True?? The more you change it the more you going to hate it. Don't come later and ask what happened. We got rid of the mosquitoes and so the bird population went down. People feeding the birds are bringing the population back up. They were a nusiance back in the day when we had cisterns . You know that cement box you see in peoples yards full of water. Well everything has a reason the more you ask the more you will know. Birds crap on top of the roof. More birds more crap. Reservoirs work the same way. 

      The chickens that are running around loose also have a interesting diet. Most birds eat insects. Chickens especially love roaches and worms and pretty much anything that has a hint of yellow like digested corn . Snowy white egrets like ticks with blood in them . Not a good idea to make that tame. 

      Turtles are safer and more protein then cattle meat. As the news media slowly get whistleblowers from fast food rest. they find out we're eating more horsemeat then we knew. Did you taste the difference?? How can anyone eat a calf or a cow its like a dog. It only has one calf per year. It gives milk to its young like humans?? I guess when the facts are known we are probably more civilized then you . So go and taste the turtle meat and make a comparison. 

       

  4. lilpressgyal says:

    Thank you to Dr. Clarke for this thoughtful and timely post, and to RSPB for its assistance in protecting and promoting the Cayman Islands' Important Bird Areas!