Photo Port Antonio 1867 A. Duperly & Sons
Background
The parish of Portland on the north eastern coast of Jamaica has so far not seen the type of mass tourism development that has occurred in other parts of the island. Portland encompasses some of the most spectacular and diverse scenery in Jamaica – from the heights of the Blue and John Crow Mountains to a variety of coastal landscapes – rocky shore, white and black sand beaches, coves, rivers and waterfalls.
Port Antonio Photos courtesy Liz Maher
Portland is also rich in heritage and historical resources from the maroon locations of Charles Town, Moore Town and Maroon town, to the ruins of the 1700’s Fort George at Titchfield School, the neo Romanesque Anglican Church built in 1840 and the quaint Massachusetts sea captain homes such as the De Montevin lodge.
Portland is known for some of Jamaica’s most famous attractions – Blue Lagoon, rafting on the Rio Grande, Reich Falls at Drivers River in Manchioneal, Somerset Falls, Nonesuch caves, Boston Beach, Winifred Beach, Long Bay, Folly Point, and Navy Island.
First developed for tourism in the mid 19th century, Portland enjoyed an economic boom associated with the banana industry for over a hundred years and this was followed by the construction of high end tourism properties at Titchfield in the early 1900’s, Bonnie View in the 1950’s, Frenchman’s Cove and Trident in the early 1960’s, Dragon Bay in the early 1970’s.
Portland also has a number of smaller hotels, including Fern Hill, Goblin Hill, Jamaica Crest, the Castle, Mocking Bird Hill and many villas, the most spectacular of which are located along the San San coast and on the road to the Blue Lagoon.
In recent years access to Portland has become increasingly difficult, as a result of poor road conditions and the cessation of scheduled flights to Ken Jones airstrip in April 2007. The Parish also suffers from constraints of water supply, and although Portland has the highest annual rainfall in Jamaica and an abundance of rivers and streams, there are no water storage facilities. Sewage treatment is also problematic – there is no central sewage system in the parish, although one is currently being planned at Turtle Crawle. Villas and hotels located in close proximity to the coast employ a range of sewage treatment options; some effective and others not. There are 500 villa and hotel rooms now available, given the closure of Dragon Bay and the renovation of Trident Hotel. The main economic activities are agriculture and tourism.
Plans for the renovation of Titchfield Hotel and the villas on Navy Island are in train and new environmentally sensitive developments such as Geegam and Canopy on the shores of the Blue Lagoon have occurred. Ownership of the resort properties is a mix of foreign and local with key emphasis on preserving the magic of the area.
RECENT EVENTS AFFECTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN JAMAICA
As a small island developing country, Jamaica is vulnerable to downturns in the world economy, to climate change, and to the continuing degradation of the environment.
Jamaica has entered a period of profound economic turbulence caused by the current meltdown of world financial markets, the recent bursting of a local five year speculative bubble based on foreign exchange trading and pyramid schemes, and the deep recession now engulfing US and European economies. Already, this can be seen in the expected performance of Jamaica`s main foreign exchange earners. In recent months bauxite revenue to the government has gone from J$ 5.0 billion in 2007/2008, to an expected J$ 139 million in 2009/2010. Remittances from abroad have fallen by 16.6% and tourism earnings are projected to decline in 2009/2010 by as much as 20-30%. Invariably, this will lead to successive devaluations of the J $ and significant increases in national debt and debt servicing.
Unlike the US and other countries, the Jamaican government has virtually no capacity to mobilize significant financial resources to confront this crisis through major investments in Education, Health, Environment, Agriculture and basic infrastructure. It is burdened by large persistent fiscal deficits (now 5.3 % of GDP) and, as a consequence, one of the highest levels of debt in the world (approx.140% of GDP); a disproportionate amount of national revenue committed to debt servicing (almost 60%); and little or no access to grant and concessionary finance from international donors and financing agencies. As for the Private Sector, its contribution to national economic and social development has been disappointing, to say the least. Because of extremely high interest rates on government’s domestic debt and commercial lending from banks for the past twenty years or so, it has had little incentive to engage in productive job-creating economic activities. Indeed, government debt has succeeded in crowding out private investment by (a) reducing the amount of credit available to the private sector; and (b) driving up interest rates to heights that discourage investments and makes uncompetitive those businesses that need credit to operate and invest. In fact, as stated by the Prime Minister in his Budget Presentation to Parliament in May 2009, “banks have become unenthusiastic about lending for real investment, preferring instead to spend much of their time counting the deposits they take in, calculating their returns on the last issue of government paper and awaiting the next one. They are not too keen on taking on the burden of assessing a loan application, modelling projections and validating market analysis. For many, banking has come to mean high returns and low risks”.
