Premier André Ebanks has vowed his government will tackle Grand Cayman’s longstanding landfill problem, an issue that has frustrated residents and policymakers for years.

As the National Coalition For Caymanians administration enters its second year, he has identified improving waste management as one of his top priorities.

Speaking to Cayman Independent this week, he said the first step is tying up the failed ReGen scheme with Dart – a planned state-of-the-art energy recovery and recycling centre.

“What I’m expecting is that the minister [Katherine Ebanks-Wilks] will bring forward a package saying, this will now be the final settlement for the ReGen deal, get that done,” he said.

“Then have the design work plan, to have that additional land space, to have an engineered landfill and increase composting and recycling.

“That would be within this budget cycle. Then further out, [we will] begin to plan a long-term solution.”

He said the government’s ability to deliver on other issues, such as immigration reform, should reassure the public on its ability to deliver on the landfill plan.

The premier described the plan as “reasonable and achievable”.

“Close the ReGen deal, get the additional land space, build out an engineered landfill that gives us 10-years capacity, so that we have slightly better breathing [room], then plan an affordable, long-term solution,” he said.

The government’s first-year anniversary update, released on 20 May, highlighted progress already made on addressing waste management, including an anti-litter act and single-use plastics ban.

“Cabinet has approved policy direction for a coordinated approach to waste management across four workstreams – exiting ReGen, strengthening landfill operations, reducing waste through recycling and developing a long-term solution,” the report said.

It also highlighted efforts to support commercial recycling and reduce waste entering the landfill as measures to extend the lifespan of the current site and a secondary site identified for expansion.

Speaking to parliament during its 30 April sitting, Ebanks-Wilks outlined a four-part waste management plan, supported by CI$6 million in this year’s budget, a further $2m for next year and an additional $2.7m already earmarked.

The plan centres on immediate operational improvements, long-term infrastructure investment and waste reduction measures.

(CNS): Environmental advocacy group Sustainable Cayman is focusing on a proposed high-density development in a wetland area in Prospect Point as an example of the troublesome approach still being taken toward development in Cayman. Amid growing concerns that insufficient weight is being given to long-term environmental and infrastructure sustainability in vulnerable coastal areas, the group has published a commentary on Legoland’s latest application to raise awareness of the pressing need for change.

Legoland has submitted a planning application (P26-0158 on block 23C parcel 18) for 26 buildings containing 208 one-bed apartments, a pool, two cabanas and two laundry buildings. This large-scale housing project will sit on around eight acres of low-lying coastal wetland habitat between Prospect Point and the East-West Arterial corridor. The application is available to view until Friday, 22 May.

The activists said there is no doubt Cayman needs to build homes people can afford. However, a development, which appears to be primarily for transient workers, in an environmentally sensitive area must be properly scrutinised before it gets the green light. Given that only those within a very limited area can object or comment, even on a development of this scale, the work by Sustainable carries no legal weight.

However, the commentary raises real questions about the persistent problems associated with development that fails to meet the needs of the wider community, causes significant environmental damage and creates long-term, costly infrastructure problems for everyone.

The commentary about the project, written and circulated by Sustainable Cayman, highlights problems associated with how this jurisdiction is approaching the need for low-cost accommodation and whether this type of proposal would actually provide the homes needed for Cayman’s growing population.

It asks whether developments of this scale are being designed to meet real community needs in the face of Cayman’s environmental realities, the flooding vulnerability, transport infrastructure and long-term public costs, while accounting for climate resilience, protection of natural drainage systems and the cumulative loss of mangrove habitat.

The document also explores whether more climate-responsive planning approaches could help balance housing delivery with environmental resilience and long-term infrastructure sustainability.

The non-profit, which has emerged as a leading voice for the environment, said that as Cayman continues to urbanise, the decisions made today will shape flooding risk, public infrastructure burdens, coastal resilience, and community well-being for decades to come.

But they are not being considered when applications are submitted because the Central Planning Authority continues to be guided by the 1997 development plan, which is woefully out of date and inadequate to deal with the challenges facing our natural world. Given that developers are not required to follow either Cayman’s energy or climate policies, the long-awaited revised development plan seems as far away as ever.

In the meantime, developers consistently choose not to adopt a sustainable approach to their projects because of short-term cost considerations, and every new large-scale development adds to long-term problems. While some of these could be addressed through specific regulation and policy directions, they continue to be resisted.

One of the many difficulties associated with these projects is the site-by-site approach to drainage issues. Developments are consistently approved without adequate retention of natural drainage, as each project is considered in isolation. This has resulted in cumulative drainage problems across Grand Cayman, which affect neighbouring communities and impose new infrastructure burdens on residents, strata corporations and the public at large.

In the case of Legoland, the application would benefit from a comprehensive, independent hydrological review that addresses groundwater interactions, tidal influences, cumulative basin impacts, sea-level rise projections, rainfall retention capacity, and long-term stormwater management obligations, Sustainable said in the document.

The advocacy group said the project raises broader questions regarding sustainable coastal development, climate resilience, environmental valuation and the long-term infrastructure burden. They also believe this application requires the consideration of a workforce accommodation policy, the need for transportation integration for large developments and where it sits in regard to affordable housing standards in vulnerable environments.

As Cayman continues to address housing demand, developments within environmentally sensitive coastal systems may require increasingly careful consideration of flooding risk, infrastructure sustainability, transportation integration, and long-term environmental resilience. This application also highlights the increasing importance of balancing housing delivery with environmental resilience and infrastructure sustainability within vulnerable coastal systems.

Hi everyone,

Per the title. I really want to be part of a band for this carnival. Friends have dropped out last minute. I am tempted to go by myself. However I am worried it will be uncomfortable going without knowing anyone. Does anyone have any thoughts.

I appreciate the logistics are difficult this late, but still workable.

Any insight much appreciated.

Best

Primitive Greens, a Cayman-based vertical farm growing gourmet mushrooms and leafy greens inside climate-controlled shipping containers, has entered into a supply partnership with Progressive Distributors, one of the Cayman Islands’ largest wholesale distribution companies.

