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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE July 12, 2005
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| September 16, 2004 |
Montego Bay, Jamaica - Marine Park Trust |
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| Boy crossing the street in downtown Montego Bay |
Montego Bay is one of Jamaica's largest tourist destinations. As a result, the population of the city has grown from 15,000 people in the 1970s to roughly 115,000 today. This population boom, together with rising development, has damaged the bay's coastline, and today the conservation of its vibrant wildlife faces many challenges. To ensure the bays protection, in 1992 the government of Jamaica turned the coastal waters of Montego Bay into a protected wildlife preserve. In 1996 the responsibility of the wildlife preserve was then delegated to the NGO, Montego Bay Marine Park Trust (MBMPT). Andrew Ross, a marine biologist working for MBMPT met with Peace Boat during its recent visit to talk about the importance of protecting the bay and the thousand plus marine species it inhabits. |
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| Marine biologist Andrew Ross of Montego Bay Marine Park Trust |
"In Montego Bay there are wetlands, estuaries, mangroves, and coral reefs all in one small place," said Andrew. "MBMPT must show that all of these unique environments are connected, and the destruction of one results in the destruction of the entire ecosystem." Andrew explained that to protect this wildlife, MBMPT works on several outreach programs to raise awareness of its value among the local community. As part of his presentation Andrew asked: !Where does the Marine Park fit within the community of Montego Bay? One role is by showing people, in this area, because of tourism, these natural resources are valuable alive." |
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| Heather Crawford sets up for her presentation |
Heather Crawford an outreach worker for MBMPT also accompanied Andrew to discuss her work within the community. She explained that her outreach work has two main objectives; first, to get fishermen permits within the park, and secondly, to reduce the amount of solid waste in the bay. The bay has roughly 220 fishermen that depend on it, but the organization only allows 120 permits to be issued - "...even this is too many," said Heather. "My job is to make fishermen understand that we are not taking away their livelihood, but trying to maintain their livelihood." |
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| A view of the bay's coast from the catamaran |
Anchor damage, construction, sewage, corals smothered by sediments, and solid waste are all examples of the challenges MBMPT faces to preserve the bay. However, because of its protection, coral reefs are beginning to repair and fish populations have increased. Recently in the effort to reduce solid waste Heather has seen many improvements, and she is happy with the role the city has taken to employ litter wardens, who work within the community to control trash disposal. |
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| Mangrove trees make up one of four ecosystems of the bay |
After the presentation, participants jumped onto a catamaran to appreciate the dynamic ecosystems of the bay. Passing by clusters of lime green mangrove trees, Andrew pointed out Bird Island, an island of mangroves and home to as many as ten thousand birds per night. To see another of the bay's beautiful ecosystems, Andrew encouraged over twenty participants to throw on some snorkeling gear and take a better look at the colorful underwater life of a coral reef. After experiencing an up-close look at the reef, participants then returned to Peace Boat with a better understanding of the complex environment MBMPT is determined to protect. |
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