On the environmental front, there has been, by any objective measure, a consistent failure of the citizens and government of Jamaica to prevent the continuing and accelerated deterioration of Jamaica`s most important assets - its land, forests, mountains, rivers, beaches, reefs and sea. Forests and watersheds continue to be threatened by population growth, agricultural expansion, shifting cultivation and mining, land clearing for housing and the consumption of wood for energy. Rivers and the sea are being inundated with sewage effluent, chemical/insecticide poisoning and mountains of solid waste such as plastic garbage. Beach erosion, overfishing and coral reef degradation have become the most noteworthy features of the marine environment. In fact, Jamaica has now achieved the dubious distinction of having 99% of its coral reefs at risk, and being the most overfished country in the Caribbean. In the case of tourism, in particular, the physical deterioration of public places, the insecurity, the visitor harassment and the blaring day and night of sound systems are calculated more to drive away tourists than to welcome them.
In his recent Budget Presentation the Prime Minister tabled before Parliament, the National Development Plan for Jamaica (Vision 2030) and the Medium Term Socio-Economic Policy Framework setting out a range of policy actions to get the country on the path of sustained growth and prosperity. He also challenged a wide range of stakeholders, including the private sector and individual Jamaicans, to participate in and assume responsibility for their own development, while highlighting a number of initiatives to this effect. These include:
* Participation of the private sector, trade unions and the Opposition through the Partnership for Transformation, and The Social Partnership, aimed at building support and forging a consensus around national strategic objectives, policies and plans;
* As an intended consequence of the government strategy of tightening public expenditure, partnership with the private sector to undertake some public investments, investing the money they would otherwise have invested in government paper;
* A call for all Jamaicans to develop a sense of their individual responsibility and for a conversation to take place on what is government and what is the responsibility of government. As illustrations of that ongoing national conversation he pointed to The National Transformation Programme being spearheaded by the Rev. Al Miller to get people in their homes and communities to start taking responsibility. Similarly, he cited the Parenting Commission being spearheaded by the Minister of Education to get parents to start taking responsibility.
However, what was noticeable by its absence in his call for partnership and individual responsibility, was recognition of the work of numerous civil society organizations operating in Jamaican society; although the Minister of Security did go out of his way, some days later, to laud and support the efforts of one of the best known of these organizations: Jamaicans For Justice.
In the environmental field, Jamaica is fortunate in having a small but dedicated number of civil society organisations striving to contribute to the sustainable management of economic and environmental resources. Regrettably, most of them have suffered from government neglect and a reluctance/unwillingness to recognise how critically important their efforts could be in creating economic opportunities and improving the quality of life of ordinary Jamaicans. Moreover, they are ill equipped to confront the systemic failure in sustainably managing and conserving natural resources that is in large measure due to the ineffectiveness of key institutions such as the NRCA, NEPA, and the Parish Councils, and the plethora of un-coordinated local and national initiatives lacking policy direction, resources, and government support.
There is therefore an overwhelming need for farsighted, courageous and innovative political leadership combined with citizen/stakeholder participation to confront the current economic and environmental crisis. The Prime Minister`s recent decision to take over the environmental portfolio would seem to provide the opportunity for such a sea change in governance. Only the power and prestige of his office can bring the often competing and fractious government agencies, members of the private sector, and other civil society organisations, to work together under a national policy and regulatory framework. Similarly, the Prime Minister is best placed, at a time of extremely scarce government resources to: (a) motivate and galvanise the private sector and non- governmental community to actively participate in and contribute additional resources to this overarching effort; and (b)to ensure compatibility of short term opportunities and benefits with the long term goals of economic and environmental sustainability.
But it is also incumbent on those operating at local and community levels, such as the San San Association, who wish to engage with the government and the private sector, to organize themselves to bring to the table a coherent vision and plan of what they are willing and able to contribute.
ISSUES REGARDING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN PORTLAND
Some attempts have been made in the past to promote sustainable development in Portland. The most noteworthy occurred in the mid 1990s, when a draft proposal for a marine protected area for Portland was developed. The area concerned was (describe it). Led by the Portland Environmental Protection Association (PEPA), the Portland Area Marine Park (PAMP) enjoyed some level of public consultation, but no consensus was reached on the management regime and the protected area/marine park was never declared.
More recently, the Portland Development Order has been completed in the past three to four years. Some level of public consultation took place under the Town and Country Planning Act, which requires consultation with landowners only. The Order has reportedly been signed by the Prime Minister, but is not available to the public until it has been presented to Cabinet. It is therefore difficult at this time to know to what extent it promotes/enables concerted action in addressing the many outstanding issues regarding sustainable development in Portland. These include:
* The campaign to keep Pellew Island in its natural state, including the possibility of purchasing it and placing it in a land trust.
