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2013 SESSION of the BERMUDA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT 5 July 2013 Sitting number 18 of the 2013 Session (pages 1627-1706) Hon. K. H. Randolph Horton, JP, MP Speaker Disclaimer: The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for informational purposes only. The printed version remains the official record. Official Hansard Report 5 July 2013 1627 BERMUDA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT 5 JULY 2013 10:01 AM Sitting Number 18 of the 2013 Session [Hon. K. H. Randolph Horton, Speaker, in the Chair] condolences to Mrs. Ford and her family on the loss of her sister. PRAYERS MESSAGES FROM THE SENATE [Prayers read by Hon. K. H. Randolph Horton, Speak- er] The Speaker: There are none. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES PAPERS AND OTHER 14 JUNE 2013 COMMUNICATIONS TO THE HOUSE [21 and 28 June 2013 deferred] The Speaker: No papers and communications. The Speaker: Good morning, Members. We have th confirmation of the Minutes of June 14 , 2013. Mem- PETITIONS bers should have received the Minutes. Are there any objections to those Minutes be- The Speaker: No petitions. ing confirmed? There are none. STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS The Minutes are confirmed. [Motion carried: Minutes of 14 June 2013 confirmed.] The Speaker: The Chair will recognise first the Hon- ourable Sylvan D. Richards, Minister for the Environ- The Speaker: The Minutes for June 21st and 28th will ment. be deferred. Minister Richards, you have the floor. MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR SKINK RECOVERY PROGRAMME Hon. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: Thank you, Mr. The Speaker: There are none. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to report to ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE SPEAKER the Members of this Honourable House and the peo- OR MEMBER PRESIDING ple of Bermuda on the ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Environment and Planning to preserve the Bermu- APOLOGIES da rock lizard, or, as it is better known, the Bermuda skink. The Speaker: Absences—we understand that two Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the urbanisation of Members, MP Susan Jackson and MP Zane De Silva, the Island that we are so privileged to enjoy comes will be absent today. with an environmental cost. It is the responsibility of For the information of the Honourable House, the Ministry of Environment and Planning to do its I would like to inform you that I did receive a message best to mitigate these challenges and to do everything from the Honourable Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, the in its power to preserve all that we can for future gen- Minister of Health, in reference to flowers which she erations. received relating to the passing of her mother. She is Mr. Speaker, a lifeboat can be defined as a very thankful for those flowers, and she also sent to small boat kept on a ship for use in an emergency. us a picture of the flowers. This same philosophy is being used for the conserva- Finally, we would also . I would like to take tion of our unique and threatened species. While eve- this opportunity to inform Members of the House that ry effort is being made to safeguard the species on- Mrs. Ford, who works with us, has lost this week her Island, the Department of Conservation Services has sister, Ms. Judith Harvey. And so, the House will send been actively seeking assistance from international House of Assembly 1628 5 July 2013 Official Hansard Report partners to ensure that Bermuda will never lose its Mr. Speaker, Dr. Garcia and his team will rec- unique species to a manmade or natural disaster. reate the climate of Bermuda using temperature data Working with our international partners, and at taken from the islands where the skinks were found, no cost to the Government, I might add, we have sent together with other elements of the lizards’ natural representatives of our at-risk species, such as the killi- surroundings, such as rock, coral and forest sub- fish, Governor Laffan fern, endemic snail, and seeds strates, to create the optimal breeding conditions. The of our endemic plants overseas for safekeeping to zoo’s veterinary experts will also research the skinks’ institutions such as the Omaha Zoo, Durrell Wildlife biology, carrying out ultrasounds in an effort to under- Centre, Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, the Vienna stand them better. Experiments will also be conducted Zoological Society, the London Zoological Society on micro-chipping techniques, so ultimately, conserva- and, most recently, Chester Zoo in the UK. tionists will be able to track skinks in the wild to de- Mr. Speaker, this precautionary approach has termine how long they live and how far they travel. already proven extremely beneficial. The killifish in Mr. Speaker, the length of time required