Save Cayman / Save the North Sound

WHEREAS the beautiful North Sound is one of the Cayman Islands greatest natural gifts, serving as it has for generations as a safe harbor, a nursery for marine life, a source of food, a place of recreation and a major tourism attraction providing employment and business opportunities;

AND WHEREAS the Premier has made various announcements over the course of the past few months to the effect that the Government is actively supporting and promoting a project or number of projects involving major dredging in the North Sound;

AND WHEREAS the announcements made by the Premier indicate the intention to dredge a 200’ wide channel through the reef and into the North Sound, continuing all along the eastern coastline of the West Bay Peninsula and the creation of two islands in the North Sound;

AND WHEREAS various reports and studies over the years have determined that open water dredging of the North Sound and its coastline has resulted and will continue to result in increased turbidity and a significant decline in water quality and underwater visibility in the North Sound and elsewhere;

AND WHEREAS dredging to remove a portion of the reef and to create artificial islands in the North Sound will cause changes to current patterns and to water quality;

AND WHEREAS the currents in the North Sound are connected to a sand transport mechanism and to recruitment of lobster, fish and conch;

AND WHEREAS the Cayman Islands National Strategic Plan – Vision 2008 - provided that legislation should be passed prohibiting further dredging or excavating operations within the open waters of the North Sound and, further, that the North Sound be declared as an area of national importance and placed on a National Registry of Environmentally Protected Areas;

AND WHEREAS despite these various reports and long standing concerns the Premier has made a number of statements over the past few months which make it plain that he is determined to proceed with major dredging in the North Sound and in particular with the creation of a new channel. Among others, the following have been reported:

• Caymanian Compass, January 24, 2011 – ‘Mr. Bush said the Government was currently exploring an interest in major investment expressed by a Chinese company “to provide the necessary infrastructure to take full advantage of the channel from an economic perspective, while mitigating any potential adverse impacts on the environment.”

• Cayman News Service, January 21, 2011 – Bush said the channel was “absolutely necessary”…“I have high expectations that we will sign a memorandum of understanding in the near future in order to commence definitive work on these projects. I am not prepared to wait any longer. If this particular company wants to develop it, I am prepared to go with them.” ‘ “If I was still chairing my boards it would have been done by now, but people would say I was up to my old tricks” … adding that people call him a dictator and he wasn’t a dictator but he wished sometime that he was.’

• CAYMANIAN COMPASS, February 28, 2011 – ‘Mr. Bush had told the Legislative Assembly of the intent to build a channel through the North Sound in their sitting on Wednesday 23 February. Mr. Bush said that the vision is to dredge the channel closest to the head of Barkers National Park, which will meet up with the channel at Morgan’s Harbour and other extant cuts south. It was yet to be determined how far toward the airport the channel would reach. Mr. Bush indicated that the project was to begin by the end of the year.’

AND WHEREAS in light of the foregoing statements made by the Premier there exists considerable uncertainty and concern about the Government’s intentions to promote and allow major dredging in and of the North Sound;

AND WHEREAS this uncertainty and concern continues notwithstanding the assurances given by the Premier in a national address on March 3, 2011 in which he said “…the immediate plan is to commission a comprehensive environmental impact study. ….the event of developing this channel will depend entirely on the environmental study. I want to assure you that this project will not go ahead if the environmental impact study says it will damage the North Sound.”

WE THE UNDERSIGNED PETITIONERS PRAY that the Government agrees that no projects involving major dredging in or of the North Sound should proceed unless the following studies relating to the proposed project are carried out and that the reports pertaining thereto have been published:
a. An Environmental Impact Assessment;

b. An Economic Impact Study;

c. A Feasibility Study.

AND WE FURTHER PRAY that the Government agrees that as soon as practicable following the publication of such reports and before approving any projects involving major dredging in or of the North Sound, that pursuant to Section 69 of the Cayman Islands Constitution Order (2009) the Premier and the Cabinet will cause a law to be enacted by the Legislative Assembly requiring a referendum to be held on the following matter of national importance:
“Should the project or projects proposed to be approved by the Premier and Cabinet which involve major dredging of or in the North Sound be permitted?”

AND WE THE UNDERSIGNED PETITIONERS DEMAND that, if the foregoing prayers are not agreed by the Government within 14 days of the submission of this Petition, that a referendum be held pursuant to section 70 of the Cayman Islands Constitution Order (2009) (People-Initiated Referendums) to determine the following matter of national importance:
“Should the project or projects proposed to be approved by the Premier and Cabinet which involve major dredging of or in the North Sound be permitted?”

By Signing this petition I state that I am or have been or intend to be a visitor to the Cayman Islands, have a passionate interest in the ecology and environment of The Cayman Islands (in particular The North Sound) and/or that I own property/properties in The Cayman Islands and therefore have an investment interest in the economy, ecology and environment of The Cayman Islands and am neither a Resident of The Cayman Islands nor eligible to vote in public elections in the Cayman Islands.