The agreement, which began in October 2025, places Primitive Greens’ blue oyster mushrooms, black king mushrooms and salad mixes into Progressive’s distribution network serving hotels, restaurants and retailers across Grand Cayman.

For Primitive Greens co-founder Codi Whittaker, the partnership represents a significant operational shift for the business.

“After years of supplying restaurants directly, we were able to build a substantial client list, which took up a lot of our time doing direct deliveries,” Whittaker said.

“Instead of managing dozens of individual relationships with chefs, we are now focused on high-volume fulfillment. This allows us to solely focus on what we are good at – growing fresh produce.”

The Savannah-based indoor farm produces gourmet mushrooms year-round without soil, sunlight or pesticides. According to the company, its system can generate the equivalent of two to three acres of traditional farmland using about 320 square feet and roughly five gallons of recycled water per day.

Primitive Greens currently produces between 100 and 220 pounds of blue oyster mushrooms weekly, with peak output reaching around 400 pounds. The farm also grows approximately 200 pounds of lettuce each week.

Its products have appeared on menus at restaurants including Ragazzi, Avecita at Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, Ristorante Pappagallo, Bonny Moon, Fidel Murphy’s, The Kitchen Steakhouse and Vivo.

Codi Whittaker shows off Primitive Greens’ blue oyster mushrooms. – Photo: Supplied

Reliability and handling standards

According to Progressive Senior Sales Manager Alok Singh, the partnership required Primitive Greens to meet the same reliability and handling standards expected from international suppliers.

“We are responsible for making sure that when we deliver the product, it’s in excellent condition every single time,” Singh said.

He said Primitive Greens was willing to adapt to Progressive’s packaging, handling and delivery requirements.

“That’s the best part about Primitive Greens – they were open to meeting our core requirements,” Singh said.

Reliability in supply also proved critical.

“They’ve been very reliable, both in the quality of the product and in maintaining a steady supply,” Singh said.

Primitive Greens said indoor farming offers a level of production stability that is difficult to achieve in Cayman’s outdoor growing conditions, while also helping address challenges linked to limited agricultural land.

“To grow the same amount outdoors, you’d need about half an acre, and even then, it’s much trickier,” Whittaker said in a previous Compass interview.

“You’re dealing with the elements, so timing is everything. You might plant something and wait three months before it produces. In our setup, we harvest in just four weeks because everything is fully controlled and isolated.”

Greens and mushrooms grown by Primitive Greens. – Photo: Supplied

Energy costs

Despite the expansion, Whittaker said energy costs remain one of the biggest barriers to scaling indoor agriculture locally.

The company says electricity costs can reach about $3,000 per container each month at full operation. Primitive Greens has proposed solar-powered systems aimed at lowering costs and increasing production capacity, but those plans have stalled under current regulations.

The company is currently only permitted to generate solar power for internal use, limiting its ability to offset operating costs through energy sales.

Still, both companies say the partnership demonstrates growing commercial demand for locally produced food within Cayman’s hospitality sector.

“You want an amazing and consistent product. You want the local product. You want to call it local in your menu. Now it’s possible,” Singh said.

At a glance:

• Cayman’s large audit firms are facing growing pressure as artificial intelligence changes how clients value accounting and consultancy work
• The AI challenge comes as Cayman’s professional services sector increasingly hires from low-income jurisdictions
• Industry insiders say junior staff are most at risk from AI trend

Cayman is home to some of the world’s highest-paid accountants and auditors. Senior partners at the top of the largest firms can earn millions of dollars per year. Yet that layer of well-paid partners is supported by a foundation of audit staff and tax professionals on relatively low salaries.

The industry has always operated on this pyramid model, with the idea being that the eventual rewards justify the hard early years. An “up or out” philosophy means the ranks thin as you move up the pyramid. But now, with audit consultancies coming under pressure from AI, the model is changing and that could have significant implications for Cayman.

Changing face of audit in Cayman

One way that large audit and consultancy firms in Cayman control costs is by hiring entry-level staff from lower-income countries. Recent WORC data shows a significant increase in work-permit holders from India, Africa and the Philippines, many of whom work in professional services firms.

“They like to hire staff from low-income countries that are far away from Cayman,” said a mid-level Cayman-based professional for one of the Big Four – the collective name given to Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC.

The composition of Cayman’s auditors has changed over time said Nick Joseph, founder of immigration consultancy, Reside Cayman. “In the beginning, during the 1970s and 1980s almost all accountants in private practice were Caymanian or British. By the 1990s the British started to be replaced by Canadians and others from around this region.”

“By the 2000s the Canadians dominated the industry. By the 2010s large numbers in [relative terms] of South Africans joined the profession. By the early 2020s recruitment expanded to include significant numbers of Indians and Kenyans.”

“Now recruitment seems to have expanded across East Africa with Zimbabweans and Tanzanians amongst those I have come across – together with growing numbers of Filipinos and Nepalese,” said Joseph. “It is simple economics. The labour is often cheaper than Caymanian or British counterparts.”

Cutting costs at the bottom of the pyramid

The mid-level source, who wanted to remain anonymous to protect his career prospects, said entry level staff at the auditors are earning around $55,000 per year. “When you consider they will be working up to 80-hour weeks during busy season, it’s not a good salary on a per-hour basis.”

The Compass also spoke to a former partner at one of the large audit and consultancy firms based on the islands. “I benefited from the situation, but I always knew it was unfair. If there are cuts to be made, the partners obviously want that to happen lower down in the pyramid and that means squeezing the entry-level staff.”

The bedrock of the audit industry in Cayman is legislation that states that Cayman-registered funds and companies can only be audited by firms based in the jurisdiction. It guarantees revenues for the audit firms, which then focus on delivering the audit for the lowest possible cost.

“Often, the bulk of the work on these audits is carried out by global delivery centres [offshore hubs in low-income jurisdictions] and then the final report is signed off by a partner based in Cayman,” said the mid-level source.

The AI squeeze

None of the above is news to people who work in the industry. But what’s changing now is that AI is putting extra pressure on profit margins. In one infamous example, the Financial Times reported that KPMG told its own auditor, Grant Thornton UK, to reduce the cost of completing its monthly accounts because AI made it cheaper to do the work.

