Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Matthew Samuda, says his Ministry will be advancing amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act with a view to tabling the bill before the end of the first quarter of the fiscal year that started April 1.

“The passing of this bill will clear the path for honouring of the Government’s commitment to finally ratify the SPAW Protocol (Specially Protected Species and Wildlife) this year,” Samuda remarked.

He was speaking on April 28 as he made his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.

He said the Government will also complete the long-awaited Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations under the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) Act.

Additionally, the Ministry is working with the NRCA and the National Environment and Planning Agency to advance work on five new protected areas under the NRCA Act. These are sections of Bengal, the Negril Environmental Protection Area, Long Mountain, Montpelier, and Canoe Valley.

Samuda also reminded that his Ministry, in collaboration with the Forestry Department, has declared 17 new forest management areas under the Forest Act in the 2025/26 fiscal year and is advancing work on the declaration of 22 new forest reserves by the second quarter of this fiscal year.

Jamaica currently protects approximately 25 per cent of its terrestrial land and 15 per cent of its Exclusive Economic Zone. The new declarations, according to Samuda, will contribute to the global target of the protection and conservation of at least 30 per cent of the world’s land, freshwater and ocean by the year 2030, commonly referred to as the 30×30 target.