Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the Government will be pursuing amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act and the Natural Resources Conservation Authority Act in this financial year.

Speaking yesterday (April 25, 2023) during the launch of the regional CoralCarib Project at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Minister Samuda said the amendments to are geared towards stemming the critical decline in the island’s coral reef structures.

“These amendments will facilitate increased fines and penalties which will assist greatly in deterring activities that are detrimental to the health of our reefs,” Minister Samuda said.

The Minister also disclosed that the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is developing and implementing the Action Plan for Corals and Reefs in Jamaica (2018-2023).

“The Plan seeks to conserve the island’s reef structures so that they can continue to provide vital ecosystem functions and services” he noted.

Jamaica is a member of several regional and international initiatives that support the management of the country’s marine and coastal environments including its biodiversity.

Minister Samuda stated that “the CoralCarib Project will complement the measures that the government is currently pursuing, to conserve the island’s marine and coastal ecosystems, particularly our coral reefs”.

The CoralCarib Project launch was held under the theme “A Climate Smart Approach to Coral Reef Conservation in the Caribbean.  It aims to improve marine biodiversity in 1,871 hectares of priority coral reef ecosystems in four targeted countries, namely Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.

The Project has received grant funding totaling 6.3million Euros from the International Climate Initiative and the Federal Government of Germany to execute its initiatives.

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