By Keril Wright, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE JAPANESE government has donated equipment valued in excess of $3 million, to the Montego Bay Marine Park.
The donation is for the establishment of an audio-visual laboratory. With this new facility, the Marine Park can now produce environmental films for use in its education campaign, one of which was shown on Wednesday at the dedication ceremony for the new facility.
Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica Isao Otsuka said Wednesday that the Japanese government was most pleased to be of assistance in providing the equipment which would ensure continued monitoring, patrolling and conservation of the marine coastal reserves in the area.
"The lab can be seen as a vital component of the overall resources conservation effort so that each and every individual will understand the importance of these marine resources and the impact that their presence will have on this critical aspect of Jamaica's heritage," he said.
He added that the facility has the capacity to serve as a model for other parts of the island and encouraged other tourism centres on both the North and South Coast to emulate the example being set by the Montego Bay Marine Park.
The agreement to provide the environmental group with the necessary equipment was signed last February by Ambassador Takashi Matsumoto, Otsuka's predecessor.
Executive director of the Marine Park, Jill Williams, said the group has been able to acquire a pick-up truck, an outdoor motor, a digital still camera with all the accompanying additions, a computer for editing and displaying productions, a laptop computer, a video data projector with accompanying equipment and Internet software.
The Marine Park manages Montego Bay's marine resources and sees to their conservation. The park boundaries extend from the Sangster International Airport to the Great River, a distance of about 9 kilometres, and includes the sea and sea-floor out to a depth of about 100m, which is an approximate area of 15.3 sq. km.
