New laws in place to protect local flora

GEORGE TOWN (CMC):

The government of the Cayman Islands has passed the Plant Protection Act, 2023 through parliament in order to tighten the rules around importing plants that may harbour pests and threaten the local flora.

Cayman’s native plants and trees are at risk from a range of new plant pests, from the ever-present mealybug to the various polyphagous pests on Christmas trees, as landscapers and home gardeners import an ever-growing variety of non-native plants and trees.

The new legislation, which replaces the Plants (Importation and Exportation) Act (1997 Revision), provides a stricter but also a more comprehensive regime, officials have said.

Those who breach the new law and import plants without the correct permits could face up to two years in jail or a hefty fine.

The law establishes a system of permits for imports, exports and the transit of plants, plant products and other regulated articles, creating powers that can be exercised in the event of pest outbreaks and other emergencies.

It also establishes an administrative and enforcement structure.

The aim is to improve the protection of Cayman’s cultivated and native plants with more robust national safeguards against alien plant pests, while facilitating the safe and effective trade in plant and plant products.

The new legislation harmonises local laws with international phytosanitary (plant health) standards established by the International Plant Protection Convention.

It also establishes a National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) and makes the Department of Agriculture responsible for exercising the powers and performing the functions of the NPPO.

The new legislation deals with the provisions for imports, exports, re-exports and transits, as well as the mechanisms and authorisations for the control, eradication and management of pests through various declarations, including quarantine or regulated pests, pest-free areas, quarantine areas and phytosanitary emergencies.