Caribbean Art And Caribbean Jobs

The poor response to an appeal for flood relief on behalf of Guyana has been cited by the Red Cross as an example of how the world selectively ignores some disaster cases. In its annual report All Inclusive Caribbean, All Inclusive Caribbean Resort, the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said that while billions of dollars were spent in disaster relief in 2005 some places were completely neglected. The top United States diplomat for Latin America has rejected an offer from Cuba to open negotiations. Tom Shannon, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Latin America, said the country had become more hardline since President Fidel Castro, who is ill [All Inclusive Caribbean Vacation, Best Caribbean Cruise], handed over power temporarily to his brother, Raul, in July.

Diplomats in Brussels say it remains to be seen whether the US will join Ecuador in making a full-blown complaint against the European Union banana regime. So far, Washington has entered the fray as a third party to support Ecuador before the World Trade Organisation, but has the right to file its own challenge since it was a complainant in an earlier case Best Caribbean Resort, Bob Marley Caribbean Music Festival. The United States has made clear that it considers the issue to be a Latin American one but diplomats say that doesn't rule out a formal complaint later. Ecuador wants the WTO to outlaw the EU's banana import system which favours Caribbean bananas.

Caribbean News

Caribbean News on the Web is a product of the Caribbean Agricultural Information Service (CAIS) [Caribbean Airline, Caribbean Art, Caribbean Beach], which aims to provide improved access to information which supports the development of competitiveness within the regional agricultural sector. This document represents the second version of a listing of websites of regional newspapers, news-houses and selected regional journals of interest to Caribbean audiences. It was first published in November 1999 and was prepared to target policy and decision makers in the agricultural sector in particular Caribbean Beach Resort, Caribbean Cinema, however it is likely to be of interest other audiences outside of the agricultural sector. The information for the original directory was compiled with the assistance of Ms Victoria Cruickshank-Taylor. This information has now been revised and updated with the support of Ms Kelly Belgrove and Ms Denise Williams Dummett. This edition has been expanded to include selected journals of regional interest. Funding for the compilation of this material was provided by the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and [Caribbean Cinemas, Caribbean Cove, Caribbean Cricket] Rural Cooperation (CTA) as part of its support to improving access to information relevant to the agricultural sector in the Caribbean region.

Some interesting figures on the level of imports last year have been released. The total value of goods imported in the Cayman Islands in 2005 amounted to SI$990.4 million (US$1.2 billion), of which nearly three quarters of a billion dollars worth of imports were from the US. The increase in imports is attributed to the reconstruction of the Islands in the aftermath of devastating Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 [Caribbean Cruise, Caribbean Cruise Deal]. Total imports rose by 36.4 per cent over 2004, with a pronounced increase in the importation of building materials and vehicles. In 2003 3,354 vehicles were imported (value $29.8 million). This rose to 5,172 in 2004 ($60 million). Last year this jumped to 8,407 vehicles, valued at just under $100 million.

Cayman's main trading partner continued to be the United States of America, accounting for 76.5 percent or $757.8 million of the Islands' total imports last year. A distant second in overall imports for the year was Netherlands Antilles with 8.6 per cent valued at $85.6 million. The Netherlands was followed by Japan, with $10.5 million or 1.1 per cent; the UK and Jamaica Caribbean Cruise Line, Caribbean Cruise Vacation, each with $6.9 million or 0.7 per cent; and Canada with $6.3 million or 0.6 per cent.

Six sharks have died whilst being held in quarantine tanks at Botswain Beach. All fish that are brought to the attraction have to be held in separate quarantine tanks for 30 days before being released into the attraction tanks. In this case there was a problem with the life support system that impacted the water quality. Commenting on the incident Caribbean Family Cruise, Caribbean Family Vacation, Tourism Minister Charles Clifford said it was to be expected that some fish would die due to natural attrition. What is worrying the anti-dolphin campaigners is his comment "We do expect that some of the dolphins will die at the facility, just as they die in the wild. It will happen".

