Margaret Morris, Contributor
PHOTO BY HAILE A. CLACKEN: Bluefields is a scenic example of the pristine beaches found on the south coast, St Elizabeth.
WE USED to call it Shell Beach this small crescent of snowy sand edged by translucent water and strewn with nature's jewels. For decades it had been a fisherman's beach, an unofficial public park and tourist attraction a place to stroll, swim, picnic and relax.
Clearly visible from the main road and providing one of the most beautiful vistas along the entire north coast, it enriched the lives of passersby as well. East and south-east of Shell Beach, a small dry limestone forest sheltered endemic wildlife. South and west of the beach was a wetland, several blue holes, a small river estuary, sandy coves and patches of mangrove.
A friend of mine describing the off-shore turtle grass nurseries replete with fish spawn said with awe in his voice, "there were times when the water was like jelly." Protecting this fecund little bay there was a unique coral reef with underwater caverns and rare sponges one of he best dive sites in Jamaica and a research site for the nascent Discovery Marine Lab. This compact, diverse and unique eco-system is still known as Pear Tree River Bottom or Pear Tree Bay. A government Green Paper (1/95) recommended its inclusion in a System of Protected Areas. Its potential as a National Park was immense.
Forget for a moment Jamaica's dire need for such havens and focus on the benefits to tourism: small, diverse, manageable and very accessible. Pear Tree Bottom could have been developed into a unique eco-tourism attraction, an asset that is still in very short supply here despite the fact that eco-tourism is the leading edge of tourism development worldwide.
Sadly, the owners of this priceless bit of real estate (Tankweld) and the powers that be (Cabinet) do not see Pear Tree Bottom that way. So this unique piece of our national
heritage has now been dedicated to mass tourism. It is a done deal: The Pinero group of Spain is already proceeding with the construction of a sprawling, multi-story, 2000-room pleasure palace cum fun factory: the Bahia Principe, Runaway Bay. And they are charging ahead without any of the customary approvals and with total disregard for environmental concerns. And why not? They have the blessing of the Government.
On April 8, our National Environmental Protection Agency granted Pinero permission to start clearing the site. Even before that an ugly security fence was almost complete.
NJCA (Northern Jamaica Conservation Association) St. Ann's environmental NGO has being trying for years to protect the site and get it declared a national park.
NCJA objected to the clearing of the site and on June 13 sent a letter to NEPA's acting chief executive officer Hopeton Heron, which began:
"We wish to record our strong objection to the following actions of NEPA:
The granting of permission on April 8, 2005 for the clearing of an environmentally sensitive and significant site for a proposed major resort development by Hoteles Piñero Jamaica (HOJAPI) Limited at Pear Tree Bottom in St. Ann, prior to the
granting of an environmental permit for which the developers had applied; prior to a public hearing for the review of an Environmental Impact Assessment for the project (held on April 28, 2005); prior to the expiration of the 30-day period allowed for public comment on the proposed development after the public hearing; prior to the finalisation of recommendations of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Branch of NEPA and the Technical Review Committee (TRC) of the Natural Resources Conservation Authority; prior to a development application being submitted to the St. Ann Parish Council; prior to the approval of the project by the St. Ann Parish Council, the local planning authority.
The failure of NEPA to
monitor the results of this action.
The failure of NEPA to ensure the protection of the environment and compliance with the environmental and planning laws of Jamaica, including the Town and Country Planning (St. Ann Parish) Provisional Development Order, 1998 (which was passed in 2000).
NJCA also informed Mr Heron that:
" ... within a few days all of the dry limestone forest on the north side of the site, except for a narrow band of trees along the fence line bordering the highway, was reduced to piles of burning logs. The site has been virtually stripped of vegetation, leaving a ground surface of exposed rock and soil. To make matters worse, the clearing of the forest took place during the nesting season for the forest's birds, and has resulted in the unnecessary death of countless baby birds that were almost ready to fledge, as witnessed by nearby residents. NEPA failed to prevent or stop the unlawful burning of the cut vegetation, which began on Friday, May 27 and continued for over three days."
And that "the developers have brought in and dumped tons of soil (red dirt) and marl on the substrate, which consists mainly of porous limestone, pitted with holes. The clearing of vegetation and dumping of soil/marl were done at the height of the rainy season, and this resulted in massive siltation of the adjacent coastal waters during and after the heavy rains of the weekend of May 21-22, 2005".
CAPTURING PUBLIC BEACHES
NJCA's letter then raised a longstanding and sensitive issue: the collusion of the government in the 'capture' of a public bathing beach by Tankweld. It is not clear what persuaded the politicians to agree to move the main road inland, but they complied with the company's request thus blocking the previous panoramic sea view and effectively prohibiting easy access to the beach. After this, Shell Beach could only be accessed by trespassing on Tankweld's property, by wading along a narrow strip of coast or by sea. There was talk of providing another beach for the public when the hotel was built but neither hotel or public beach materialised.
Subsequently NEPA sanctioned Tankweld's attempts to improve the beach by dredging the foreshore and building groynes. These efforts which resulted in the degradation of the seabed and the reef are characterised by local fishermen as 'Doomvelopment'.
NJCA' s letter reminded NEPA that: " ... in the Development Order for St. Ann, the beach at Pear Tree Bottom is designated as a fishing/public bathing beach, and has been in continuous use as such for decades, until now: HOJAPI Limited have recently put up a chain link fence, partly lined with zinc, and installed security guards at gates to the property, which are kept locked. We object to the fact that access this designated public beach is now impossible from the land except by permission of the HOJAPI project manager."
The letter concluded : "We are writing on behalf of all the people, whether members of NJCA or not, who feel very strongly that their environmental rights have been infringed by the actions of NEPA. For many years the people of this area (and passing visitors) have been enjoying the unique benefits of ? Pear Tree Bottom ... Now, in 2005, as a direct result of NEPA's actions, in contravention of its mandate, this unique area of national and international ecological importance has suffered irreparable environmental damage."
NO RESPONSE
NJCA has not yet received a response from NEPA. The agency's lack of concern for this hardworking and committed NGO is, to put it mildly, unfortunate. Given the ecological importance of the site, this apparent lack of interest is puzzling.
NEPA's customary excuse for inaction is "lack of resources" meaning inadequate funding and too few officers. However, it is nearer the truth, in this case, to cite their lack of clout. The truth is that NEPA and the NRCA directors have no autonomy. The NRCA act makes it very clear that the minister has the final say in all decisions. The scientists are there to advise, the Minister is there to say "Yes," "No," and "This is the way it is going to go," and behind the minister looms the Prime Minister. It follows therefore that all environmental decisions, if they are considered important enough, are going to be decided, not by the advice of technocrats or experienced civil servants, but by the Prime Minister in Cabinet.
Circumstances have made this Cabinet desperate for 'development', hungry for foreign investment, paranoid about the crime situation, apprehensive about its inability to provide jobs and to consolidate votes. Along comes Grupo Pinero offering to build a huge hotel in what has recently been described as the poorest parish in the island. Do not talk to this Cabinet about the carrying capacity of the land or prate about its ecological values or sustainable development. Think of the jobs, think of the revenue, think of chalking up another 'solid achievement'.
It was a foregone conclusion that Pinero would get just about anything it asked for, and without delay. Was it not the minister of Development Robertson who boasted that no red tape is going to hold up any important projects?
That is exactly what is happening at Pear Tree Bay: the planning process short circuited, environmental protection ignored, sustainable development out the window, and the St Ann Parish Council effectively 'dissed' once again. Is this democracy at work in a 'failed' state?
