Peter Espeut ON FEBRUARY 2, 1971 the United Nations Convention on Wetlands and Water-fowl was signed in Ramsar, Iran (on the shores of the Caspian Sea). Twenty-seven years later (in February, 1998) Jamaica became a contracting party to the Ramsar Convention (what took us so long!), and under the convention, the Black River Lower Morass in St. Elizabeth has been designated a 'Wetland of International Importance'.
Wetlands are not very important in the minds of many Jamaicans. Indeed most of us call them 'swamps', and feel they should be dumped up and filled in because they breed mosquitoes and harbour diseases. And that is what we have done to almost all our north coast wetlands. In the name of tourism 'development' and housing 'development', thousands of acres of mangrove trees have been cut down and tons of rock and soil have been dumped and bulldozed into perfectly good, healthy, productive, useful wetlands. In this age where 'bad' means 'good', destruction goes by the name of 'development'.
The fact is, though, that mangroves perform many useful functions which directly and indirectly benefit us humans, and we Jamaicans have suffered harm because of their wanton destruction. Mangroves are the second line of defence of Jamaica's shoreline (after coral reefs) from the direct impact of hurricanes and storms. Those areas where mangroves have been removed suffer most during storms, and insurance companies pay dearly (so all our premiums go up), and the National Works Agency has to rebuild the roads and seawalls, etc. (and we pay for it in our taxes). I have always said that general insurance companies should be the largest donors to coral reef and wetland conservation; over time it will pay off handsomely in their bottom line.
Mangroves on river banks and the seafront remove nutrient pollution (sewage and fertiliser) from the coastal zone. As every household and farm release effluents (deadly to coral reefs) into soak-away pits and rivers, red, black and white mangroves strip them out, functioning as natural purifying agents. Without the cleansing presence of mangrove trees, even small amounts of sewage released into coastal waters will do damage. Indeed, tertiary sewage treatment the most effective involves the creation of artificial wetlands, where we seek to do artificially what nature has been doing for millennia. Removal of wetlands results in poorer marine water quality, threatening tourism.
WETLANDS PROVIDE HABITAT
Wetlands provide habitat for birds and crabs and oysters, and young fish grow in the shelter of mangrove roots. As we destroy our mangrove and other wetlands, we slowly destroy the basis of our fishing industry, pushing coastal populations deeper into poverty; and our fish import bill will rise, costing us scarce foreign exchange.
Tentacle-like mangrove roots trap sediments and extend the shoreline, thereby increasing the land area of Jamaica; they stabilise both the seafloor and the seashore, slowing down coastal erosion. Because we have destroyed so much wetland already, Jamaica is slowly getting smaller. Every time a mangrove forest is destroyed, we all suffer, whether we realise it or not.
The destruction of north coast wetlands at Dover (St. Mary), Falmouth (Trelawny) and elsewhere for fishponds is scandalous. We need the foreign exchange which can come from aquaculture, but surely not at the cost of the populations of native marine fish which need mangroves at the young end of their life cycle. Such unsustainable short-sightedness!
A few years ago I was shocked to see the damage to the Port Royal mangroves in the process of improving the road to Port Royal. In several places, debris had been pushed into the mangroves, and several of the trees were covered with tar. I am appalled at the casual way those in the construction industry treat our natural environment especially our wetlands.
What can I say about the irreparable damage done to wetlands and fisheries by the dumping of Hunt's Bay and Kingston Harbour by the Port Authority of Jamaica? It is a national scandal! Those responsible should be called upon to answer for their actions! And this includes the engineers and planners, people who should know better! At some personal risk, I cry shame upon the editors of this newspaper for selecting as 'Man of the Year' the person at the head of this travesty!
Six years after Jamaica signed the Ramsar Convention we are yet to offer any legal or other protection to our only Ramsar site; it may be of international importance, but it can't be of much importance to us. These last few weeks I have been frequenting the wetlands of St. Elizabeth, and I have observed several damaging fires and more than a little dumping of garbage. Jamaica's one Ramsar site which should be our pride and joy is a sham!
This notwithstanding, we have other important wetlands which deserve to become Ramsar sites: like the Negril Great Morass, the Morant Point Great Morass, the remaining Kingston Harbour mangroves, and the mangroves and salt marshes of Portland Bight.
We need to protect the few mangroves we have left; our quality of life and our future depend upon it! Most north coast wetlands have already been destroyed by construction either for tourism, roads or housing. Now there are backward business interests (and JAMPRO) seeking permission to destroy thousands of acres of mangroves on the south coast. Jamaica needs to make progress, but not at any cost.
We need to protect the few mangrove stands we have left; I would like to encourage all those who love this country to become activists for the protection of our natural environment and especially our wetlands.
What is needed is a greater sense of environmental awareness across the board, so that the private sector will not propose environmentally damaging projects, the citizenry will protest in their outrage, and government will not approve them.
Peter Espeut is a sociologist and executive director of an environment and development NGO.
