Using funds from the settlement with the M/Y Tatoosh, Government is now purchasing materials and agreeing contracts for the installation of a permanent mooring at the north end of the Seven Mile Beach Marine Park.
Once the work is complete, additional moorings will be installed using the remainder of the settlement funds.
'Final approvals for payment of the invoices were recently obtained, which means we can move forward with the moorings', said Environment Minister Wayne Panton.
'This permanent mooring will accommodate vessels up to 300 feet long, meaning it can be used by the vast majority of yachts which visit Cayman', he said. 'This is an important step forward for us because it will help prevent damage to our corals and more broadly, to our marine environment, which provides so much enjoyment to us and which boosts our economy'.
Department of Environment Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie said the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands has donated the anchor for the mooring, leaving more funding to be applied to additional moorings.
'The Port Authority, as well as private-sector service agents for visiting vessels, will help to identify preferred locations for future moorings, which the DoE will consider in light of environmental factors', she said.
Government and TDE Maritime, the owner of the M/Y Tatoosh, announced an agreement last October in relation to coral that was injured in the Seven Mile Beach Park in January 2016. The agreement, which was made without admissions from either party regarding the January incident, included the settlement funds that will be used for the moorings.
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