coral reefs.

These natural features provide a coastal resource base that contributes

significantly to the economic well-being of the country through tourism. More
significantly, most of the Jamaican people live in coastal plains and ipso facto the
majority of the economic activities within the country occur there, making coastal zone
management very important for the country.

The wetland areas are important to the coastal ecosystem in that they provide habitat for a
wide variety of organisms (e.g. birdsthere, making coastal zone management very
important for the country.

The wetland areas are important to the coastal ecosystem in that they provide habitat for a
wide variety of organisms (e.g. birds, crabs, oysters), a nursery area for fish and lobsters,
and provide protection to the shoreline from wave action. The area of Jamaica's wetlands
(mangrove forests and salt marshes) has been steadily decreasing, with a corresponding
decrease in fish and wildlife and an increase in coastal erosion. In the past, the
importance of wetland areas (then called swamps) was not recognized. Considered
eyesores and breeding grounds for mosquitos, many were drained or dumped up and
acres of mangrove forest were cut down to make way for the construction of houses,
hotels or other structures. At the same time, mangroves provided an income for smallscale harvesters of timber. Today, the pressure on the mangroves has increased
tremendously. Mangrove poles are used for fuelwood, to make charcoal, as fence posts,
stakes, yamsticks, scaffolding and construction material. The requirement that permits
must be obtained before cutting is totally ignored, and mangroves are de facto an open
access resource. New harvesting technology (chain saws) has dramatically increased the
quantity of timber harvested, and clear-cutting is making natural regeneration difficult. In
addition, wetland areas are still targets for construction projects.

Jamaica has extensive coral reefs which are important as habitat for a complex mixture of
fish, invertebrates and algae. Jamaica's coral reefs are commercially important for two
main reasons: most of Jamaica's artisanal fishers use traps aimed at capturing reef fish;
and the reefs are important dive sites for water sports operators in the tourism industry.
Recent years have seen extensive degradation of Jamaica's coral reefs, leading to
decreases in fish catches and increases in visitor dissatisfaction. Recent hurricanes
(particularly Allen in 1980 and Gilbert in 1988) have caused major structural damage to
Jamaica's coral reefs. This is an unavoidable occurrence, from which the reefs are
normally able to recover; however other factors are hampering reef restoration. Pollution
of the marine environment by sewage has promoted the growth of algae which are stifling
the coral organisms (eutrophication). The sea urchins, major reef grazers who can usually
be expected to keep algae growth in check, were almost wiped out by a viral disease in
the 1980s, which promoted reef death. The reduction of fish grazers (e.g. parrot fish) due
to overfishing has also made a significant contribution to eutrophication. The widespread
use of fishing methods such as dynamite and certain toxic substances are destructive and
avoidable.

Numerous sandy beaches around Jamaica's coastline and on several inshore cays are invaluable
to the tourism industry for the enjoyment of local and foreign visitors. This resource is under
threat from pollution, erosion and illegal sand mining. The erosion of Jamaica's shoreline may be
attributed to several factors. The degradation of coral reefs and mangrove forests have exposed
the sandy beaches to increased wave action, and the illegal but common practice of mining sand
from beaches has exacerbated the problem. Both recreational and fishing beaches have been
fouled by the pileup of refuse, debris and fish offal, as well as by occasional offshore and
nearshore oil spills. The quality of the water around several recreational beaches is deteriorating

Coastal and Marine Resources

Management
due to pollution,

Jamaica possesses a varied and irregular coastline which gives rise to a unique ecosystem
formed by the integration of coastal features that include harbours, bays, beaches, rocky
shores, estuaries, mangrove swamps, cays, and coral reefs. These natural features provide
a coastal resource base that contributes significantly to the economic well-being of the
country through tourism. More significantly, most of the Jamaican people live in coastal
plains and ipso facto the majority of the economic activities within the country occur
there, making coastal zone management very important for the country.

The wetland areas are important to the coastal ecosystem in that they provide habitat for a
wide variety of organisms (e.g. birdsof the economic activities within the country occur
there, making coastal zone management very important for the country.

The wetland areas are important to the coastal ecosystem in that they provide habitat for a
wide variety of organisms (e.g. birds

The importance of sea grass beds in the growth cycles of fish, lobsters and other
commercially important species is recognized by scientists but has not been fully
explored. Indeed there is very little information available on the extent and location of
sea grass beds on Jamaica's coastal shelves and (inshore and offshore) banks.

Jamaica's marine environment is notoriously overfished; indeed the CARICOM Fisheries

Resource Assessment and Management Programme (CFRAMP) has declared Jamaican w
Jamaica, have an effective aperture of 1 cm (0.4"), which is very destructive of fish
populations. Dynamite destroys fish habitat, as do certain toxic substances currently in
use and certain seine and trammel nets. Other nets are destructive of fish (e.g. gill nets)
and the mesh in most nets is quite small. The laws of Jamaica which address fisheries
management are deficient. The Wildlife Protection Act (1945) states that juvenile fish are
to be protected, and that the definition of juvenile fish will be provided in accompanying
regulations; those regulations were never issued. The Fishing Industry Act (1975) does
not set minimum mesh sizes for fishtraps, and there are several large loopholes in its
provisions.

Wild stocks of a few species of invertebrates have been traditionally exploited by

artisanal fishers. Lobster, shrimp and crabs (crustaceans), conch and oysters (mollusc)
were generally lightly harvested, but in recent years, increases in demand have led to
large increases in fishing pressure. A lucrative export market for lobster and conch has