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Arrest made for WB shooting
(CNS): A 20-year-old man was arrested yesterday in connection with a shooting that occurred in West Bay on 24 August. The incident took place on Powell Smith Drive off Town Hall Road at around 9:30pm. The 22-year-old victim was hit more than once when a gunman opened fire on him when he answered his door. The victim, who was conscious when paramedics arrived, was treated for injuries to his face, back and leg at the hospital in George Town. The suspect was arrested in the West Bay area on Wednesday, 11 September, on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in police custody at this time.
A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with this incident on Tuesday 27 August but was later released by the RCIPS.
Gender discrimination
The most galling part of Minister Tara Rivers’ defence of her trip to South Africa and criticism of the media coverage surrounding it was the claim that the negative press was because she is a woman. As the minister responsible for gender affairs, she should be ashamed of herself. CNS, she should note, is run by women, and while we are are thrilled to see a woman in Cabinet, Rivers must understand that she is not an affirmative action minister.
Rivers is right that globally the media, like many other institutions, does discriminate against women, especially ones in leadership positions. It is not uncommon in the mainstream European and American media for stories about powerful women to be described in very different terms to men. News report about a man will not generally refer to his Gucci snakeskin loafers or make comments about how he wore his hair for a photo call, but where women are involved, appearance often becomes the focus of the story rather than any pressing political or socio-economic issue.
Family ties and children, sex lives and emotions are much more often the subject of news stories regarding female leaders than their male counterparts, and women everywhere have a much tougher time reaching their career goals than men because along the way they will almost certianly have to deal with both active and passive sexism. However, in order to challenge real chauvinism, we, as women, must be wary of those crying wolf.
In Rivers’ case, there was nothing in any of the reports in any media that singled her out because she was a woman; there were no references to her outfits or to her personal life. The reports had nothing to do with her gender and everything to do with her decision as a politician.
Shortly after taking up her cabinet position, Rivers was at the centre of a major courtroom drama that distracted her from her ministerial duties for several weeks. Almost as soon as that was behind her, she unwisely made a decision to go to a conference halfway around the world. At a time of growing unemployment and hardship for local workers and, even more importantly, at the start of the school year, Rivers, as minister responsible for these two huge areas, had work to do at home.
There is no doubt that the conference in South Africa offered her the opportunity for development, learning, comparing notes and discussing important common issues with her counterparts in other countries, as many conferences, workshops and seminars do. But before the minister looks at other jurisdictions for inspiration, she must begin the process of understanding her own.
The minister has not yet had enough the time to talk in depth to her staff in all the various departments she is now responsible for. She has not had the time to discuss the issues within Cayman’s schools with parents, teachers, principals, specialist teachers and education experts within her own staff. She cannot yet have a full understanding of the gulf between the unemployed and the employers, or had time to discuss initiatives with policy advisers, administrative staff and management at each level so she has a full understanding of what works and what doesn’t, what has been tried and what hasn’t (and why), which of the wonderful new ideas she discovers in other jurisdictions are, in fact, already happening.
Learning about civics lessons taught elsewhere is less important than making sure all Year 5 students in the Cayman Islands have a teacher. And if they don’t, it is her ultimate responsibility to find out why.
The cost of the trip, which we are still waiting to see, may not be terribly significant but when the jobless and the low paid are hurting, when business owners are struggling to pay their inflated fees and all of us pay through the nose for basic groceries, it is infuriating to see ministers fly round the world for what look like jollies, whatever the subject matter.
Regardless of whether Rivers should have gone or not, the public relations surrounding this trip was shambolic. There was no mention of it in any official statement, despite numerous opportunities for her to inform the public via official channels, and press releases about her whereabouts appeared to be untruthful — something that is bound to be picked up by the media. The excuse that it was on her Facebook page is absurd. Social media is one way to disseminate information, and journalists do use it as one source of gathering news, but it’s not enough to post information that should be disseminated to the wider public on Facebook and hope the media finds it.
If Rivers had been paying attention over the last four years, she would have known that when politicians go on expensive trips, the media and the public will want to know why and how much it costs. And if she thinks that male politicians do not receive such scrutiny, she should have a little sit down with UDP Leader McKeeva Bush. Her new boss, Alden McLaughlin, the country’s third premier, was fully cognizant of public skepticism about ministers' overseas trips, so much so that one of his first actions in office was to implement a travel policy to control spending and curb unnecessary travel.