In recent years, there have been high-profile mistakes, where well-known audit firms have published AI-generated, error-strewn reports. Clients – who realise the Big Four are using AI to produce some elements of reports – expect to pay lower fees.

“If your business model is based on charging people high hourly rates for your knowledge, and that information is now democratised and more readily available to everyone due to the adoption of AI, your operating model is under threat,” said the former partner. The historic Big 4 model of “time and materials” billing is being disrupted by “value-based” pricing for services where critical thinking is required, he said.

In March the Financial Times reported that KPMG was “cutting close to 600 UK jobs”, while in 2025 it reported that 175 junior auditors were made redundant from PwC in the UK last year.

“It’s not that AI will destroy the Big Four, but it will drastically change their business and revenue models,” said the mid-level source. Indeed, Financial Times analysis found that in 2025 the Big Four advertised more AI specialist roles than auditor jobs.

Most at risk are the junior and mid-level staff, as AI can now complete or automate many of those basic tasks, especially around market research, data aggregation, data modeling, sampling, document review, testing and presentation. Starting salaries for consultants at the Big Four have not increased since 2022, reports the Financial Times.

All of the professionals interviewed for this story believed that the coming changes would likely mean fewer junior audit staff would be hired in Cayman in the future. The pressure on entry-level roles could also make it more difficult for Caymanians to enter the field.

None of the audit professionals that the Compass spoke to for this story were willing to go on record, citing potential career impacts in a small market. The Compass also reached out to the Big Four, but PwC declined to comment, while Deloitte, KPMG and EY were yet to respond by the time of going to print.

(CNS): The Strategic Outline Case for the much-needed development of a national public transport system will not be released because of the ongoing procurement for consultants to prepare an Outline Business Case (OBC) for the project, and this document will be based on the SOC. The window of opportunity to bid on the OBC closed Friday, but how this important, long-awaited project will take shape is now likely to remain under wraps for some considerable time.

Earlier this month, the ministry changed the request for proposals from the requirement to prepare a Full Business Case (FBC) to the preparation of an OBC. The change is likely to make the time it takes to develop a modern public transport system even longer, even though it is critical to address the gridlock in and around George Town during the morning and evening commutes.

The SOC is the basic document justifying the need for the project. Ministry officials have said it will be revealed to the consultants who responded to the RFP for the OBC preparation after they have signed non-disclosure agreements.

As this painstakingly slow process inches forward, the public is unlikely to learn the basis and ultimate direction of the project until the deals are signed and sealed.

CNS made an FOI request earlier this month for the SOC, but we were denied access by the Ministry of Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure, which is responsible for transport, as officials claimed that “premature release of the record would be contrary to the public interest”, and “public disclosure could create premature public expectations as well as distort market behaviour”.

Ministry officials stated that they were unable to provide an exact date when it will be made public, as the procurement phase is currently open and its conclusion is dependent on various factors. 

Once consultants are selected for the OBC stage, there will likely be another procurement process for the FBC, before a request for proposals is issued to start the actual project.

According to the documents that were made available for the procurement process, the original SOC “established a clear strategic mandate for reform, identifying the need for a modern, integrated public transport system to address congestion, improve accessibility, enhance road safety outcomes, and support sustainable economic growth across the Cayman Islands”.

Consultant are now needed to translate the SOC’s direction into a “suite of implementation-ready outputs” and “validate the SOC’s preferred option, confirm its continued suitability based on updated analysis, and produce outputs of sufficient technical, financial, and institutional rigour to support Cabinet decision-making”.

However, the public is still in the dark about whether the CIG is seeking a public-private partnership or will develop a government-owned and managed public transport system.

The RFP documents state that the ministry wants at least 10% of journeys on Grand Cayman to be made by public transport by 2030. Once a public transport system is established, the CIG wants it to reduce emissions and the environmental impact of transport, reduce congestion, improve safety and drive economic growth.

(CMR) Customs and Border Control officer Shammar Gordon Cummings is facing allegations of misconduct after he was charged alongside four others with conspiring to import firearms, ammunition, and a controlled drug into the Cayman Islands.

The defendants appeared before the Grand Court on Friday, where the court heard that Cummings faces a single count of misconduct in a public office. He is jointly charged with four others — Zulecia Aurora Dilone Mambru, Douglas Omar Hurston, Jorge  Escobar-Murillo, and Jeffrey Seymour Fernandez — on counts including conspiracy to import firearms, conspiracy to import ammunition, and conspiracy to import a controlled drug.

Details of what led to the charges were not discussed in court.

The case was brought on an amended joinder indictment bringing together what had previously been separate proceedings.  The judge adjourned the arraignment to 29 May 2026.

Caribbean Utilities Company has told investors it is ready to boost capital expenditure to help Grand Cayman meet its growing power demand and its ambitious renewable energy targets.

During its investor briefing, held at Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman on 11 May, CUC outlined US$484 million of planned capital expenditure for 2026 to 2030. Yet it says it could spend up to an additional US$500 million over the next five to 10 years if it is successful in winning new energy project bids.

The financial numbers come as the energy transition, population growth and economic expansion force Cayman to overhaul its energy infrastructure. At present, just 3% of Cayman’s electricity is generated from renewable energy, far short of a government target of 30% by 2030. Meanwhile, Cayman’s expanding population – the latest report from the Economic and Statistics Office calculates more than 90,000 people now live on the islands – coupled with energy-intensive projects such as new hotels, is pushing up electricity demand.

Cayman’s energy regulator has outlined two major projects to help the islands meet the energy challenge. It has issued a request for proposals for a 22.5 megawatt solar plant and also approved CUC’s ‘certificate of need’, which calls for 94 megawatts of new generating capacity. The solar project is expected to come online in the second half of 2028, while the 94 megawatts is scheduled for early 2028.

CUC said that the Utility Regulation and Competition Office named CUC as one of the “top rank bidders” for the 22.5 megawatt project. It’s a competitive process with other bidders and CUC expects the winning bid to be selected by the third quarter of 2026.