to Vienna are thriving, and we are learning a lot about develop the toolkit will depend on the skinks them- their life cycle. Kew has asked permission for other selves. The six pairs at Chester Zoo are entering the countries to use some of the seeds collected from our breeding season, but it may be another year before rare plants in the hopes of establishing colonies in they successfully breed and before the complete other parts of the world. guide is ready. Unfortunately, after an extensive search it ap- Mr. Speaker, I am going to make a suggestion pears that we have lost the five endemic snail species that the people at Chester Zoo put on some Barry we once had. We believe our snails have fallen victim White, and that might create the atmosphere to help to two introduced predatory snails and a flatworm. As these skinks to breed. It certainly worked for me. such, the only population of one type of Bermuda snail now resides at the London Zoo under the care of the [Laughter] London Zoological Society. In due course, we are hoping to return a portion of the London snails to Hon. Sylvan D. Richards, Jr.: The results will then Bermuda and to re-establish them in parts of Bermuda be shared with Bermuda’s Department of Conserva- that are free of these predators. tion Services and its support charity, the Bermuda Mr. Speaker, the Bermuda skink is an exam- Zoological Society. ple of another endemic species under extreme threat. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Bermuda Gov- Records show that, while it evolved on Bermuda for a ernment, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to million years into the unique species it is today, it is not only Chester Zoo and Dr. Garcia, but also to all now being impacted by loss of habitat, the introduction our overseas partners who are providing us the use of of pests, competition from other lizard species, preda- their facilities, their expertise and advice to ensure tory birds, cats, as well as thrown-away bottles, which that our most threatened species survive for future act as deadly traps. generations to experience and enjoy. Due to these pressures, the skink’s numbers Thank you, Mr. Speaker. have plummeted and the Island’s population has been pushed to the edge of extinction. Currently, it is one of The Speaker: Thank you, Honourable Minister. the rarest lizards in the world. The Bermuda skink is The Chair will now recognise the Honourable an iconic species for Bermuda, and it is our duty to and Learned Minister for Tourism and Transport. actively preserve and recover it as best we can. The Honourable Shawn Crockwell, you have Therefore, I am pleased to announce that, through the the floor. efforts of the Department of Conservation Services, the Bermuda Zoological Society and our new friends BERMUDA HOTEL DEVELOPMENT AND INVEST- at Chester Zoo, there is new hope for the Island’s only MENT SUMMIT endemic lizard. Mr. Speaker, this month, a team led by Dr. Hon. Shawn G. Crockwell: Thank you. Good morn- Gerardo Garcia from Chester Zoo, in partnership with ing, Mr. Speaker. the Department of Conservation Services, transported Mr. Speaker, I rise to report on the Bermuda 12 skinks overseas in order to start a captive breeding Hotel Development and Investment Summit, which programme. I am pleased to report that our emigrants was held at the Fairmont Southampton Princess Hotel th are all doing well and apparently enjoying relative lux- on June 24 . The summit was the vision of the Chair- ury in their new home. The ultimate aim will be to not man of the Tourism Board, the Honourable Mr. David only have a safeguarded population overseas, but Dodwell. It was organised and paid for by the Tourism also to develop a recovery toolkit on how best to rear Board and attended by members of the Government these unique creatures in captivity using the expertise Economic Development Committee. Mr. Dodwell led of the Lower Vertebrate and Invertebrate Department the summit, and his team staged an extremely pro- of Chester Zoo. ductive and enlightening event. House of Assembly Official Hansard Report 5 July 2013 1629 The Government Economic Development hotel industry: banking, real estate, investors and de- Committee representatives included the Chairman, velopers, legal, well-known hotel brands and consult- the Honourable Premier, Mr. Craig Cannonier; the ants. Minister of Finance, Mr. Bob Richards; the Minister of Mr. Speaker, let me also offer my thanks to Home Affairs, Mr. Michael Fahy; the Minister of Eco- the professional facilitator, Mr. Bill Quain. He is a rec- nomic Development, Dr. Grant Gibbons; the Minister ognised expert in the hospitality field, and he moder- of Public Works, Mr. Trevor Moniz; and Director of ated the summit. The Premier and Ministers stayed Tourism, Mr. William Griffith. from beginning to end and were engaged and enthu- Mr. Speaker, for personal reasons, I was una- siastic.

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