The public has every right to question where their tax dollars go and CNS will continue to provide a platform for the people of the Cayman Islands to do so, regardless of the sex, creed, colour and political or religious persuasion of the public servant in question.
Rivers' actions and decisions (and expensive official trips) will be scrutinized in exactly the same way as those of her male colleagues. To do otherwise would be actual discrimination.
E-Government coming soon to Cayman, says Suckoo
(CNS Business): The very survival of the Cayman Islands’ financial services industry depends on the development of e-government, according the man now heading this branch of government. Working towards the day when individuals and businesses can do all their government business online, including work permit and trade and business applications, Alva Suckoo said the vision for the future – and coming soon – is to make standing in line or having to physically go to a government department a rarity. With Cayman lagging behind competing jurisdictions in moving government interaction with the public online, Suckoo, a first term Bodden Town MLA with a wealth of private sector experience in the field, has been appointed as councellor in the Home Affairs Ministry to coordinate and advise on this initiative. Read more on CNS Business
Lightning strike disrupts LIME’s Brac service
(CNS): Some LIME customers on Cayman Brac are still without full internet and land-line service as a result of a lightning strike to the Stake Bay Exchange early Tuesday morning. According to a LIME spokesperson, by mid morning 50% of customers affected, who were in the Stake Bay area, had their service restored. She said the Brac team had to wait on necessary parts to be delivered from Grand Cayman this afternoon, and were still working on full restoration Tuesday evening.
FATCA could affect 6,000 people living in Cayman
(CNS Business): A seminar focusing on how the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) will impact individuals has been set for early next month, and everyone who was born in the US, holds a US passport or a green card, or who has a US address is encouraged to attend and find out more about what they need to do to prepare themselves for compliance. The event will be co-hosted by Cayman Finance and the Financial Services Ministry, which both stress the serious impact the new legislation is anticipated to have on individuals, as well as businesses, in the Cayman Islands. Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton said that while Cayman’s financial services industry has been working diligently to prepare for FATCA, local residents also need to take careful note. Read more on CNS Business
Naming sex offenders
The call to name and shame convicted sex offenders, even when they have a family connection to their victims, has grown louder recently, but the argument that the reporting of such crimes should not lead the public to identify the victims, thus adding to their pain, certainly has merit. As a result, CNS is soliciting the opinion of victims, social workers, lawyers and other stakeholders about naming sex offenders after they have been found guilty of the crime.
The law does not prohibit naming offenders, only the publication of any information which could identify the victim. This means that when the offender is a father, step-father, grandparent, uncle (or, indeed, mother, step-mother, etc) or merely in a relationship with a family member, as is often the case in sex crimes the world over, in a small community like ours naming the offender could lead to many more people identifying the victim.
If in our reports we named the culprit but left out critical information (such as the relationship to the victim), this might offer some protection for the victim's identity. But what if other media houses reported on the relationship but not the name? The public would then be able to put the pieces of the jigsaw together and the victim’s identity would be known.
The naming of offenders for any other crime is part and parcel of the public’s right to know in a transparent and democratic society, where all court proceedings are open and the names of those who have been charged with crimes are revealed. It also protects those accused of crimes. In undemocratic societies, secret arrests and trials on baseless charges behind closed doors using an opaque justice system can be used as a political tool. An open justice system, where those arrested or charged can proclaim their innocence, is just as important as the public’s right to know when the charges become convictions.
But by and large, naming those charged and convicted has more to do with shaming the guilty than the potential framing of the innocent. When a white collar worker is convicted of embezzling half a million dollars from his employer, public scrutiny is part of the consequences of the crime.
Yet sex offenders, who are often among the most dangerous of criminals as they target the most vulnerable sectors of the community, are given an anonymity not offered to other offenders who may be far less of a danger to society. The unintended consequence of protectingyoung or vulnerable victims is that those committing some of the most abhorrent crimes are saved from the shame of exposure.
There is no stigma to being the victim of a theft, and so thieves are named. But as a result of the shame that society imposes on victims of sex crimes, the media is required to protect the identity of the offenders in order to protect the victims.
In recent months, however, there has been a growing opinion in the community that we all should know more about the people who are living among us that have sexually abused people, particularly children, so that we, as a community, are in a position to protect future victims.
