Cayman premier’s visit aimed at moving Brac, Little Cayman ahead

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin and some of his staff left Grand Cayman Thursday morning for a pre-planned tour of the Sister Islands and meetings with the public and Government employees. It was his first visit since being named Premier following elections in May 2013.

Both he and Deputy Premier Hon. Moses Kirkconnell spoke to a large turn out of people Thursday night at the Aston Rutty Centre prior to a reception for the Premier.

“I wanted to come not as some public relations exercise, but I wanted to come and spend some quality time to meet with all departments of Government and meet with you and to get a better understanding of the key issues and concerns,” he said.

On Little Cayman the Premier met with staff of the Royal Cayman Islands Police and Fire services, toured the Central Caribbean Marine Institute and met with dive professionals and business leaders at Southern Cross Club to discuss culling of Lionfish

More than 1,519 lionfish were removed from the waters surrounding Little Cayman in 2012. The Hon. Premier was told that if lionfish were stopped at Little Cayman, they wouldn’t make it to Grand Cayman waters, as the pattern for Lionfish travel is from the USA, Cuba, the Sister Islands and then Grand Cayman. Diet analysis at CCMI on the Lionfish has shown that they eat tiny lobsters and conch as well as fish and shrimp. There was discussion about the private sector and Government working together to solve the Lionfish problem.

Back on Cayman Brac the Premier met with Fire Service and Public Works staff prior to the Thursday night public meeting.

He announced the creation of six more jobs for the Fire Service, which has been working under stressful conditions on both Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman. The Marine Unit of the RCIPS is also getting a patrol boat to help protect the waters off Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.

On Friday afternoon, Mr. McLaughlin and Mr. Kirkconnell met with Heads of Sections of Government Departments.

The Deputy Premier said he was encouraged when meeting with the Fire Service that personnel there were getting together to come up with viable solutions to training, such as sending a trainer from Grand Cayman instead of insisting that all Brac and Little Cayman firefighters travel at Government’s expense to the capital.

“Just the math on it makes common sense to do the training here instead of Grand Cayman,” Mr. Kirkconnell said.

In addition to the announcement of new jobs, he said that the completion of a baggage screening project will mean that Cayman Airways will be able to fly directly to the United States, Jamaica and Cuba. Cayman Airway’s 300’s and any other airline willing to fly to the Brac would make the trips once the Charles Kirkconnell has the ability to properly process international flights through the terminal.

He said the Premier’s visit made it clear for him to see that the Sister Islands are a micro mirror of Grand Cayman.

The Hon. Premier said it is Government’s goal to create sustainable economies on all three Islands.

“We have to continue to build on the successes that have gone before,” he said. “We are committed to doing the right thing for the long term.”