At a meeting hurriedly called on Friday (1), the South Sound activists, fighting against a Planning Authority ruling that the Emerald Sound developer could recover a pre-Ivan costal boundary as well as cut a canal through from the ocean to his development, made it known they are ready and willing for a fight.

Katrina Jurn, Melissa Wolfe, John McKenzie and Berna Cummins set out the serious issues and threats posed to the community and beyond by the development.

The activists, known as Protect South Sound, group’s main target was the Cayman Islands Central Planning Authority (CPA) who have ignored the fact that South Sound is a Marine Replenishment Zone, designated a scenic coastline by the country’s development plan, has received numerous objections from residents and environmental activists that includes recommendations from the governments environment department. The CPA has still granted planning permission!

Because of this the developer can now destroy a recovering mangrove project and recover several hundred feet of eroded coastline.

The CPA incredibly allowed the developer to reclaim his land from the sea despite a Cayman law that says that coastal boundaries are not fixed.

Katrina Jurn made a passionate plea to her audience of around 100 persons for a clear conservation law, which will protect our islands’ coastline and environment.

Even though we were able to get the developer to agree not to start the construction of the seawall until the Planning Appeals Tribunal has heard the appeal, she said, the coastal mangroves along those 2,000 feet of coastline were destroyed. “The natural coastline lies under 30,000 cubic yards of fill or more,” she announced. “However, potentially the worst is yet to come. If we allow this CPA approval to stand unchallenged, many other coastal property owners around the island will seek to do the same. It’s extremely important that we take this to the Planning Appeals Tribunal in order to protect not just South Sound but our entire coastline.”

I have to agree 100% with her.

Please continue the fight.