The Montego Bay Marine Park Trust is pleased to announce the establishment of the Montego Bay Marine Park Fish Sanctuary. This new sanctuary, established by Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton in October, is designed to stem the depletion of critical fish stocks adjacent to important tourism and spawning areas.

… Negril revisited

In 2009, former Prime Minister Edward Seaga noticed that the famous Negril Beach had been seriously eroded, and suggested that the Negril Chamber of Commerce should “bring it to the attention of Government in such a manner that they can't refuse".  Two years later, it seems they’ve got the message.

We were pleased to see in a recent Gleaner that the outdated and inadequate Negril wastewater treatment system is to be upgraded.  The European Union, which financed the original plant in the 1990s, will supply most of the funds for modernizing the existing facility and fixing some of its technical and structural problems. The upgrade comes after years of complaint from local residents and businesses.

… and why we need both

This past Wednesday, February 2, was World Wetlands Day.  It marked the 40^th anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention, an international agreement to preserve and restore the world’s wetlands, river deltas and flood plains.  Though the day has come and gone, it’s never too late to remember how important these areas are to our health and safety.

This year’s theme is Wetlands and Forests, recognizing 2011 as the U.N.’s International Year of the Forest.  Whether forests and wetlands are neighbours or occupy the same area, each adds to the other’s value.