With stiff competition from other destinations for tourist visitors, Cayman has been trying to improve its service Caribbean Flag, Caribbean Florida Luxury Villa Rental. In September and October, officials of the Department of Tourism and the Cayman Islands Tourism Association have been giving training to over 200 taxi drivers, dispatchers and tour operators in courses entitled "Discover Cayman" and "Standards of Excellence". The taxi and tour operators have now been issued with a uniform and Tourism Minister Hon Charles Clifford said that the staff are expected to wear the uniforms when on duty. Staff in other tourism sectors will also receive frontline training to increase professionalism Caribbean Food, Caribbean Gallery Type.

There is more pressure on the Department of Environment to act on controlling Stingray City. At the end of last month, a divemaster was attacked and bitten by an eel at the dive site associated with Stingray City. Members of the dive had been given s****s of squid to feed to the rays and it appears that the eel was after these. At least two dive companies have stopped visiting this location and others have told staff not to feed or touch the eels. In response to these reports Caribbean Getaway, Caribbean Girl, Director of the Department of Environment, Gina Petrie said that amendments being considered to the Marine Conservation Law would prohibit the feeding of stingrays in the area. Under consideration is the creation of "Wildlife Interaction Zones" where the amount and type of food would be controlled as well as who carried out the feeding Caribbean History, Caribbean Holiday.

A report titled Economic Impact of Cruise Tourism on the Caribbean Economy was unveiled during the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association Conference held in Cayman at the start of the month. Figures showed that Cayman was fourth for direct cruise tourism expenditure during the 2005-2006 cruise year. The US Virgin Islands led all destinations with $362 million, followed by St. Maarten with $246 million, Cozumel with $214 million, and the Cayman Islands, with $180 million [Caribbean Honeymoon, Caribbean Hotel]. Cayman was second in the list for numbers of cruise visitors with 1.67 million visitors behind Cozumel which had 1.71 million visitors. On average cruise visitors spend $82.73 in Cayman, ninth in the list with the highest level of income in the US Virgin Islands ($179.69 per passenger). Cruise lines spent an estimated $29.4 million in the Cayman Islands primarily on port fees and taxes. Cayman Islands cruise passengers had an average household income of $100,700. The start of the month saw a double murder at the East End of the island. According to reports from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Caribbean Hurricane Season, Caribbean Island Vacation, (RCIPS) two men received fatal gun shot wounds in the early hours of Thursday 2 November. The victims were Brenard Dale Scott, aged 36, and Roy Renold Pierson, aged 48, both of East End. It is believed that the victims, brothers, had become involved in a dispute over drugs. A 21 year old has been arrested by the police.

Caribbean Jobs And Caribbean Art

Fortis Inc has acquired an additional four million shares of Caribbean Utilities Company Ltd. for US$48.9 million, bringing its stake in the Cayman power provider to 54 per cent. The Newfoundland company also has holdings in Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Belize and Turks and Caicos Islands Caribbean Jobs, Caribbean Joe, Caribbean Map. Red Sail Sports has taken delivery of a fourth catamaran, the Spirit of Calypso. The 65 foot boat was built in the Virgin Islands by Gold Coast Yachts. Features of the catamaran include two pontoons in the back for easy boarding after snorkelling, teak drink tables and an extra spacious interior, additional seating areas throughout with comfortable cushions and a built-in power supply for live music during special sailings [Caribbean Medical Schools, Caribbean Music, Caribbean News]. The catamaran will increase capacity for adventurous Stingray City Sails, as well as spectacular Sunset and Dinner Sails.

