…one of these days, we’ve got to get organized

The idea of protected areas in Jamaica has been with us for a long time.  Since the early 1990’s, regions that contained valuable but fragile natural resources have been singled out for special treatment, to keep them from being destroyed forever.  The Montego Bay Marine Park is one of those areas.

There has been a continuing struggle to find the right system for managing these areas effectively.  How much protection do they need?  What are the costs and benefits of protecting them?  Who should be in charge?  Who should pay?  As Government’s priorities shifted, there was never enough money to meet conflicting demands or enough certainty to make long-term plans.

… 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We were pleased to see in a recent Gleaner that the outdated and inadequate Negril wastewater treatment system is to be upgraded.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.

…marine litter revisited

This weekend will see a small but important step forward in the effort to reduce marine litter at its source – us, on land.  On Saturday MegaMart, one of Jamaica’s largest retailers, will make handsome re-usable “eco-bags” available (for a small charge) at all three of its stores.  Several other local retailers have started selling inexpensive cloth bags in the last year or so.  However, MegaMart has taken two extra steps to make the program effective.

… 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.

…interesting times for the fishery

Over the last month there have been several news items about what’s left of Jamaica’s fishery.  Each suggests an opportunity for the fishery to become a real industry, contributing to the nation’s food and economic security.  Adjustments by both Government and the fishers could still get the fishery off its present road to a social and financial dead end.

First came the news of gunplay at sea.  The Coast Guard fired on a Honduran boat fishing near the Pedro Cays, which still have commercially useful stocks of conch and lobster.  Honduran officials are complaining of “excessive force”...

…shake, but don’t get rattled

Last week was Earthquake Awareness Week in Jamaica.  In this week the Government and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) published information and held meetings about how to be safer before an earthquake and what to do if a quake happens.  They also conducted tests of emergency services to make sure that help could come quickly and effectively if a disaster struck.

… good news for the reef

For the last several weeks, a long-time diver in the Marine Park has been reporting the return of a sight he hasn’t seen in twenty years – a big school of doctor fish.  The return of these drab little fish in large numbers could be a lot of help to corals being smothered by algae.

2010 will go into the record books as one of Jamaica’s wettest years, even without a direct hit from a tropical storm or hurricane.  By the end of November, Montego Bay had seen more rainfall than it got for 12 months in the hurricane years of 2005 and 2007.  Total rainfall for 2010 will be more than 65 inches – about 14 inches more than the long-term average.

Tropical Storm Nicole contributed about a quarter of this year’s total but we were well on the way to a fairly wet year even before the September floods.