And so we ask the following questions in order to garner feedback on this very sensitive issue:
The media has traditionally interpreted the law to mean that unless the perpetrator was a stranger to the victim or there is no clear relationship, that we do not name the guilty. But has the media, as a result, become complicit in covering up these crimes?
It is absolutely right to highlight sexual abuse in our society, but would the glare of publicity in specific cases actually prevent would-be abusers from committing such crimes or prevent those convicted of re-offending?
Is the law working for the victims or the perpetrators? The members of our Legislative Assembly cannot shirk their responsibility in this matter, since it ultimately lies with them.
Is there a way to name sexoffenders without adding to the pain of the victims?
Should the anonymity of the perpetrators blanket all sex offences, or just the reporting on those involving children?
In previous articles on the subject, there has been a lot of knee jerk responses and comments ‘baying for blood’, but here we are looking for measured, thoughtful or knowledgeable opinions, particularly from victims or those working with the victims of sexual abuse, lawyers knowledgeable in the relevant laws, and those with experience in how such matters are dealt with in other jurisdictions — and their consequences.
Criminal Procedure Code (2011 Revision): Anonymity of complainants in rape, etc., cases
31. (1) After a person is accused of a rape offence, no matter likely to lead members of the public to identify a woman as the woman against whom the offence is alleged to have been committed shall be published in a written publication available to the public or be broadcast, except as authorised by a direction of the court.
(2) In this section-
“rape offence” means rape, attempted rape, conspiracy to commit rape, aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring rape or attempted rape, and incitement to rape.
(3) For the purpose of this section, a person is accused of a rape offence if-
(a) a charge is laid alleging that he has committed a rape offence;
(b) he appears before a court charged with a rape offence;
(c) a court before which he is appearing commits him for trial on a new charge alleging a rape offence; or
(d) a bill of indictment charging him with a rape offence is preferred before a court in which he may lawfully be indicted for the offence.
(4) Nothing in this section-
(a) prohibits the publication or broadcasting, in consequence of an accusation alleging a rape offence, of matter consisting only of a report of legal proceedings other than proceedings at, or intended to lead to, or on an appeal arising out of, a trial at which the accused is charged with that offence;
(b) affects any prohibition or restriction imposed by virtue of any other law upon a publication or broadcast,
and a direction under this section does not affect the operation of subsection (1) at any time before the direction is given.
(5) If any matter is published or broadcast in contravention of subsection (1), the following persons-
(a) in the case of a publication in a newspaper or periodical, the proprietor, editor and publisher of the newspaper or periodical;
(b) in the case of any other publication, the person who publishes it;
(c) in the case of a broadcast, any person having functions, in relation to the programme in which it is made, corresponding to those of an editor of a newspaper, commit an offence and are each liable on summary conviction to a fine of one thousand dollars.
CONCACAF Under-15 Championships round-up
(CNS): The Under-15 championships provided a lot of tightly contested matches as well as some staggering landslides but the quality of Caribbean football is on the rise, especially from the smaller nations such as Bermuda, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Aruba, and our very own Cayman. The bigger countries that were expected to do well competing for the crown showed quality that many in Cayman have not seen for a long time. Jamaica, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Haiti have all showed why they are the top countries in the CONCACAF region.
In Group A, Bermuda and Cayman were considered favourites by many to top the group, with Cayman coming out with emphatic 12-0 and 8-0 victories over St Maarten and US Virgin Islands respectively.
Aruba and Bahamas tried to make life as difficult as possible for Bermuda and Cayman, but both teams came through all games with considerable ease. Aruba finished 3rd in the group, followed by Bahamas, US Virgin Islands and St Maarten. They were many who saw Cayman as a real goal threat and believed they could go on to win the Group.
It was not to be, though, as Cayman lost their third game of the tournament 3-0 to Bermuda. However, the Cayman National Team can hold their heads high, winning 4 out of their 5 group games and drawing 2-2 in a friendly game in Cayman Brac on Saturday against a strong Belize side that beat rivals Jamaica 3-1 earlier in the tournament. Cayman can also boast about being the highest goal scorers of the tournament, with 27 goals in 5 games, as well as having the tournament’s top goal scorer, Leighton Thomas Jr, with 11 goals. Thomas scored 5 goals against St Maarten, 3 goals against US Virgin Islands and 3 goals in their final game of the group against Aruba to ensure they finished 2nd place.
