Letters to the Editor
Ecology and the bottom line
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Dear Editor,
I am appalled that an organisation like the Negril Environment and Protection Trust will no longer be managing the Royal Palm Reserve because it cannot afford the lease payments to the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica. One would assume that such a facility would be treated as an asset not only to Jamaica's tourism in a time when there is global interest in environmental attractions, but even more important, as a critical part of Jamaica's ecosystem.
Why can't the PCJ collaborate with the Tourism Enhancement Fund and other stakeholders in Negril, in a combined effort to preserve the integrity of this environmental asset, which is critical to the preservation of Negril and the wider Jamaican environment?
The reserve is not your usual hyped-up attraction which can bring in quick profits. So if it is regarded mainly as part of tourism earnings, the operators will always be in debt. It therefore requires being treated as a special kind of operation which, while it may not attract thousands to boost the "bottom line", is of value to the ecosystem of the nation, an irreplaceable part of our natural heritage. We have to ensure its preservation. If we can do that and balance the ledger at the same time, then we are twice blessed. If we have to subsidise it to save it, it will be money well spent.
We see where PCJ is to advertise for a new manager. Question: Will that manager be required to pay a lease and what if a profit is not made so that the rent can be paid? What then? How much knowledge and experience of environmental matters will the new manager be required to have? These are questions which need answers.
The fate of our fragile ecosystem is everybody's business. While we're at it, kudos to the Observer for keeping the spotlight on environmental issues.
Mary L Martin
Kingston 8
 
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