* The rights of access of San San property owners to the San San Beach.
* Finding out what is planned for Portland in the short and medium term under the Portland Development Plan. One particularly sensitive issue is the densities to be allowed under the Plan. This is where the rubber meets the road - if a park is declared but the development plan allows high densities, then that's what will get built. A Parish Development Committee similar to those in St. Ann and Manchester should be established to warn the public of large scale plans before they are finalized.
* Revisiting the Portland Marine Park to advocate/ensure that it is legally declared; that its boundaries are adequate by including e.g. enough land area as most of the effects on the sea are land based; and that some kind of management organization is set up to run it. Getting it declared is straight advocacy work that does not need a lot of money- and though the protected area designation alone will not protect anything, it is a critical first step. It would also build on the extensive work already done that failed principally because of lack of local funding, in particular the 30% that international funding agencies require from stakeholders to fund projects.
* Getting the government to designate certain parts of the coastline protected seascapes. There is a proposed designation for this under the law, but no one has ever done it. Long Bay springs immediately to mind, but there are other parts of the coast that could qualify. A consultant could be contracted to make recommendations. This should stop (or at least delay) the type of development that moves the road inland and then "captures" the sea.
* Reviewing and cleaning up all the fishing beaches in Portland. Work with the fishers to get them to observe closed seasons, use large size mesh for their traps, and observe fish sanctuaries. Give them refrigeration and market facilities. Train some to act as snorkelling guides. See if they can agree to Portland being the first place in Jamaica to protect parrot fish - important herbivores which conserve the reefs.
* Reviewing and cleaning up all the public beaches in Portland. Conduct surveys as to who uses them, whether they think they should be free or not, and what kind of facilities should be there. Develop standards for Portland's public beaches - keep the trees, or plant new ones, thatch roof shelters, no disposable items, picnic areas, proper bathrooms and washing areas. Make sure there are places Jamaicans can go to in Portland - to the beach, to watch the sunset, just to look over a great view.
* Undertaking rapid reef assessments to start collecting data on the coral reefs and assess their health. Find out where the problem sites are, and where are the areas in good shape that should be jealously guarded.
* Launching a water quality monitoring programme. Much of the coral reef die off in Jamaica has been caused by land based pollution, mostly from sewage, and poor fishing practices. Publish the results. If people on the coast have inadequate sewage treatment, get them to clean it up, starting with those who can afford it. Monitor the results. Get people to start understanding that algae on a reef means there is a problem.
* Establishing standards for all types of developments - attractions, hotels, housing, beaches, roads, lay bys, and protection of views. A consultant could do this and then his findings/recommendations could be presented to the public and the govt.
* Re-launching the greening efforts for the accommodation sector, particularly in light of the fact that Jamaica has now been named as one of the 6 Caribbean islands that are in the top 40 climate hotspots in the world experiencing extreme weather impacts due to climate change risk (German Watch 2009 climate risk index). The issue is to convince the operators. A lot of work has been done in conjunction with benchmarking as a first step towards certification as a green destination by Green Globe. Again, this work was halted due to lack of funds but most of the documentation can be retrieved and the programme re-launched and continued; starting with an estimate and action plan from those who spear-headed the previous attempt funded by USAID.
* Improving sanitation and sewage treatment, especially as regards certification as a sustainable destination. Investigate what is happening to most of the sewage. Is the new sewage treatment plant at Turtle Crawle sufficient? The Port Antonio Water, Drainage and Sewage Project is reputed to be on track for completion by the fourth quarter of 2011, with a contract for the construction of the new sewage plant scheduled to be awarded in the third quarter of 2009, with a 22-month construction period. Also, the installation of the new sewage lines will take place under two contract packages - stage one and stage two- with stage one beginning in May 2009 with construction to last 18 months.
* Carrying out an assessment of solid waste in Portland - where's it all going? What's the state of the dump? Is everything ending up in the sea like the rest of the island? Should a proper landfill programme with recycling arrangements be launched? It appears that lot of ground work has already been done to try and set up a system in Portland for this- perhaps even provide incentives to establish private companies to deal with it.
* Establishing an inventory of attractions - existing and potential. Get someone who really knows what they are doing to assess them - often, the way attractions are developed in Jamaica destroys them e.g. exotic plants are brought in, the sewage is not properly treated, river banks are cleared leading to erosion, waste is burnt etc. Come up with a phased plan to address/resolve problems.
