In a press release issued by Dart Real Estate (Cayman) Ltd we have learnt that Dart has submitted an application for the partial removal of beachrock beside Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa and Tiki Beach on the 7-Mile Beach strip to build a five-star resort and residences.

Oxford Economics on Jan. 17th this year issued an economic impact study saying the proposed hotel and residencies will “contribute a total economic impact of over US$600 million during its five-year development and construction. The total development cost, including land acquisition, predevelopment costs, and construction costs will exceed US$465 million. Conservatively estimated, the five-star project would sustain 800 jobs at its construction peak and support 1,254 direct and indirect positions in the tourism industry once operations stabilise. Over 20 years, contributions to the Cayman Islands Gross Domestic Product would exceed US$1.7 billion or 2% of GDP, 4% of jobs and 3% of direct revenues to the Cayman Islands Government.”

In order for this development to take place more of the natural beachrock laying there will have to be removed.

Last December a trial, approved by government took place where some of the beachrock was removed. What the effect of this removal has had on the environment has yet to be determined as not enough time has elapsed.

The Release finishes by saying:

“Dart Real Estate worked closely with the Department of Environment on all aspects of the trial preparation, ensuring compliance with conditions of the approval. The application was submitted after more than a year of scientific study, including historical and recent studies conducted by experts with in-depth knowledge of and experience with Grand Cayman’s natural environment, as well as government and community outreach.

“We are committed to responsible, sustainable development and the need to balance economic opportunity with environmental management,” said Jackie Doak, president of Dart Real Estate. “Dart Real Estate is a conscientious steward of land, and the proposed shoreline improvements are a manifestation of the long-term approach that characterizes all of our developments.”

Of course we don’t know who these “experts with in-depth knowledge of and experience with Grand Cayman’s natural environment” are and where and if such “ in-depth knowledge” was obtained over a number of years when such an operation of moving beachrock took place.

On the website Science Direct it highlights a study executed in November 2007 under the title “Beachrock occurrence, characteristics, formation mechanisms and impacts” by M.I. Vousdoukasa, A.F. Velegrakisa and T.A. Plomaritisb, where the state:

“The presence of beachrocks appears to affect beach morphodynamics by: (i) ‘locking’ the beach profile; (ii) modifying the nearshore hydrodynamics; (iii) changing the porous character of the beach and, thus, its response to wave forcing; and (iv) differential bed erosion at the margins of the beachrock outcrops that can alter significantly the long- and, particularly, the cross-shore sediment transport. Therefore, although relict submerged beachrock outcrops may provide some coastal protection by reducing the wave energy impinging onto the coastline, modern beachrocks may promote offshore loss of unconsolidated beach sediments and buried beachrock outcropping. Finally, the presence of beachrocks may have also significant ecological impacts, as the indigenous (mobile substrate) fauna and flora of the beach is replaced by hard substrate benthic assemblages, which are commonly arranged in hydrodynamically-controlled zones.”

Ref: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825207000955

Messrs: M.I. Vousdoukasa and A.F. Velegrakisa are/were at the Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Mytilene 81100, Greece, and T.A. Plomaritisb at the School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK.

Perhaps the government, who will have the final say, might like to contact these three individuals for a second opinion….?

At least we know the credentials of these “experts with in-depth knowledge” of actually beachrock.