Group B and Group C were one team less than Group A & D, but the competition in each group was still immense and deeply contested. Group B and D were definitely considered the groups of death in the tournament, with a number of potential teams vying to win the groups and entering the semi-finals.
Group B had Guatemala, Belize and Jamaica. All considered themselves favourites coming into the tournament. Jamaica won their opening two games 4-0 against Grenada and 2-0 in the following match against St Lucia. The first big test of the group came when Belize played Jamaica. Jamaica, being the second best supported team at the tournament, was defeated 3-1 by Belize in front of a pro Jamaican crowd with the green, yellow and black colours very apparent in the tournament from the fans. Guatemala then defeated Belize 2 days later by a goal to nil. Any chance of Belize or Jamaica going through was dashed when Guatemala beat Jamaica by a 1-0 score line to top the group. Grenada finished 4th with their only win coming against St Lucia. One of the most entertaining groups of the tournament surely didn’t disappoint, with some of the most contested battles of the tournament on show. Guatemala’s Jose Manuel Funes will surely be pleased by his teams’ results and they will be flying high with confidence after coming out of a tough group with 4 wins out of 4.
Group C saw Honduras in action; another popular team in Cayman due to the large Honduran population on island. They blew the competition away, playing some of the best football seen at the tournament so far. Their vision and skill was sometimes mesmerizing. Going forward they looked like they could score at will and were definitely seen as a team to be feared by all in the competition. Anything less than a 5-0 defeat seemed unacceptable for Honduras. Their defence was water tight as they went through the group phase without a goal conceded.
Players like Darixon Vuelto and Italo Ramos proved too much quality for the others in the group. Guadeloupe was the only team in the group to put up a fight and did not suffer such a heavy loss from Honduras, 2-0. Guadeloupe over the last few years has shown they are a growing football nation and this tournament showcased their qualities. They finished runners up winning all their other games against St Kitts, Saint Martin (not to get confused with St Maarten) and Curacao. Who also finished in their group in that order respectively.
The final Group, Group D saw top contenders El Salvador, Haiti, Martinique and Puerto Rico pitted against each other, which were sure to be closely contested. This was a topsy turvy group where anything could happen and anyone of the top four teams mentioned could advance. Antigua & Barbuda and Saint Vincent were out of their depth in this group and struggled to keep their head above water. El Salvador easily despatched Antigua 3-0 in the first game, soon after Puerto Rico oversaw a closelywon 2-1 battle with Martinique.
Antigua & Barbuda got their only win of the tournament, a 2-1 victory over St Vincent. The biggest shock of the tournament came when Martinique picked themselves up from their earlier defeat to inflict a 4-0 drumming of Haiti, who were hugely disappointed with themselves after the game. El Salvador came away with a most deserved 3-1 win over Puerto Rico. Haiti started coming into their own a little better when they got the ball into the old onion bag 5 times against Antigua & Barbuda.
Martinique and El Salvador played the most closely fought match in the group to a 1-1 draw next, followed by Puerto Rico thrashing Saint Vincent 6-0. Haiti defeated Saint Vincent in the next round of matches in the group, 2-0. Haiti continued their hot streak winning 1-0 against Puerto Rico. Martinique defeated Antigua & Barbuda by a 2-0 score line and El Salvador conjured a 4-1 victory over Saint Vincent. In the final round of games, El Salvador needed just a draw to progress on to the last four while Haiti needed to defeat El Salvador to have any hopes of reaching the next round.
The match ended in a closely fought draw and El Salvador progressed to the knockout stages of the tournament. Martinique finished runners up with a 7-0 mauling over Saint Vincent and the final group game saw Puerto Rico crush Antigua and Barbuda 5-0. El Salvador showed what few teams had; a second gear. Only Honduras and Guatemala had that second gear that set them apart from their group rivals. They were hungry and set the tone of play with quick 1, 2’s and possession throughout the tournament. El Salvador’s Head Coach, Agustin Castillo was visibly pleased with his team’s results at the semi-finals press conference and was thankful for a fantastic tournament being held so far.
