From RCIPS

Shortly before 10:30AM on Wednesday, 4 March, a Cayman Islands Coast Guard (CICG) vessel was conducting patrols in the waters off Barkers National Park in West Bay, when the officers on board observed a vessel moving suspiciously. The officers attempted to make contact, but the suspicious vessel disregarded these attempts and made its way to shallower waters. The CICG officers contacted the Department of Environment (DOE) and requested on shore assistance from enforcement officers as they continued to monitor the vessel, which soon left the Barkers area. The CICG vessel followed and observed two men disembarking the vessel in the Morgan’s Harbour area, with a pickup truck leaving the location shortly afterwards. The CICG and DOE officers returned to Barkers where they spotted what appeared to be the same pickup truck, which was moving suspiciously.

The CICG alerted the RCIPS, and police officers responded to the location, setting up a roadblock and making observations using aerial assets. Two men were seen attempting to remove items from the truck and conceal them nearby. Shortly afterwards the vehicle was intercepted by police officers who detained the men.

The DOE Enforcement Officers and police officers then conducted a search and located the items that had been hidden. Over 150 conch, and multiple fish with signs of spear penetration, were recovered and seized by the DOE officers. A number of makeshift gaffs, spears, fishing knives and other related items were also recovered.

The men, age 38 residing in West Bay, and 27 residing in George Town, were arrested on suspicion of taking conch above the daily limit, taking marine life with an unlicensed spear gun, and possession of an unlicensed spear gun. The matter is currently under investigation by the Department of Environment Conservation Enforcement Unit.

“Just as we work with our communities to make the Cayman Islands safer, we also support our law enforcement partners in upholding the law,” says Chief Superintendent Brad Ebanks, of the RCIPS. “Our collaboration in law enforcement is truly important to protect our delicate environment.”

“We are grateful to our DOE and RCIPS colleagues for their support on land and in the air, as we monitored this vessel conducting illegal activities in our waters,” says Able-Bodied Seaman Cameron Seymour of the Cayman Islands Coast Guard. “Working alongside the Department of Environment to uphold marine conservation laws is just one facet of what the Coast Guard does to serve our community, and working with other partners such as the RCIPS is a great help.”

Conservation Enforcement Officer, Chadd Bush, who led DoE’s response, expressed the importance of Marine Parks Regulations. “As we celebrate 40 years of Marine Parks in the Cayman Islands, we are reminded that when some people choose to ignore the rules, it hurts everyone. Our narrow coastal reefs cannot sustain the taking of such vast amounts of marine life. Our Marine Park boundaries and rules were established so our reefs can thrive and we all may enjoy the bounty of our sea for generations to come. Many thanks to our partners at CICG and RCIPS for another successful collaboration resulting in arrest.”