The 94-megawatt certificate of need is more complex and the winning bid won’t necessarily be entirely composed of renewable energy. “CUC will propose a balanced portfolio of generation technologies in its CON bid submission,” said the company in a written statement to the Compass on 14 May.

Increasing investment

Even if CUC doesn’t win the bid, the company has already upped its investment in Cayman’s energy infrastructure in recent years. Between 2016 and 2021 CUC’s annual capital expenditure averaged US$57.8 million. But from 2022 to 2025 CUC’s capital expenditure averaged US$97.5 million per year. The increase was mostly driven by upgrades to existing transmission lines and generation capacity.

CUC’s capex has increased significantly in recent years. – Image: CUC

Ultimately any CUC investment is paid for by its end users. Yet the company claims the investment that it has already made in modernising existing generation plants and a battery energy storage system will save money for its customers in the long run.

“Investments in Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), grid resiliency and the Life Cycle Upgrade projects, all of which have contributed to improved fuel efficiency and reduced fuel related costs for customers,” said the company in its written statement.

At present, the majority of Cayman’s electricity is produced from diesel fuel, which has risen in price in the wake of the Iran War. Using that fuel more efficiently is one way to save money. But larger savings would come from switching to energy sources, such as solar or natural gas.

“Based on CUC’s analysis, utility-scale solar combined with BESS has the potential to deliver fuel cost savings of approximately US$25 million annually,” said CUC. “In addition, the introduction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a transitional fuel could provide a further US$15 million in annual savings for customers.”

By way of context, CUC earned US$128.5 million from electricity sales in 2025. But not everyone believes that large ‘utility scale’ projects are the right solution. James Whittaker, president of the Cayman Renewable Energy Association, has previously told the Compass that more of the renewable target should be met by distributed solar, specifically by home and business owners putting solar panels on their roofs.

(CMR) Residents of the Cayman Islands are raising alarm after a man was spotted exposing himself and fondling his genitals at a popular public beach Monday morning, the latest in a string of reported incidents dating back to at least December of last year. Despite multiple police reports, a formal complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman, and the case being formally closed just weeks ago, the man remains unidentified and at large.

The most recent incident occurred around 7:20 a.m. Monday at the bottom of the stairs at Jack's Bar, where a woman encountered the man with his penis exposed. In a post to the Facebook group Women in Cayman, she described confronting him directly.

“I asked what he was doing and he said he didn't realise I was there,” she wrote. “He said he was picking sand off it when in fact he looked like he was admiring it. I said I don't care if I was or wasn't, this is wrong in every shape and form.”

The post quickly drew dozens of comments from women who said they recognised the man from prior incidents, and that police had already been made aware of his behaviour months earlier.

Community member Lynne commented that she had encountered the same individual outside her home on the evening of December 13, 2025, and immediately called 911. She said police took 35 minutes to respond, and when PC Brian Marshall finally arrived, she felt he was dismissive of the seriousness of what had occurred. Among the questions she said he posed were whether she frequented bars and whether she was dating someone who had a wife or girlfriend.

In the weeks that followed, Lynne said she had difficulty reaching PC Marshall, and when she did speak to him on December 23rd, the conversation deteriorated. “The officer Marshall was the one that called me a bully,” she told CMR. She was subsequently required to attend the police station to give a formal statement, an experience she described as deeply distressing. “I had to go down to the police station on Christmas Eve to give my statement,” she said.

Lynne filed a formal complaint against PC Marshall with the RCIPS Professional Standards Unit on December 31, 2025, which was subsequently reviewed by the Office of the Ombudsman. While she praised the Ombudsman's handling of her matter, she remained frustrated with the broader police response. “The Ombudsman office was great,” she told CMR, “but the police were awful.”

The Ombudsman's office reviewed the complaint, including body worn camera footage and interviews with both PC Marshall and Police Sergeant Jonathan Kern. It ultimately ruled it could not investigate the broader concerns about the handling of the criminal investigation itself, including the lack of timely follow-up and absence of basic investigative steps, and directed Lynne to raise those concerns with Assistant Commissioner of Police Robert Atkin.

Then, on April 22, 2026, just weeks before Monday's incident, Acting Inspector Jonathan Kern wrote to Lynne informing her that the investigation was being recommended for closure. Despite efforts including area searches, circulation of the photograph she had provided, intelligence analysis, checks with the RCIPS offender management unit and checks with partner agencies, police said they had been unable to positively identify a suspect. “Without a suspect identified we are unable to progress the matter any further and this is the reason for the closure,” Inspector Kern wrote.

Within weeks of that letter, the same man allegedly resurfaced at a public beach and exposed himself again, this time in front of multiple witnesses.

“It makes me so sad, it's not just me,” Lynne told CMR. “They do so little, but if they're not catching bank robbers, what do I expect.”

Perhaps the most disturbing account involves a local mother whose teenage daughter and younger son were allegedly approached by the same man in March, while she had briefly stepped away from the beach.

“I left her and R there for 20 minutes to run home and pick up some stuff I forgot,” the mother told CMR. “When I got back, that was the fiasco.”

The incident is said to have taken place on a Saturday, either March 7th or 14th, at the West Bay public beach near old Alfresco, locally known as Jerry Springer Beach. The confrontation escalated rapidly, with at least one bystander pulling out a machete and threatening the man before he fled the scene.

Witnesses say the man jumped into what appeared to be a silver or gray mobile car wash vehicle and sped away before he could be stopped. That incident was also reported to police. Officers never showed up.

“The police are just as bad as him,” the mother said. “We haven't been back there since.”

Multiple community members believe the man may be Jamaican, based on accounts from those who confronted him during the March incident. Some have called for WORC to be notified immediately if he is found to hold a work permit, noting that escalating behaviour of this nature frequently precedes more serious sexual offences.

“The more reports they have, the harder it will be to ignore,” one commenter wrote on the Women in Cayman post. “Something like this will only escalate and very likely end up with sexual assault victims,” another warned.

RCIPS has been tagged directly on social media by multiple community members. Cayman Marl Road has reached out to RCIPS for comment and will update this story upon response.