The Semi-Final round of the tournament saw Bermuda vs. Guatemala and Honduras vs. El Salvador. The first Semi-Final saw both teams played the full 70 minutes plus extra time before they went to penalties. Bermuda’s discipline and tactics is what got them through the game, exceptional discipline for some boys who were 13, 14 and 15 years old. They took a shock lead 15 minutes before halftime, through Jordan Lambe. However, Guatemala found themselves right back in it 3 minutes after the break, through their forward, Cifuentes, who scored in his fifth consecutive match in the competition. Both battled for the reminder of the game to take it to penalties.
Osagi Bascome one of the best players in the tournament and nephew of Coach Bascome converted the first penalty kick for Bermuda, followed by Lambe. Guatemala also converted their first 2, through Yanes, and goal scorer Cifuentes. Forward Lewis and Lowe of Bermuda could not convert their penalties as it was left to Raymundo and Mario Rodas to drive home the winning penalty that sent Guatemala into the finals.
In the other Semi, Central American rivals Honduras played El Salvador. These two will have known a lot about each other coming into this game and the intensity was shown right away with El Salvador seeing 4 yellow cards in the opening 30 minutes; 3 in a 3 minute span. It was obvious that El Salvador were drawing fouls to slow Honduras’ play down; Darixon Vuelto found himself into the book for Honduras as well, who cutted a frustrated figure. Possession was little for Honduras, always making 3 or 4 passes and hitting it long in hopes of benefiting from a 50/50 ball.
After halftime though, things changed. The game began to open up and it took all but 2 minutes for Honduras to break the deadlock through second half substitute, Italo Ramos, one of the stars of the tournament so far and hopefully for years to come for Honduras. The game began to change and momentum swung in Honduras’ favour, however, against the run of play, El Salvador equalized through midfielder Melendez, which sank the pro Honduras crowd back into their seats after watching their team concede their first goal of the tournament. The momentum El Salvador had, lasted all but 2 minutes before Honduras were back in business. Again, Ramos converted from a quick break to put Honduras back into the lead. The Honduras players worked hard to keep their team in front and when the final whistle came, they were reward with a berth in the final.
Bermuda and El Salvador met for third place medal Sunday and the Guatemala-Honduras finale took place, two hours later. Both games being shown at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex venue.
In the 3rd place match Bermuda squared off against El Salvador. Bermuda would get a second taste of some Central American football and perhaps they bite of a little more than they could handle. With both teams deadlocked after the 1st half. El Salvador quickly enforced their dominance and quick incision passing to break down a discipline Bermuda defense. With 2 goals coming in the second half of play. Henry Turicos got on the score sheet early in the second half of play in the 41st minute. Bermuda tried their best to fight their way back into the game as Bascome tried his best to push his troops forward for the equalizing goal, but it was not to be as El Salvador scored again through a clever finish by Kevin Martinez in the 65th minute. With 5 minutes remaining in the game, El Salvador proved too much for the Bermudians. It was the first match in which Bermuda didn’t score a goal. El Salvador would have rather been in the final against Guatemala, but they will be happy the way things turned out in the tournament and will be proud to be second runners up.
In the final climax of the tournament the top two teams Honduras and Guatemala faced off in very exciting match that some incredible football being displayed in first half of play as both sides played possession football and took their time to build up each play. Somehow you couldn’t dream that 13, 14 years olds displayed this kind of understanding of the game. String passes and movements that most top professional athletes would be proud of. They were both very methodical in how they approach the game and you could see this was truly a final of an international tournament.
It didn’t take long Honduras to settle in. Winning a penalty in the fifth minute of play, Darixon Vuelto neatly put away his 6th goal of the tournament. Honduras fans almost made that atmosphere seem as if they were the home side as they roared they’re team on. 20 minutes later Guatemala had an answer for the Honduras fans, as Mario Rodas, who also scored the winning penalty in the Semi-Final match against Bermuda, scored, this time in real time for a great build up play in the 24th minute. Both teams played end to end football as each team looked to push for the goal that would bring them glory.
That goal was to be for Honduras as Man of the Match Darixon Vuelto got on the end of a cross in the 52nd minute to volley home Honduras’ second goal of the match. The Honduras fans were all on their feet now stomping and scream, “Honduras! Honduras! Honduras!” as they help carry their team towards the finish line. Honduras looked like they had another penalty, but the referee decided it was outside of the area. Guatemala managed to give Honduras one more late scare in the match when a low drive from the right side of the goal mouth was well saved by Wilmer Martinez. The final minutes were up and the Honduras fans cheered in rich jubilation as they watch for the first time their country lift the coveted Concacaf U-15 Championship.
