POTENTIAL
PROJECT EXPANSION
Background
Since
the Long Cay project got underway in January 1999, The
Conservation Agency has enlisted the support of numerous
volunteers to assist with fieldwork and logistics in the
Turks and Caicos Islands.
In
January 2000, one particularly energetic volunteer, Virginia
“Gingee” Brewer signed on for an expedition.
On her first trip she coerced five of her associates
to help with the effort. She is interested
in both science and conservation but has an additional
concern: she is a homeowner on Pine
Cay. Gingee has been with us in the
field now three separate times and continues to involve
relatives and friends from the Pine Cay community. As
I have, through Gingee, become more familiar of this group
of people I find that may are extremely concerned about
conservation and preservation of the TCI environment.
The
Pine Cay community has a history of supporting scientific
efforts. John Iverson, a well-known
researcher on iguanas worked there in the 1970’s on behavior
and ecology of the Turks and Caicos rock iguana.
He documented a startling decline in the population
after cats and dogs multiplied on the island.
Pine
Cay is currently overrun with feral cats.
An island which used to support approximately 15,000
iguanas now supports, I would estimate, less than a couple
of hundred. Worse, cats on Pine Cay
freely range throughout uninhabited Water Cay and over
to Little Water Cay, the National Trust’s reserve, via
sand spits that have recently created a complex of the
three islands. These cats are preying
on the Little Water Cay iguanas and impacting the iguana
population there.
Discussions with Pine Cay community members
During
a 2001 visit to the TCI, I met with a number of residents
of Pine Cay to discuss the negative impact of cats on
the endemic endangered iguanas and the notion of cat
control. I found members of this community were interested and
supportive of our iguana restoration efforts on Long
Cay. Many community members were interested in seeing
these non-native predators removed from their island's
ecosystem. 
They also expressed interest in seeing other
native wildlife populations recover on Pine Cay and
in having the island be a safe refuge for migratory
species of birds. I have suggested to them we begin
a native species recovery program which includes cat
control.
Discussions with the National Trust
On
two visits in November 2001, we observed numerous cat tracks
crossing between Water Cay and Little Water Cay on a
sand spit that recently formed. Cat tracks were also
seen on the spit connecting Pine and Water Cays. Cats
doubtless value the connection to the larger islands
because they can reach consistently available sources
of drinking water (fresh water ponds). Little Water
Cay is aptly named; there are no ponds on the island.
In
a visit to Ethyln Gibbs-Williams on November 26, we discussed
working jointly to restore the Pine/Water/Little Water
Cay complex. Members of the Pine Cay community who said
they were supportive, financially and otherwise, had previously
contacted her. We discussed the cat problem and decided
that some form of cat barrier between Water and Little
Water Cays should be considered. We considered that members
of the Pine Cay community were becoming quite supportive
of a cat control initiative there and we concluded that
a barrier would be a significant first step to protect
the Little Water Cay iguanas immediately. We discussed
the pros and cons of dredging versus fencing off the spit
as we saw them:
| |
Dredging
|
Fencing
|
| Pros |
1.
Little Water Cay is completely isolated by water which
cats will not cross
2. Aesthetic qualities of beach are not compromised
3. Idea is attractive in concept; may be popular
4. Protects endangered iguana |
1.
Little Water cay is completely isolated by a fence
which cats cannot cross
2. One time major cost, low maintenance
3. Protects endangered iguana |
| Cons |
1. Marine engineers must determine whether channel
will refill with sand and if so
2. Dredging may be regularly required
3. Dredging rig may be aesthetically displeasing
4. Potential problems with reef siltation
5. Larger up-front costs; overall costs more difficult
to determine |
1. Must be insured against storm damage
2. Replacement will eventually need to occur
3. Less attractive than a channel
4. Idea may not be popular |
Though much needed, this project
is still not underway as of 2005.