If you have information about this individual or have experienced a similar incident, contact RCIPS at 911 or the tip line at 949-7777.

A recent influx of sargassum seaweed along parts of Grand Cayman’s southern coastline is being linked to a wider regional bloom that scientists say is spreading across the Caribbean at near record levels.

While some accumulations have recently appeared along the island’s south-facing shores following periods of south-easterly winds, Grand Cayman has so far avoided the extensive beaching events affecting many other Caribbean islands.

The main tourism corridor, including Seven Mile Beach and the George Town waterfront, remain unaffected. That is largely due to Cayman’s geography and the prevailing easterly tradewinds, which leave the west coast sheltered on the lee side of the island. Unless unusual wind patterns or tropical systems develop, sargassum is generally prevented from washing ashore along Seven Mile Beach.

According to the latest outlook from the University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab, sargassum levels across the Caribbean continued to increase through April, with researchers warning that “2026 is likely to become another major sargassum year and potentially a record season by summer”.

Satellite monitoring showed sargassum had expanded across the entire Caribbean Sea by mid-April, with substantial amounts also moving into the Gulf of Mexico and along parts of the Florida coastline.

Sargassum is a naturally occurring floating brown seaweed that provides habitat for marine life offshore, but when large quantities wash ashore and begin decomposing it can create strong odours and affect coastal areas, tourism and marine access.

For now, Cayman’s impacts remain localised and relatively minor compared with conditions elsewhere in the region, though continued south easterly winds could bring additional accumulations to exposed southern coastlines in the weeks ahead.

The Cayman Islands’ population has crossed the 90,000 mark for the first time as employment and labour force participation continued to grow through 2025, according to new data.

The Economics and Statistics Office’s Labour Force Survey for Fall 2025 estimated the population at 90,577 at the end of 2025, up 2% from 88,833 a year earlier.

The figures reflect continued growth in both the local workforce and the number of overseas workers living in Cayman, where demand for labour has remained strong across several sectors.

Caymanians accounted for 41,063 residents, or 45.3% of the population. Non-Caymanians made up 40,453 people, representing 44.7%, while permanent residents accounted for the remaining 10%.

George Town remained the islands’ main population hub, with 51.9% of residents living in the district. West Bay accounted for 21% of the population, followed by Bodden Town at 18.3%.

The labour force expanded 6.8% year-on-year to 64,989 people, while employment increased 6.6% to 63,289.

Much of that growth came from Caymanians entering the workforce. The number of employed Caymanians rose 13.4% to 24,358, while the Caymanian labour force increased 12.7% to 25,403.

The overall labour force participation rate climbed to 83.4%, rebounding from 80.8% in Fall 2024.

Non-Caymanians recorded the highest participation rate at 93.3%, followed by permanent residents with rights to work at 90.8%. Caymanians recorded a participation rate of 71.9%.

The unemployment rate rose slightly to 2.6% from 2.4% a year earlier, although Caymanian unemployment improved to 4.1% from 4.6% in Fall 2024.

At the same time, underemployment declined sharply. The number of underemployed workers fell 28.8% to 5,642, while the underemployment rate dropped from 13.3% to 8.9%.

The report also highlighted Cayman’s relatively young population profile. About 86% of residents were considered working age, while people aged 65 and older represented 8.4% of the population.

Women accounted for 50.7% of residents overall, although men continued to make up a larger share of the labour force. Male participation stood at 87.1%, compared with 79.9% for women.

The survey was conducted between September and November 2025 using a sample of 2,150 households across all districts and recorded a response rate of 96.5%.

Opposition leaders have raised concerns over how quickly new affordable homes are being provided for those who need them by the National Coalition for Caymanians government, saying that a previous administration was providing three to four times as many.

Appearing on Compass TV’s Forefront programme, opposition leader Joey Hew, who was part of the PPM government that lost office in 2021, said that “when we demitted office, the waiting list was 400 and we were producing about 40 to 50 homes per year at that time. I have the statistics. It was widely debated during the elections. I put a parliamentary question to the minister in March asking, ‘How many homes have been occupied since January 1, 2025?’ The response was 13 – 13 in one year.”

Waiting list

Last year, housing minister Jay Ebanks told Parliament that as of 30 Sept. there were 1,152 active applications on the affordable housing waiting list of the National Housing Development Trust, representing 2,200 Caymanians.

Last month, the 376-page “Public and Affordable Housing Policy and 10-Year Strategic Plan” report was tabled in Parliament and warned that Cayman must triple its rate of housing construction over the next decade just to keep up with population growth.

The report said that demand for homes was currently far outstripping supply and that existing government policy has made things worse, with the private sector heavily focused on the upper end of the market and no incentive to build less expensive homes.

Housing is in short supply in Cayman and production must triple in the next decade to keep pace with demand, a new report warned. -Photo: James Whittaker

Hew said, “You can’t do it with 13 homes, and then all of the excitement and the celebration around the report and the housing plan, they called it. It wasn’t a plan; it had no targets, it had no timelines, there was no certainties in it, there was no budget in it.”

He went on to accuse the government of putting bureaucracy ahead of a concrete plan.

“Talking about creating an authority and all sorts of changing laws and stuff … a strategy without quantified outputs is not a plan,” he said, “It is a strategic policy statement. It’s a framework document. It is not a plan. We are asking for a plan.”

Deputy opposition leader Kenneth Byran, appearing alongside Hew, agreed that many of the current problems had been around for a while, since when he was in office, but that they were yet to be solved.

“We still have a housing crisis, and I can’t say that outside of identifying the problem – we seem to have a master’s degree in identifying problems – we can’t get a high school diploma and solve any of them,” Bryan said. “I don’t know where we’re going to be, come 2029, in respect to solving the housing issue.”

At a glance:

• The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Caribbean Travel Trends 2026 report analysed Amadeus Travel Intelligence data covering air travel, hospitality and traveller behavior from April 2025 through March 2026
• The report found that Cayman’s key tourism drivers are in the luxury and family travel segments
• Seasonal demand patterns, a need for more direct flights and growth of the Latin American source market were identified as opportunities for growth

A new regional travel report suggests Cayman may be better positioned than most other Caribbean destinations to compete for higher-value and family travellers, but also faces growing risks tied to its reliance on connecting flights and seasonal demand patterns.