The runners up Guatemala were visibly distraught after the final whistle, with some players with hands to head in tears. They had beaten themselves, with some sloppy defending to give away the game’s first goal and were always chasing the game. Great work and attitude must be given for both sets of players as each player pushed until the last whistle.
Individual awards were given to Bermuda for the Fair Play Award, which was collected by CaptainOmar Lewis. Golden Glove for the best goalkeepers was given to the safe pair of hands Wilmer Martinez, who only concede twice throughout the tournament. The Golden Ball Award was given to the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, Darixon Vuelto, who also received the Man of the Match award. The final award the Golden Boot Award, was awarded for the tournament’s Top Goal Scorer, Cayman’s Leighton Thomas Jr.
Medals were given next to the 3rd place team El Salvador and to 2nd place Guatemala, before 1st place medals and the U-15 Championship was awarded to Honduras.
Blue iguana expert nominated for prestigious award
(CNS): In recognition of his efforts in successfully bringing back Grand Cayman's blue iguana from the brink of extinction, Fred Burton (left) has been included on a list of thirty-nine of the world's foremost conservationists who have been nominated to receive the biennial Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for animal conservation. All nominees, including chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall, a household name for her conservation work, have dedicated their lives to saving the Earth’s endangered species. The winner will receive an unrestricted $250,000 cash award and the Lilly Medal. Five other finalists will each receive $10,000. The nominees’ work spans the globe and represents a broad range of species including chimpanzees, snow leopards, sea turtles, giant pandas, bats, swans and many more.
An international Nominating Committee composed of renowned professional conservationists and local representatives will review all nominations and select six finalists, who will be revealed in the spring of 2014. The Prize Jury will then determine the winner, who will be announced in mid-2014 and honored at the next Indianapolis Prize Gala presented by Cummins Inc, to be held 27 September 2014, in Indianapolis.
“The current nominees are exceptional and they represent many of the most significant wildlife conservationists working in the field today,” said Michael Crowther, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo, which initiated the Indianapolis Prize as part of its core mission. “Increasingly more species are at risk of extinction, and these heroes deserve our recognition and support for their expertise, accomplishments, and tireless efforts protecting them. We encourage people around the world to celebrate the nominees’ important work and to join them in advancing animal conservation.”
Burton, the director of the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme, is the author of "The Little Blue Book – a short history of the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana", which tells the story of Grand Cayman’s unique reptile, from pre-Columbian abundance to the brink of extinction and last minute rescue. The book is available on the International Reptile Conservation Foundation website.
In alphabetical order, the nominees for the 2014 Indianapolis Prize are:
Joel Berger, PhD: (Wildlife Conservation Society) Distinguished scientist leading projects including pronghorn antelope migration corridor conservation, impacts of energy development on wildlife in Greater Yellowstone, impacts of climate change on musk ox in the Alaskan Arctic, and saiga antelope conservation in Mongolia.
Christophe Boesch, PhD: (Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology) Primatologist dedicated to decreasing pressure on wild chimpanzees, providing alternatives to bush meat and applying new technology to great apes conservation.
Sheila Bolin: (The Regal Swan Foundation, Inc.) Advocate for humane treatment and veterinary care for swans worldwide through conservation, research, veterinary medicine, education and swan-related product development.
Patrick Burchfield, PhD: (Gladys Porter Zoo) Persistent defender of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles against impossible odds; restored turtle nests and hatchlings released into the Gulf of Mexico by more than 3,000 percent since 1985.
Fred Burton: (Blue Iguana Recovery Programme) Internationally-known director of an integrated conservation program for the endangered Grand Cayman blue iguana; successfully brought the species back from critically endangered status on the IUCN Red List in 2012.
Gerardo Ceballos, PhD: (Instituto de Ecologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico) Champion for jaguars in Mexico, conducting the first country-level jaguar census and the most comprehensive jaguar study to date. Finalist for the 2010 Indianapolis Prize.
Wendy Collinson: (The Endangered Wildlife Trust) Passionate researcher and campaigner for the Roadkill Research and Mitigation Project; responsible for driving initiatives, international road ecology workshops, and action plans that address the recognized threat of roads to biodiversity in South Africa.
