Funded participation in International conferences/workshops

JNCC is able to support the OTs and CDs with  funding to attend international conferences and workshops.

Regional lionfish strategy workshop: August 27th - 28th 2010.

Bradley Johnson attend a n International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) workshop in Cancun, Mexico funded by JNCC to consider strategies for controlling lionfish in the region. More information on the workshop here >>

Helping Islands Adapt Conference. 11th - 16th April 2010.

Mat Dacosta-Cottam attended a workshop in Auckland, New Zealand, funded by Defra through the JNCC. The Government of New Zealand were the hosts, with support received from a number of partner organisations. Approximately 82 participants from 24 countries and territories and 29 national, regional and international organisations attended the workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to identify and strengthen mechanisms that enable effective and sustainable alien invasive species (IAS) management for islands. The discussions focused on four main island regions – the Caribbean, the Coral Triangle, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.

Caribbean regional hub

The Caribbean Regional Hub is an online network, managed by the Cayman Islands Department of Environment  that JNCC supports which facilitates professional communities with an interest in combating invasive species, climate change and preserving biodiversity in the Caribbean.

The long term objective of the Hub is to bring together ideas, people, projects, experience, expertise, funds and common resources.

Other areas of support and advice

JNCC also provides support and advice to Overseas Territories in a number of other areas at the request of the UKOT Governments. These areas include economic valuation, climate change, invasive species, accessing funding and multilateral environmental agreements.

Blue Turtle Award

JNCC runs an annual Blue Turtle Award. People are encouraged to nominate Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies groups or individuals who are 'making a difference'.

Fred Burton from Cayman who is the  Director of the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme, was the winner of the 2009 Blue Turtle Award.

More information

2011 Geoconservation in the Overseas Territories of the UK by M. Stanley.

The European Commission's OCT Environmental Profiles - these environmental profiles are set in a socio-economic, developmental perspective so that the findings can be used to assist in programming projects in the
framework of the 10th European Development Fund (EDF).

Amphibians and Reptiles of the UK OTs, CDs and SBAs: Species inventory and overview of conservation and research priorities by Paul Edgar of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust.

More information on Climate change impacts in the Caribbean OTs.

Environmental Education resources on Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

2009 Implications of climate change for Biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories by J.P. McWilliams.

2007 Environmental Economics in the Overseas Territories.

2006 Non-native species in the Overseas Territories a Review by Karen Varnham.

2005 Review of Ramsar sites in the UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies by Dr Mike Pienkowski.

1999 snapshot of Biodiversity in the Cayman Islands edited by Dr Vin Fleming and Deborah Procter JNCC.

The Cayman Islands is a member of the Training and Research Programme Steering Group which drives the direction of the OT Training and Research Programme.

Research Priorities 2011

JNCC asks the OTs and CDs for information about their top 3 research priorities each year via members of the OT and CD Training and Research Programme Steering Group. These priorities are used to inform a number of funding decisions including the JNCC Research Contributions.

Training

JNCC is  able to support the OTs and CDs with funding to attend environmental training courses.

Environmental Impact Assessment resources

The Cayman Government Department of Environment has made the following EIA resources available:

General Guidelines for the Content of Environmental Assessment Documents (PDF, 18 kb).

Process for conducting Environmental Assessment (PDF, 638 kb).

Lionfish Control project

In 2010, for the International Year of Biodiversity, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), has funded a series of invasive species projects across the UK Overseas Territories. This has been coordinated by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Project activities on Cayman Islands were:

• Continue monitoring of number and size of both Lionfish and other reef fish, to determine status and balance of invasive and natural populations, and assess effectiveness of control efforts.
• Offset consumables, fuel etc. involved in continuing and improving DoE staff response to Lionfish sightings by members of the public, in Grand Cayman and Sister Islands, and ensure timely removal.
• Maintain and expand equipment stocks (dive gear, gloves, nets, bags) and test new equipment (slurp guns and, subject to suitability, traps).
• Design and place informational signage in key areas / ports of entry.  Expand current web resources in www.DoE.ky to include online Lionfish reporting form.
• Undertake volunteer training course in Lionfish capture techniques in the Sister Islands, to expand network of trained volunteer divers authorized to assist control effort.

Download Lionfish (Pterois volitans Linnaeus) Density, Distribution and Effectiveness of control efforts-Cayman Islands Report

Download Measuring the Impact of the Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans Linnaeus) on local reef fish assemblages-Cayman Islands Report

Red-footed booby monitoring, Little Cayman

 2009- 2011.

JNCC contributed to a project to monitor Red Footed Boobies in Little Cayman.

Download final report (PDF, 156 kb).