The findings come from the newly released Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Caribbean Travel Trends 2026 report, which analysed Amadeus Travel Intelligence data covering air travel, hospitality and traveller behaviour from April 2025 through March 2026.

The report found that overseas travel demand to the Caribbean increased by only 1% between April 2025 and March 2026, marking a significant slowdown from the 21% growth recorded in 2023 and the 8% increase seen in 2024.

Cayman stayover arrivals outperformed the wider region, posting nearly 5% growth during the same period. However, when cruise passenger figures are included in the total, the country’s overall tourism numbers declined by 2.3%.

Despite the broader regional slowdown, Cayman ranked among the Caribbean’s stronger-performing destinations in several categories linked to affluent travellers and family-focused tourism.

Premium travellers driving Cayman growth

One of the report’s most significant findings for Cayman was the destination’s growing appeal among luxury travellers – a key underpinning of Cayman’s tourism strategy.

Cayman ranked among Caribbean destinations with an above-average concentration of premium cabin travellers, placing it on the threshold between the categories of ‘strong presence of luxury travel’ and ‘high volume of luxury travel,’ alongside destinations including Anguilla, Bermuda and Barbados.

The report found that demand for premium travel to Cayman was driven strongly by Canada, where high-end travel demand rose 64% year over year.

The growth in the premium Canadian market coincided with a significant expansion in Canadian airlift to Cayman.

In January, the Compass reported that seat capacity from Canada had increased 28% year over year, fuelled by expanded schedules from Air Canada and WestJet, as well as the entry of Porter Airlines into the market.

Across the wider region, the report identified a broader surge in luxury travel demand from South America, where premium travel to the Caribbean climbed 117% year over year. Peru and Argentina recorded some of the sharpest increases.

Family travel a key strength

The report identified Cayman as one of the Caribbean destinations seeing some of the strongest growth in family-sized travel groups, with year-over-year growth of 9% between 2025 and 2026.

Family groups of three to five travellers accounted for 27.6% of Caribbean arrivals overall, but Cayman was highlighted as particularly well positioned to capture this segment because of its multi-bedroom accommodation stock and family-oriented tourism offerings.

Cayman was ranked alongside Curaçao and the US Virgin Islands as destinations benefiting from strong family travel demand.

Reliance on connecting flights remains a vulnerability

Despite Cayman’s strong performance across several demand categories, the report highlighted air connectivity as a structural challenge.

Across the Caribbean, 83.7% of travellers arrive on direct flights. However, the Cayman Islands was identified as one of the destinations most dependent on connecting traffic, with 32% of arrivals travelling via connecting flights rather than nonstop routes.

Only Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana recorded a higher reliance on connecting passengers.

That dynamic may begin to shift as Cayman’s Department of Tourism continues to prioritise airlift expansion. The strategy helped secure an estimated 358,512 inbound airline seats for the winter season and contributed to Cayman’s strongest ever first quarter in 2026.

A more seasonal market than regional leaders

The report found that Cayman continues to face more pronounced seasonality pressures than some competing Caribbean destinations.

Using Amadeus’ Seasonality Index, which measures fluctuations in overnight stays throughout the year, Cayman ranked seventh out of 20 countries with a score of 105. By comparison, Barbados recorded the highest seasonality score at 228, while Curaçao recorded the lowest at 21.

A lower score indicates more stable overnight demand throughout the year, while a higher score reflects greater weekly fluctuations in visitor stays.

That placed Cayman as more seasonal than destinations including Aruba, Guyana and Saint Lucia, all of which demonstrated more consistent year-round demand patterns.

Curaçao was highlighted as a regional example of how diversified source markets and stronger South American connectivity can help manage seasonality.

The report suggested that destinations capable of attracting more visitors during traditional low-season periods, particularly from South America, would be better positioned to stabilise hotel revenues and reduce dependence on winter tourism peaks.

The strategic importance of Latin America

Throughout the report, analysts repeatedly emphasised the growing strategic importance of Latin American travellers, particularly for destinations seeking to smooth seasonal demand and attract higher-spending visitors.

The report noted that Panama is becoming increasingly important as a hub for South American travellers. This opens an opportunity for Cayman which benefits from twice-weekly direct Cayman Airways flights to and from Tocumen International Airport.

With just 4% of Cayman’s stayover traffic in 2025 and 2026 originating from Latin America and with the overwhelming majority of Cayman’s stayover visitors – more than 80% – originating from the United States, there is significant room for growth in this market.

The Truman Bodden Sports Complex is set to close for six months as it undergoes a major upgrade aimed at transforming it into a modern, international-standard sporting venue.

The redevelopment will include a new athletics track, a rebuilt playing field with improved drainage, upgraded grandstand and wider infrastructure improvements.

The Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage announced renovation and modernisation plans in a press release on 13 May.

It said the sports facility will close from July subject to final procurement and construction schedules.

“Efforts will be made to minimise disruption to sporting programmes, schools, sporting associations and facility users throughout the renovation period,” the ministry said.

The project will transform the complex into a sporting venue capable of serving elite athletes, schools, sporting associations and hosting regional and international competitions.

Specific upgrades include:

• Installation of a new high-performance athletic track designed to meet international competition and training standards
• Reconstruction and enhancement of the main playing field to improve durability, drainage, and athlete safety while supporting international sporting standards
• Major refurbishment of the grandstands, including upgraded safety features
• Upgrades to supporting infrastructure to improve functionality and resilience of the facility
• Enhancements aimed at improving the overall experience for athletes, officials and spectators alike

In the press release, sports minister Isaac Rankine said: “This redevelopment is about more than infrastructure.

“It is about creating opportunities for Caymanian athletes, strengthening our sporting community, and ensuring future generations have access to facilities that reflect our home-grown talents, growing ambitions, and excellent potential that exists within our islands.”