In the New Year it may be possible for cruise passengers and stay-over visitors to make day trip tours to Cayman Brac. Gerry Dilbert, Owner and Operator of Reality Tours is arranging to ship a 27-seat minibus over to the sister islands, and is in talks with Cayman Airways Express. Day trippers will be offered a variety of activities, including diving and snorkelling, cave exploring, hiking, bird watching, as well as visits to points of interest, such as the Brac Museum and the Heritage House [Caribbean Newspaper, Caribbean Picture]. Pricing has yet to be finalised. Mr Dilbert hopes to be offering the day trips on at least five days per week. It was also announced that a technical team from one of the large cruise lines will visit Cayman Brac in December to look at the possibility of having smaller cruise ships, those with 200 - 800 passengers, visit the sister island on a regular basis. The first phase of the Countryside Shopping Village in Savannah has opened to the public Caribbean Poker, Caribbean Princess. Foster's Food Fair IGA, A.L. Thompson's Home Depot and Cayman National Bank and the main tenants in the 6.5 acre project. Eleven stores and four offices will open during the Countryside project's first phase, with another 10 businesses to follow with the completion of the second phase scheduled for January 2007.

The Links at Safe Haven isn't expected to reopen until March 2007 at the earliest Caribbean Radio Station, Caribbean Real Estate. The driving range and putting area will open Wednesdays through Sundays for members only, from 1st December. The Links are waiting the results of an insurance appeal which has been lodged in the Jamaican courts. The appeal may be heard sometime in December. If successful US$2.5 million in funds held in escrow will be released. Davey Ebanks, general manager, said $3.5 million had already been spent on the irrigation system and other improvements Caribbean Recipe, Caribbean Rental, Caribbean Resort. However, once the funds are released it will take at least three months to gear up for an opening; golf carts have to be delivered, cart paths constructed and staff hired.

Another gay cruise visited Grand Cayman at the end of the month. Carnival Cruises’ Inspiration was running a "Gay Days" cruise. The ship can carry 2,634 passengers. Tourism Minister Charles Clifford has announced that the government will begin to enforce a policy of allowing a maximum of 9,200 cruise passengers a day by the end of this year [Caribbean Resort And Villas, Caribbean Restaurant]. However, there may still be some days where this level is exceeded as some cruise companies make booking up to two years in advance. Existing bookings would be honoured.

Work on a palm garden has started at the Botanic Park. The garden will showcase palms from all around the world including Buccaneer Palm (Dominican Republic), the Zombie Palm (Haiti) and the Variegated Christmas Palm (Vanuatu). The palms will be planted to augment the local plants (Silver Thatch, Bull Thatch and Cuban Royal Palms) [Caribbean Sailing, Caribbean Sailing Vacation]. Work is also taking place at the park on a Heritage Garden and the Rankin House, an old style Caymanian house. Mr. Tennyson Bodden, a local craftsman specialising in old crafts, has been working on wattling on the cookhouse and re–thatched the roof and built a hut in the area used for growing crops. Future plans for the park include a children’s educational garden, orchid garden, cactus and succulents garden, biblical garden and a bird watching tower.

Government has announced tax measures to raise CI$23.3 million for the year 2006–07. The bulk of the revenue (CI$17,7 million) will come from raising stamp duty on real estate (but not above pre 9/11 levels), raising the building permit fees and infrastructure fund fees, and increases in work permit fees and other general revenue fees Caribbean Sea, Caribbean Sea Map, Caribbean Series. Postal rates are to increase: local postage rates are proposed to increase from 15 cents to 25 cents. Basic international rates are proposed to increase from 30 cents to 75 cents for International Group A (which includes the US); from 40 cents to 80 cents in International Group B (which includes the UK); and from 60 cents to CI$1 in International Group C.

Stamp duty will be six percent of the purchase price for non-Caymanians and [Caribbean Single Market Economy, Caribbean Star] companies and four percent for Caymanians. However, for both groups the duty will be 7.5 percent for those properties located along the West Bay Road corridor and in certain parts of George Town. Work permit fee increases include executive secretaries (up from CI$1,650 to CI$2,500); professional managers (from CI$4,950 to CI$7,500); professional managers in tourism (from CI$4,070 to CI$6,000); skilled construction workers (from CI$1,210 to CI$1,500); and [Caribbean Star Airline, Caribbean Stud] unskilled construction workers (from CI$275 to CI$375). The work permit fees for domestic, manual and unskilled labourers stays unchanged at CI$150.

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