* Educating (PEPA?) the public by developing, for example, really cool, rustic signage, garbage bins, bus stops, vendor’s stalls, benches in lookout points. These would need the approval of the govt. Let people know they are in a part of the island where different rules apply - somewhere really Jamaican, really environmentally friendly, really beautiful and worth protecting.
* Developing employment generating opportunities that help people in Portland - for instance, training in authentic craft work (not giant penises and giraffes), food handling, and other tourism related employment activities, get the market in Port Antonio looking great and make sure it becomes a resource for farmers as well.
* Fixing-up Blue Hole and opening it to the public. Although it is privately owned, it is a national resource and should not be in the kind of limbo it is in. The development should be low impact, tasteful and the sewage treatment should be tertiary. No motorized craft allowed.
* Cleaning up and rehabilitating Folly. It is now a dump and should be a big public park, green space, for recreation as well as nature appreciation.
* Cleaning up Port Antonio. Identify some old buildings that perhaps could be saved. Paint them and fix them up.
* Funding beach clean-up. This happens the third week of Sept every year. Really promote this and get all Portlanders to come out and clean the beaches.
* Revisiting the proposed "Highway development, "which will decimate the area if it follows the original plan. Lobby for rerouting on existing off-coast road.
* Promoting village development –to enhance villages and create community tourism offers –see Marvin Goodman's plan for Drapers.
* Reviewing/assessing available funding (grant, soft loan) for investment in renewable energy, recycling etc.
A STRATEGY AND PLAN OF ACTION FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF SAN SAN AND ITS ADJACENT COMMUNITIES
Portlanders and Jamaicans from other parts of the island have long articulated a parish vision of high end, low impact, environmentally sensitive tourism development. In mid 2009, there is particular concern about the direction of Portland’s development, in view of the rapid expansion of large scale hotels along Jamaica’s north coast, often in the absence of the required social and environmental infrastructure, the completion of the North Coast Highway from Negril to Port Antonio scheduled for completion shortly, plans for a new international airport at Duckenfield, the improvement of some attractions, and a proposed villa development on Pellew Island, just off the San San coast.
The likelihood of a deep and prolonged recession in the United States and Europe means that there is little chance that further significant investments in mass tourism will materialize in the near future. This may force the powers to be to adopt a more differentiated approach, with a greater emphasis on small scale eco tourism development that is more visitor-friendly and suitable for Portland. Furthermore, there have been a number of developments showing a heightened awareness of the local citizenry to the dangers of damaging Portland`s unique environmental assets. The most recent concerns a proposed development of Pellew Island, an iconic image of Jamaica’s coastline and a much loved place, visited year round by locals and visitors alike. The prospect of exclusion from this small cay galvanized Jamaicans both residents and non residents of Portland, visitors and Jamaicans overseas, to try and ensure that it remains in its natural state. Similarly, there has been a recent stand-off between the UDC and local concerned citizenry about plans to develop and manage Winifred Beach, another place much loved by locals and visitors alike.
These citizen initiatives can be seen as a wake-up call for closer consultation and involvement of local communities in their own economic and environmental development. But in order to do so effectively these communities need to respond to the Prime Minister`s call for responsibility, participation and partnership and come together to agree on how best they can contribute to Portland’s development and the protection of its most important environmental resources/assets. In particular, they should seize the opportunity provided by the Portland Development Order to guide and influence economic and social development at the local and community levels in a sustainable and environmentally friendly direction.
The San San Association is fortunate in counting among its members, a number of prominent businessmen and philanthropists, local and foreign - to say nothing of an important member of the government in the Prime Minister`s Office with special responsibility for the environment. It is therefore incumbent on it, as a community based organization, to publicly declare its interest and willingness to make a contribution to the sustainable and environmentally sound development of San San, its adjacent communities, and the Parish of Portland. One practical way of doing this could be to develop a strategy and action plan that would indicate how and in what areas it is willing and able to work with government, local authorities and other stakeholders. This could take multiple forms ranging from lobbying or petitioning government and local authorities, to participating in or funding projects etc.
One way to begin this process could be to organize a conference which would serve as a starting point and platform for disseminating and sharing all the available information and for forging a consensus and road map on developing and implementing such a strategy and plan of action. Areas covered by the conference could include:
1. villa development;
2. hotel development;
3. public beach and coastline access;
4. identification of required infrastructure (roads, water, energy, schools, housing, sewage, airport, training for workers, other);
5. attraction development;
6. protected area/protected landscape development;
7. guidelines for resource users (e.g. fishermen);
8. protection of landscapes, tree preservation, solid waste management;
Copyright © Freddy Zenny, San San Association