The ministry did not provide details on the cost or procurement but said further updates on the redevelopment project will be provided as works progress.

(CNS): The police seized 81 illegal guns in the six-year period 2020 through 2025, but they believe that an estimated 96 are still circulating on the streets. Responding to a freedom of information request by CNS about both legal and illegal weapons, the RCIPS said that in 2025, police officers seized ten illegal guns and Customs and Border Control seized another four.

On Grand Cayman, 991 legal firearms are held by around 500 licence holders (475 Caymanian and 21 non-Caymanian).

Licensed weapons are stored in gun safes in the owners’ homes, which must meet certain criteria, including being bolted to a wall or floor and equipped with specific locking mechanisms. Given that only one legal gun has been stolen over the last ten years, which was later recovered, it appeared that gun owners adhere to the rules and robust standards for safe storage.

According to the FOI response, gun safes are checked at least every three years prior to the licence renewal, but the police can make random, unannounced spot checks on the storage of weapons by any licensee. Any failure to comply with the rules relating to firearms licences can result in the immediate revocation of a licence and the seizure of the guns.

According to the recently released RCIPS crime statistics, while overall firearm crime was down 9% last year and there were fewer incidents of people being shot, there was an increase in firearm-enabled crime, especially armed robberies. In 2025, there were 7% more robberies involving a gun than in 2024.

CNS also requested information relating to legal gun ownership on the Sister Islands. The police said they were still awaiting those numbers, as the Office of the District Commissioner is responsible for approving gun licences on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, not the RCIPS, though police officers inspect where and how legal guns are held.

(CNS): Finance Minister Rolston Anglin has said the NCFC government plans to take on some of Cayman’s biggest companies in order to stop the emergence of unfair practices and sector monopolies. This includes the fuel importers, which control prices all the way to the pumps, and the Dart Group, the Cayman Islands’ biggest landowner, which he accused of having a virtual monopoly over the hotel sector, given how many it now owns.

During a recent parliamentary debate on a private member’s motion presented by opposition MP Roy McTaggart (GTE), which called on the government to reduce fuel duties. The motion was accepted, as the government had already announced plans to address the spike in oil prices caused by the war in the Middle East.

Anglin took aim at the fuel companies, saying they were playing a “shell game” by selling to each other. They had also been allowed to own the gas stations, he said, and accused them of price manipulation.

“We cannot continue to have this happen in the country. And so, I can say to the fuel suppliers, it’s a new sheriff in town. Price arbitrage is going to be deemed illegal. We are going to put heavy fines in place, potentially even imprisonment if I had my way, for that sort of behaviour,” the minister warned.

But as the debate focused on broader concerns about the rising cost of living, which is making this jurisdiction prohibitively expensive for ordinary working families, Anglin said the government was going much further than just targeting fuel companies. He said there was a pressing need for antitrust laws to deal with all non-competitive problems in Cayman’s economy, including Dart and its web of companies.

“Let me be very, very clear: if there’s anyone in this parliament that is not going to be willing to take on the Dart Group, you should resign,” the minister told his colleagues. “They own all the hotels in this country. We cannot allow it to continue. No one company or group should be able to own an entire industry.”

He said it was wrong to allow any company to be so dominant in a sector “that you effectively have a monopoly”.

Within its huge property portfolio, Dart owns and operates four major hotels along the Seven Mile Beach corridor, including the Ritz-Carlton, the Kimpton, the Indigo and the Hampton Hilton. It also owns the former Hyatt property, which is currently leased to the operators of Palm Heights. Dart also owns condo complexes and a number of bars and restaurants, all operating in the stay-over tourism sector.

On the Sister Islands, the Group owns Le Soleil d’Or on Cayman Brac and Paradise Villas on Little Cayman, with more hotels planned, including a possible Four Seasons on land it recently began clearing on a stretch of the old West Bay Road.

Anglin made it clear he believed it was time to draft and implement antitrust legislation. “We have to be real in this country and stop behaving and acting as though we’re this small little parliament,” he said.

“We have all the tools and evidence to behave responsibly and legislate for the future… When you have single entities being… either able to own an industry from cradle to grave or be so dominant that you effectively have a monopoly, you have left an economy that is not worth the paper that we produce reports about.”

Anglins said the parliament had to make changes now. “I am imploring colleagues, this is a term that we are going to ensure that we structurally correct the inefficiencies and dangers in our economy. If there’s anyone that doesn’t like that, as far as I am concerned, they don’t like the Cayman Islands.

“Let me repeat: if there’s anyone or any entity that doesn’t like that, then they don’t like the Cayman Islands… We must do what we know is right,” he added.

The rapid growth of Airbnb and vacation rentals has compounded Cayman’s housing crisis by removing more than 1,000 residential units from the long-term market, according to a new report.

The number of units in the short-term rental pool has more than tripled from just over 300 in 2019 to upwards of 1,000 by June 2024, according to the Public and Affordable Housing Policy and 10-Year Strategic Plan tabled in Parliament earlier this month.

Separate data obtained by the Compass through FOI shows that trend mirrored across all platforms.

Licensed short-term rental properties had grown from 1,015 properties at the end of 2022 to 1,240 by the end of 2024. That is a 22% increase in two years as the islands rebounded from the COVID lockdown, according to the data from the Hotel Licensing Board.

And established vacation rental businesses report a parallel increase in unlicensed and unregulated vacation rentals across the islands.

The housing report floats the idea of capping short-term rentals at 7% of the islands’ housing stock.

It also included potential policy suggestions ranging from limiting ownership of such properties by foreign corporate entities to a potential moratorium on new licences in locations where vacation rentals are demonstrably reducing housing availability.

Currently, government does not record the nationality or place of residence of owners and does not have a baseline count of residential units island wide. The report recommends that the Economics and Statistics Office collaborate with the Lands and Survey Department to establish that baseline before any cap can be calculated or enforced.

The Department of Tourism emphasised in written answers to Compass questions that the measures in the report, including the 7% threshold, were policy suggestions that had not yet been adopted by Cabinet.

Government has tabled the report but has not indicated which, if any, of its 98 recommendations it intends to implement or on what timeline.

