Policy Papers Developed by NRCA

In order to ensure that the principles set out Jamaica's environment are advanced, the Government has adopted a number of objectives for its environmental policy, including:

• Ensuring that Jamaicans are aware and committed people to their environment;
• Using non-renewable resources wisely;
• Using renewable resources in a sustainable manner;
• Ensuring good air quality;
• Ensuring adequate supplies of good quality water;
• Proper planning of land use preserving bio-diversity;
• Promoting global cooperation;
• Enhancing the natural environment;
• Preserving the marine environment;
• Developing tools for sustainable development

During 1997, coral reef protection assumed added urgency as a result of international initiatives to counter the widespread destruction and degradation of reef systems worldwide. This policy is intended to be adopted in order to improve the protection of coral reefs and by so doing to sustain their ecological and socio-economic functions. The goals of the policy include:

• Reducing the quantity of pollutants being released to the coastal environment with special emphasis on nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment;
• Reversing the trend of overfishing by more stringent regulation of the fishing industry, particularly with respect to trap and net type and mesh specifications;
• Reducing the physical damage of reefs as a result of recreational boating, souvenir hunting, spear fishing, dynamiting and other human activities;
• Improving the response capability for dealing with oil and other chemical spills;
• Ensuring that Jamaica's public and private sectors avoid coastal zone development which contributes to coral reef destruction and/or degradation.
Specifically, this policy seeks to:
• Improve the management of coral reefs;
• Improve the capability of organizations, individuals and communities having an interest in coral reef management;
• Promote research and monitoring;
• Promote periodic review to determine the effectiveness of management strategies