By Erica James-King, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
IN A move to stem degradation of the land and marine environment, the Montego Bay Marine Park has devised three new projects for the wetlands of the resort city.
Two of those multi-million dollar initiatives are slated for implementation before year-end.
The three programmes entail the establishment of the Howard Cooke Boulevard Mangrove Wetland Walking Trail and Interpretive Centre, the Bogue Lagoon Kayaking Eco-tour and Montego River Bio-Filtration Tidal Wetland Project. In recent times there has been public outcry in St. James about the under-utilisation of the Howard Cooke Boulevard Park, with business sector interests in the town accusing the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) of locking members of the public out of the park.
Under the proposed wetland trail project, the Marine Park would be the starting point for the trail as well as the location of the interpretive centre.
The proposed wetland venture has already attracted international financing. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has approved US$25,000 in funding for the Howard Cooke Boulevard Mangrove Walking Trail and Interpretive Centre, which the management of the Marine Park hopes will become operational within another six months.
Jill Williams, Executive Director of the Montego Bay Marine Park, told The Gleaner that the approximately 10-acre property identified for the Walking Trail and Interpretive Centre was owned by the UDC, but will be leased at a peppercorn rate by the Marine Park for a 30-year period.
"The UDC and ourselves have agreed in principle to the lease, but the formalisation of the tenure of the property has not yet taken place since the lease agreement has not been signed. The signing could take place anytime this week," Ms. Williams pointed out.
"The approval of financing for the project by the US Fish and Wildlife Service comes in response to a proposal on the matter that we presented to them, requesting funding."
The Marine Park will be going the way of joint-venture partnership in seeking to set up the project. Word from the management of the Marine Park, is that
the UDC, the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica, the University of the West Indies Centre for Marine Sciences, Birdlife Jamaica and the National Environment and Planning Agency have shown an interest in coming onboard in the development of the project.
The organisers are planning on enlisting the support of the Natural History Division of the Institute of Jamaica in the production of signs providing vital information on the wetlands and wildlife found in the wetlands at intervals along the trail. According to Scientific data, the last century saw the destruction of 50 per cent of the world's wetlands (those are swamps and other areas which are permanently or periodically saturated by ground or surface water). Expressing confidence that the wetland trail will reinforce the need for wetland conservation and increase awareness on the importance of good environmental practices, Andrew Ross, Science Officer with the Marine Park, explains that students from the primary to tertiary levels are to be the main target audience, when the project gets off the ground.
"Students will get first hand knowledge of why wetlands are beneficial as fish nurseries, bird habitats and get a deeper appreciation that improper disposal of solid waste, eventually impacts negatively on the wetlands," Mr. Ross remarked, while gushing with excitement about the project. "The interpretive centre will also be a good resource facility for students. "
In addition, students pursuing studies with the Centre for Marine Sciences at the University of the West Indies, will be allowed to conduct research in the mangroves falling within the ambit of the trail.
"We don't want to charge kids for coming in and exploring the Howard Cooke Boulevard Park and Wetland Trail, but we will have to put restrictions in place, to determine a quota for the number of persons who can walk through the trail at any one time," stated the Executive Director of the Marine Park. "Boardwalks will also be put in to facilitate movement along the trail, so as not to cause damage to the mangroves."
And on the matter of the other major project being spearheaded by the Marine Park, the Bogue Lagoon Eco-Tour, the Marine Park is confident that it will come into fruition by the start of the next winter tourist season in December this year.
The programme which is designed to tap into revenues from the rapidly flourishing world eco-tourism market, need a capital investment of approximately US$100,000. The Bogue Lagoon which lies within the 15.3 square kilometres of the Marine Park is an important nesting site for waterbirds, especially migratory water birds.
The tour into those Wetlands would facilitate bird watching by tourists and locals, and alternative employment for fishermen in the Montego Bay area.
Pointing out that re-employment of fishermen in alternative income earning areas is vital in taking the stress off the marine resources, the project would need approval from the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) before it gets off the ground. The management of the Marine Park insists that it would help in the training and certification of fishermen to be used as tour guides.
Noting that "the Montego Freeport owns the land at the Bogue Lagoons and we will have to work out an arrangement with them to lease the property," the Executive Director of the Marine Park was quick to point out that her organisation has already approached the Montego Free-port for acquiring the lands. On other matters relating to the Eco-tour she added, "Two private sector companies are anxious to provide the Kayaks for the Eco-tour, but we probably will have to provide safety boats and a hut to house the boats."