The suggestions come amid the headline finding that Cayman needs to triple affordable housing construction and build up to 5,000 new homes in the next 15 years just to keep up with a growing population’s demand.

With the average price of a two-bedroom apartment now reaching $740,000, the consultants said home ownership is “out of reach for the average Caymanian”.

More profit in short-term rentals?

The loss of units to vacation rentals is reducing options further.

The report states, “Homeowners have found it increasingly profitable to rent their properties out via Airbnb, which has shifted upwards of 1,000 units out of the local housing market to the visitor market, from just over 300 in 2019.

“Significant increases in rental rates not only strengthen this incentive but also increase the prices in the overall rental market.”

Short-term rentals now make up about half of all visitor accommodations in the islands, the report states.

Properties like the Renaissance and many others along Seven Mile Beach have long been popular vacation rental sites.  – Photo: James Whittaker

There are significantly more than 1,000 hotel rooms in the market, but the potential for multiple occupancy of villas and condo rentals may explain how the consultants arrived at that assessment.

The report’s key finding on the issue is that “The proliferation of short-term rentals, particularly through platforms like Airbnb, has significantly reduced the availability of long-term rental properties, exacerbating the housing crisis.”

Government currently has no incentive to limit that trend, given that it applies a 13% Tourist Accommodation Tax on licensed short-term rental properties, which generated $22 million in 2022, the consultants note.

A new property in West Bay advertises Airbnb potential.  – Photo: James Whittaker

For individual property owners, the returns from short-term rentals significantly outstrip what long-term tenants can pay.

Kim Lund of RE/MAX says the increase in licensed short-term rentals is likely linked to major Seven Mile Beach properties that have put new rooms in the market.

“Seismic increases in the short-term rental market occur when a new hotel [with residences] opens,” he said.

Realtors across Cayman do increasingly advertise return-on-investment projections for both short- and long-term rentals to prospective buyers.

Nonetheless, Lund believes Seven Mile Beach and the surrounding areas still dominate that market, and infiltration into residential areas, in his view, is limited.

“We are seeing a slow movement into traditional residential areas, but this is a very limited market with low demand,” he said. “There is no infrastructure in place to attract short-term vacation rentals, like nearby restaurants, bars, shopping, entertainment and good beach access.”

Cayman Airways is rolling out a new non-stop summer service between Austin and Grand Cayman, paired with a weekly ticket release featuring the chance to win a companion ticket.

The campaign, dubbed the ‘512 to 345 Ticket Drop’ links Austin in Texas’ 512 dialling code with the Cayman Islands’ 345 and rewards early bookers.

Limited seats on the route will be released at 5:12pm Central Time on four dates: 12 May, 19 May, 24 May and 2 June, with the first customers eligible to win an extra free round-trip ticket.

The new service connects Austin-Bergstrom International Airport with Owen Roberts International Airport in just over three hours.

Paul Tibbetts, executive vice president for commercial affairs and chief financial officer at the national carrier, said the airline views the flight itself as part of the holiday.

“As the national airline of the Cayman Islands, we take great pride in the promise that your vacation begins from the moment you step on board with us,” he said.

He added that the route was designed for shared travel.

“This new non-stop service from Austin to Grand Cayman delivers more than a seamless three-hour journey – it offers an authentic Cayman Airways experience from the very start.

“Through the ‘512 to 345 Ticket Drop,’ we’re making it even easier for Texans to turn that journey into a shared escape with your favourite plus-one.”

Rosa Harris, director of tourism for the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, tied the launch to the summer travel rush.

“Texas is known for its southern hospitality, and we see the same welcoming spirit reflected in our Caymankind culture,” she said.

“With Cayman Airways new non-stop service, travellers can be in the Cayman Islands by dinnertime.”

Harris also flagged the cultural pull of the destination, adding: “It brings Texans one step closer to vaCay this May, allowing them to trade Texas BBQ for fresh ceviche just in time for the summer travel season.”

Economy passengers receive a complimentary Seven Fathoms rum punch, a meal and streaming entertainment on personal devices. Travellers can book here.

(CMR) The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) has announced that Body-Worn Cameras (BWC) for all frontline operational officers will be implemented by July 31st, 2026. The organization said this marks a significant step in its ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and the creation of a modern police service.

The rollout follows a successful pilot phase tested over a two-year period, focused on internal change management, review of judicial pathways, and requirements to future-proof the RCIPS.

BWCs are designed to provide an objective record of interactions between the police and the public. By capturing high-definition video and audio, these devices ensure that evidence is gathered accurately, thereby securing the integrity of investigations in the Cayman Islands and increasing the likelihood of positive outcomes.

“The introduction of Body-Worn Cameras is a transformative moment for the RCIPS,” said Superintendent Roje Williams Cert. Hon., Project Lead. “This technology serves as a digital witness that protects both our officers and the community. By implementing strict guidance alongside this technology, we are ensuring it is used ethically, consistently, and in a manner that maintains public trust and confidence in policing for all involved.”

To ensure the effective use of this resource, the proposed framework will establish clear recording requirements for specific incidents, including arrests, searches, and use-of-force encounters. The RCIPS has also made a significant investment in instructor training, equipping a number of officers to deliver comprehensive training to frontline personnel across the Service.

The RCIPS said it remains dedicated to improving its service to better protect and serve the people of the Cayman Islands.

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As part of the implementation, there have been several stakeholder engagement sessions, and as the implementation progresses into the final stages, there will be engagement sessions hosted by the RCIPS with media, public, and external partners to ensure broader awareness and understanding. These engagement sessions will be announced in the coming weeks.

“The phased implementation of Body-Worn Cameras marks a pivotal advancement in our mission to deliver a modern, transparent, and accountable police service for the Cayman Islands,” said Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton.

“This technology is not merely a tool for evidence gathering; it is a commitment to our officers and the public that every interaction is grounded in integrity and professional standards. By capturing an objective record of our work, we are strengthening the bond of trust between the RCIPS and the community we serve, ensuring that our judicial outcomes are supported by the excellent quality of digital evidence,” he added.