MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA – In keeping with its efforts to protect the delicate reefsand marine life in Jamaica’s waters, the Sandals Foundation has stepped up its efforts in establishing Marine Protected Areas (MPA) off the coast of the island.
Following the setup of the Boscobel marine sanctuary – situated close to Beaches Ocho Rios in St. Mary, Jamaica – the Whitehouse marine sanctuary has now been gazetted and both are being managed by the Sandals Foundation.
Having adopted these sanctuaries, the Sandals Foundation is committed to securing marker buoys in designated areas, reef and fish population monitoring; and working alongside the Jamaican Government, fisher folk and community members to ensure Jamaicans are aware of the benefits of marine sanctuaries.
Meanwhile, the MPAs that have been undertaken in Whitehouse and Boscobel also happen to fall within the Sandals Foundation’s remit of upholding their commitment to the Caribbean Challenge, announced at the Caribbean Summit of Political and Business Leaders in May 2013.
The ‘Caribbean Challenge’ calls for protected zones along the Caribbean’s coasts by 2020, and in response, the Sandals Foundation will support the C-FISH Fund among other initiatives. This fund is a private-public partnership with the aim of providing sustainable financial support to fish sanctuaries in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. The Sandals Foundation will partner to put mechanisms in place to bring sustainable funding through tourism for the C-FISH Fund.
“Going forward, we will be helping to address marine and coastal protection; the restoration of coastal resources; sustainable fisheries; adaptation to climate change and marine pollution,” said Heidi Clarke, Director of Programmes of the Sandals Foundation.
Marine life in Jamaica’s waters have suffered from over fishing, pollution, an increase in sediment deposits from deforestation and the growth of more algae than coral. The Foundation therefore carries out beach and reef cleanups, and facilitates environmental education in schools and fishing communities.
Dr. Owen Day of CARIBSAVE has endorsed the Sandals Foundation MPAs.He described the launch of the Boscobel marine sanctuary in 2009 as “good news for everyone, as Marine Protected Areas are increasingly recognized by scientists as an important approach for conserving Caribbean marine ecosystems and for generating income and sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities.”
