Delegates listen to Gina Ebanks-Petrie the Director of the DOE at a Darwin Initiative discussion held at the Brasserie

The Department of Environment (DOE) says inadequate laws to police the Cayman Islands’ fragile environment are retarding its work and the public needs to speak out on its behalf. Director of DOE, Gina Ebanks-Petrie, told a Darwin Initiative discussion at the Brasserie conference in Grand Cayman on Tuesday 4 April that huge revisions are required in conservation and planning laws.

“I certainly hope that people will spread the word about the need for proper conservation legislation, and proper planning legislation because it needs huge revision,” she told her audience. Mrs Ebanks-Petrie called on residents to add their voices on issues which concern them as much as her department.

“The public really has to get vocal about some of these concerns because there’s only so much that people like me can say. Probably, I have already said way too much tonight,” she said. The head of the Government agency believes the populace has lost interest in the process because it felt nothing came out of it.

“We have gotten into this sort of rut with development planning views in Cayman where nobody wants to participate any more because it seems to be a very useless thing to do because it never leads anywhere meaningful,” she said. Mrs Ebanks-Petrie said apart from strong public support what is required is up to date legislation to protect the biodiversity of the Islands.

“Legislation is one of the main tools we have available to us to manage environmental impact and to put practical conservation measures in place to protect our biodiversity. “What’s happening is that the legislation we’re working with in terms of the terrestrial environment is the animal law and that was passed in 1976 and the main conservation law was passed in 1978,” she said.

Both legislations were amended but they do not provide the legal framework to address the problems associated with the rapid development here over the last 30 years, she said. Without the legal backing, according to the official, the Islands’ heritage is also at risk. “We really need new tools, new legislation, and we just need our new conservation law to allow us to work to ensure the conservation of our national heritage,” she said.

Mrs Ebanks-Petrie lamented the slow pace at which discussion on the draft national conservation legislation is taking place, pointing to an apparent lack of urgency from the authorities. Mrs Ebanks-Petrie said official discussions began on the draft conservation legislation four years ago and a white paper had been tabled in the Legislative Assembly.

“Probably, back then people were not too aware why we needed it so much. There are some elements of the conservation legislation that is out there in the public domain,” she added. Prompted by the audience to resume the public forums, Mrs Ebanks-Petrie noted that the authority was vested in the Minister for the Environment, Hon Charles Clifford.

“The problem that we got in disseminating the draft legislation is that the minister who has the responsibility for the environment needs to take that legislation up and say we are moving with it. “What we are trying to do is to get this Government to give us the okay to go out to public groups and say ‘here’s what this legislation is about’,” she said.

Until that ‘blessing’ comes, she said, the DOE would not be able to rope in the public in discussing the draft national conservation legislation. “To go full scale with a public presentation is going to require at least the blessing of the ministry and so far I haven’t had that indication,” she said. “This Government has not yet had the opportunity to advance that. I have made a presentation to the Cabinet and the backbench members on the legislation.”

The DOE head is in the meantime “hoping that shortly we will get some indication that we can move forward.” She acknowledged that both the Environment Department and the Planning Department have a good relationship in the form of a gentleman’s agreement, but some advice from the latter is shelved.

“Sometimes, things slip through the cracks but they generally refer all development application to us for advice. “Some of the issues that we have are that we give advice and the Central Planning Authority who makes the decisions don’t have to take our advice,” she said. Mrs Ebanks-Petrie made it clear to her guests that the DOE had no intention of derailing development.

“We’re not about to stop development but what we’re saying is that there are some areas that are so critical to the natural health of the country that they need to be set aside as protective areas. “There are other areas with special environmental attributes that need to be developed in a more sensitive way in concert with, and not at odds with, the natural amenities of the site,” she said.

Without amendments to the conservation and planning laws, its Director notes the effectiveness of the DOE. “That’s definitely an impediment to us in our goal and the responsibility that we have been given by Government to protect and conserve the natural environment.

“In the end if we don’t take these types of decisions and we don’t put these mechanisms in place it’s going to impact us all, it’s going to impact on our quality of life,” she said. The lively interaction between the DOE official and visiting scientists from the Darwin Initiative – a UK Government biodiversity protection scheme – generated discussion on environment concerns.