Andrew Conolly: (African Lion and Environmental Research Trust) Cattle and wildlife rancher turned lion conservationist; founder of the four-stage African Lion Rehabilitation and Release into the Wild Program to secure a future for Africa’s most iconic species.
Lisa Dabek, PhD: (Papua New Guinea Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, Woodland Park Zoo) Founder of the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program; responsible for the first Conservation Area in Papua New Guinea; used Crittercam© technology for the first time on arboreal mammals, allowing scientists to record animal behavior through mounted video cameras and transmitters.
Johannes Fritz, PhD: (Waldrappteam) Tireless advocate of the critically endangered Waldrapp ibis and founder of the Waldrapp team project to re-establish the bird in its historic migration range from Bavaria to Italy.
Biruté Mary Galdikas, PhD: (Orangutan Foundation International) More than 35 years of advancing research on wild orangutan ecology and behavior; established rehabilitation and release programs and saved millions of acres of tropical rain forest in Borneo.
Jane Goodall, PhD: (The Jane Goodall Institute) First anthropologist to observe tool-making in primates, now inspires action on behalf of endangered species, particularly chimpanzees, while encouraging people to do their part to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment.
Helen Hays: (American Museum of Natural History) Acclaimed ornithologist working on Great Gull Island to restore its population of Roseate Terns to the largest concentrationin the Western Hemisphere.
Denver Holt: (Owl Research Institute) One of the world’s leading owl biologists; founder of the Owl Research Institute and the Ninepipes Wildlife Research Center.
Rodney Jackson, PhD: (Snow Leopard Conservancy) Conducted in-depth radio-tracking studies of snow leopards since the 1980s; dedicated to building local communities' capacity as key players in conserving the species. Finalist for the 2008, 2010 and 2012 Indianapolis Prize.
Christopher Jenkins, PhD: (The Orianne Society) Founder of the Orianne Society, dedicating numerous years to snakes, one of the most vilified and persecuted groups of animals in the world.
Carl Jones, PhD: (Mauritian Wildlife Foundation) Biologist who pioneered the techniques of applied population management to reverse the decline of highly endangered species; instrumental in the creation of the first national park in Mauritius; involved in the recovery of five bird species coming from populations of less than 10 specimens. Finalist for the 2012 Indianapolis Prize.
Stephen Kress, PhD: (National Audubon Society) Widely respected ornithologist and expert in seabird conservation; known as "The Puffin Man” because of his extraordinary success leading Audubon's Project Puffin in Maine.
Amanda Lollar: (Bat World Sanctuary) Established Bat World Sanctuary, the largest rehabilitation facility in the world dedicated exclusively to bats. Created the first nutritionally sound diet for debilitated bats.
Patricia Majluf, PhD: (Universidad Peruna Cayetano Herdia) Almost singlehandedly led marine conservation efforts in Peru, through political unrest, countless governments and systemic corruption; improved industrial fishery practices and initiated campaign for the use of anchoveta as a protein source for Peru’s malnourished people.
Laurie Marker, PhD: (Cheetah Conservation Fund) Founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund, leading a conservation program from humble beginnings in rural Namibia to an unparalleled model for predator conservation. Finalist for the 2008 and 2010 Indianapolis Prize.
Nick Marx: (Wildlife Alliance) Revolutionized the rescue, care and rehabilitation of wild animals in Southeast Asia, risking his life many times and disrupting illegal wildlife trafficking by more than 75 percent.
Stephen McCulloch: (Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution) Created legislation to fund several ongoing marine mammal research and conservation programs while working to construct the first teaching marine mammal hospital, science and education center.
Patricia Medici, PhD: (IUCN Tapir Specialist Group) An unsung conservation hero with over 20 years experience conducting field work on tapirs and other wildlife species; founding member of the Institute for Ecological Research, the most respected and effective conservation NGO in Brazil.
Charudutt Mishra, PhD: (Snow Leopard Trust & Nature Conservation Foundation) Conservation biologist working to protect threatened species and habitats throughout Central Asia, with a focus on the charismatic and endangered snow leopard.
Russell Mittermeier, PhD: (Conservation International) Visionary leader able to motivate every level of conservationist to support the greater good of many species, including primates; one of the first academic primatologists to become concerned with the welfare and conservation of primates. Finalist for the 2012 Indianapolis Prize.
Attaullah Pandrani: (Save the Nature Organization) Marine biologist striving to improve nesting conditions of Pakistani sea turtles, protect mangrove trees as a natural habitat, and reduce hunting and trapping threats.
