Noel Thompson, Freelance Writer

PETERKIN

WESTERN BUREAU:

President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Horace Peterkin, says the organisation is fully behind the group lobbying Government for the protection of the Cockpit Country.

Citing that it is one of the best heritage and ecological areas in the world, Peterkin says the Cockpit Country provides incredible water sources and has all kinds of endemic species of birds and creatures, which Jamaica cannot afford to lose.

Not worth destroying

"If you protect this area, it is worth a lot more in its pristine condition than you can earn from any kind of bauxite. Even if you find diamond or gold, it will not be worth destroying that area," Peterkin stated.

He cites that not enough thought is being given to protecting the country's environment. "I congratulate the environmental lobbyists and various interest groups for fighting tooth and nail to get the Government to back down from having mining take place in the Cockpit Country," he said.

The JHTA head was addressing about 50 awardees at the Round Hill Hotel's annual staff party in Hanover on Wednesday night. Twenty-eight employees were honoured for giving between 10 and 40 years service to the hotel.

Peterkin applauded the staff for having been instrumental in seeing the Round Hill Hotel emerge the winner of the World's Leading Villa Operations for five consecutive years and winning the Caribbean Hotel Association Crystal Palm Award from a field of 900 hotels.

Addressing the recent outbreak of the malaria disease in parts of Kingston and St. Catherine, he said there are no reports from any of the JHTA members that they are being affected. "There is no alarm and no tour operator has made any attempt to cancel any business. I am confident it will not cause any kind of disruption in the sector," he said.