Here in Montego Bay, the worst thing was actually the storm surge which mounted during the few days after Hurricane Ivan had passed. This surge produced a very high tide and extremely large waves, which caused considerable destruction to the coastline, including a number of seaside businesses. Marine Park staff, in an effort to reduce the hurricane's effect on our coral reefs, made a few snorkel trips to turn over upside down coral which had been knocked down by the force of the waves, thus improving their chance of survival.

This year 10 volunteers cleaned up the River Bay Beach area. The event was successful overall, although turnout was low due to the recent passage of Hurricane Ivan. As this led to cleanups in other parts of the island being cancelled, Jamaica has decided to observe International Coastal Cleanup Day on October 23rd instead.

The educational video piece coming out of our Sustainable Fisheries Project was completed this month under the title, Angels Forever. It takes the form of a puppet show which tells about Blue, an angelfish who is out to find his dream girl and keep his family alive, and Cool, a fisherman who has his own problems – the need to catch more fish. As Cool increases his catch, he finds there are less fish to support his family. So he takes a bunch of politicians out on his boat to see if they can help. This production can be made available for public use by contacting the Marine Park Trust.

The Trust has been conducting a series of training sessions on water pollution and waste minimization for the HEART Academy at the Granville Vocational Centre. This is part of the Trust’s overall effort to improve solid waste management in Montego Bay and raise public awareness of issues affecting the Marine Park.

This month’s Happy Hour presentation was given on September 2nd by Ms. Heather Crawford, Outreach Officer of the Montego Bay Marine Park Trust. She informed attendees about the international Blue Flag Beach and Marina Certification programme and its status in Jamaica. Special guests included water sports personnel from Breezes Montego Bay. A DVD of her presentation can be made available by contacting the Trust.

The Happy Hour takes place promptly at 7pm on first Thursdays of the month at Pier One, off of Howard Cooke Blvd. Pier One offers drink specials from 6 to 8pm.