Michael Phillips: (Turner Endangered Species Fund) Montana state senator and co-founder of the Turner Endangered Species Fund; working to restore imperiled mammals, birds, fishes, amphibians and plants with an emphasis on wolf recovery.
Nicolas Pilcher, PhD: (Marine Research Foundation)Founder and executive director of the Marine Research Foundation, working to further the understanding of marine ecosystems and their functions, and conserve the abundance and diversity of marine flora and fauna through research, conservation and education activities.
Gay Reinartz, PhD: (Zoological Society of Milwaukee) Internationally recognized for her work on behalf of the bonobo in both the wild and captivity, working tirelessly to protect and conserve this endangered great ape that is found only in the remote heartland of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Carl Safina, PhD: (Blue Ocean Institute) Brought ocean conservation into the environmental mainstream by using science, art and literature to inspirea "sea ethic." Finalist for the 2010 Indianapolis Prize.
Joel D. Sartore: (National Geographic Magazine) Renowned photojournalist with mission to give vanishing species and habitats a voice before they're gone forever; co-founder of The Grassland Foundation.
John Seidensticker, PhD: (Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute) Pioneered the use of radio telemetry to study cougars in North America and was co-leader of the team that captured and radio-tracked the first wild tigers in Nepal; dedicated to tiger science and conservation for nearly 40 years.
Claudio Sillero, PhD: (Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme, University of Oxford) Founder and executive director of the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme, keeping watch over Africa's rarest and most endangered carnivore.
Tara Stoinski, PhD: (Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and Zoo Atlanta) One of the world’s foremost experts in gorilla behavior and cognition, with over 13 years of dual-expertise in wild and zoo-housed populations.
Ronald Swaisgood, PhD: (Institute for Conservation Research, Zoological Society of San Diego) Trained field biologist serving San Diego Zoo Global as director of applied animal ecology, overseeing recovery programs for species such as California condors, burrowing owls, Caribbean rock iguanas, mountain yellow-legged frogs, giant pandas, rhinoceros, kangaroo rats and Pacific pocket mice.
Randall Wells, PhD: (Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Chicago Zoological Society) Program director of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, the world’s longest-running study of a wild dolphin population.
Romulus Whitaker: (Madras Crocodile Bank & Centre for Herpetology) Devoted four decades of work to studying and conserving diverse reptiles and reversing both public and governmental opinion to one demanding conservation and appreciation.
Patricia Wright, PhD: (Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments, Stony Brook University) Discovered the golden bamboo lemur in 1986, a species that was then unknown to science, which helped to catalyze the transformation of Madagascar's park systems, turning it into a model for global conservation efforts. Finalist for the 2012 Indianapolis Prize.
The Indianapolis Prize was first awarded in 2006 to Dr George Archibald, the co-founder of the International Crane Foundation. The 2008 winner was George Schaller, PhD, senior conservationist for the Wildlife Conservation Society and an icon in field conservation around the world. In 2010, the Indianapolis Prize was awarded to Iain Douglas-Hamilton, PhD, founder of Save the Elephants, who pioneered research in elephant social behavior and has led the way in fighting poaching of African elephants. Steven Amstrup, PhD, of Polar Bears International, received the 2012 Indianapolis Prize for his work promoting the cause of the world’s largest land carnivore.
Hit and run driver leaves child injured
(CNS): A man has been arrested after a hit and run incident involving a child on Sunday afternoon, 25 August, which was reported to the police officers at the West Bay station around 3:45pm that day. When the officers went to the the location on Nettie Rivers Lane, they did not see the vehicle or the child but they did observe blood and other evidence at the scene of the accident that may have come from the victim who was hit. Police said the victim was an 8-year-old boy who was treated at the hospital in George Town, where he was taken by private citizens. His injuries are not believed to be life threatening. One man was subsequently located and arrested, police said. .
Missing teen found safe and well
(CNS): Nekayla Evanda Walton (16) who had been missing since Sunday, 18 August, has been found safe and well, police said Friday afternoon. West Bay police officers located her in the Mount Pleasant area a short time ago. Her family has been informed, police said. Last Sunday, she and her mother were driving in Mount Pleasant Road but after a disagreement, Nekayla opened the car door and ran off. The RCIPS thanked the media and the public for their assistance.