From Film Annex Capital Partners*

A recent article on CayCompass.com explains a proposed National Conversation Law that seeks to protect lands for endemic and endangered species. Enacting this provision would not only protect those species but also create a developed and stable community in the Cayman Islands and show some Cayman Island hospitality to the environment.

The provision comes from Section 40 of the drafted bill, the funding of which would be managed by a National Conservation Council. According to the bill, the conservation fund is “to be used for acquisition and purchase of managed areas and for measures to protect and conserve protected species and their critical habitat.”

Funding from the provision comes from fines, fees, compensation, costs, and the $43 million currently in the existing Environmental Protection Fund’s coffers, which came from fees from 1 million tourists who visit the Cayman Islands annually by airplane or cruise ship. That fund was also established to protect lands and has been spent on the purchase of lands, Hurricane Ivan recovery works, infrastructure projects, roads and operational costs for the Department of Environmental Health and the Department of Environment.

Currently, the only laws that protect lands and marine sites in the Cayman Islands include the Marine Conservation Law and the outdated Animals Law, which legally protects just 0.5 percent of the islands that are habitats for endangered animal species.

According to a recent survey by the National Trust, 97 percent of participants think that the Cayman Islands’ environments are not adequately protected. The National Trust urged the Cayman Islands’ government officials to release funds in order to establish a proper protection system.

Christina McTaggart, the trust’s executive director, commented on the use of those funds. She said:

“We hope the next government will take heed. Those funds would go a long way toward supporting our efforts to establish a system of protected areas that will ensure the long-term survival of Cayman’s unique plants, animals and habitats, some of which are not found anywhere else on earth.”

In addition to the purchase of lands, private landowners who don’t want to sell but still want their land protected can enter into a conservation agreement directly with Cabinet. This lease agreement would be financed by the government and can be either permanent or for a specific time frame.

For more on this story go to:

http://new.pitchengine.com/pitches/1d102d62-04c0-4d02-ba3d-63fbb07b5a0d

*Film Annex Capital Partners Film Annex Capital Partners, LLC is the corporate umbrella and investment fund for the leading online film and writing platform, FilmAnnex.com. Your Buzz @ FACP – Your Buzz is a real time online target marketing and Thought Leadership platform that allows clients and partners to market themselves to very specific groups of influencers, investors, stakeholders, and sales prospects. Film Annex Capital Partners has developed the Your Buzz technology platform as a perfect complement to Film Annex.com’s traffic and distribution. As a separate company, our largest client to date is Film Annex. Tel: 212 828 7373 [email protected] http://www.FilmAnne