In light of Minister Montague’s statement that no mining is taking place or planned for the designated Cockpit Country Protected Area (CCPA), JET would like to restate the following:
- The designated Cockpit Country Protected Area boundary has not yet been completely verified on-the-ground, gazetted and declared protected under Jamaican law
- As a result, the CCPA has not yet been closed to mining under Jamaican law
- In 2018 the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) granted a special mining lease to Noranda/New Day Bauxite Company which allows bauxite mining in sections of Cockpit Country in St Ann and Trelawny which were left out of the designated protected area.
- Special Exclusive Prospecting Licenses which overlap the designated Cockpit Country protected area boundary in sections of Manchester, St Elizabeth and St James have not yet been amended by GOJ
- The sensitization sessions in Cockpit Country referred to by Minister Montague in his address to Parliament which were hosted by the Forestry Department in late 2018, were poorly publicized and poorly attended. The sensitization attended by JET in Mocho, St James on November 28, 2018 provided little clarity for those present on what was planned for the protected area.
JET is relieved to hear from Minister Montague that the GOJ is committed to providing more information on the process towards Cockpit Country’s protection and the activities of mining companies in the area.
We thereby request that the following points must be addressed by any upcoming GOJ communications on the matter:
- Greater clarity for the Jamaican public on where the Cockpit Country Protected Area boundary lies and what factors were used to determine its position
- A detailed updated timeline for the on-the-ground verification (ground-truthing) of the CCPA boundary by the Forestry Department
- A deadline for when the CCPA will be declared protected and closed to mining under Jamaican law
- The GOJ's commitment that no other mining leases or prospecting licenses will be granted until the CCPA has been protected under law
- The protections that will be secured for ecologically sensitive areas of the Cockpit Country which have been left outside the designated protected area
- The available options for Cockpit Country communities which happen to lie outside the CCPA and do not want bauxite mining in their communities.
By the time the CCPA is protected under the law, all that will remain is mined out lands. No haste, no sense of urgency. We might have to become human barricade to halt this
ReplyDeleteWhat's really happening? Two environmentalist on TVJ this morning allude to the fact that no mining is taking place and that the PM gave them that assurance. Listen ! We can't want prosperiry at any or all cost. That cockpit is flowing water into the Martha Brae, Black River and others rivers. It's no secret that almost the entire North Coast benefits. The very contemplation is ludicrous. Mr Hugh Dixon, Research fellow Michael Schwartz (deceased) and their team have done extensive work there. I encourage you to read the findings. Our fragile ecosystem need to be preserved. Our coastline is fast disappearing. Think of Bushy Cays in Trelawny; property of Bahia Principe in At Ann; the dredging of 30k acres for the port in Falnouth. Hoteliers continue to dump wetlands for room expansion. Total disregard for its importance, protection and contribution to marine life. If you ban plactics take it a step further and protect our bread and butter. In fact preserve life - wild or tamed. It is alleged NEPA continues to exact millions from the commercial entities. When we commercialise the watchdog then what obtains. TPDCO and Mr Touriism need to be a part of this important conversation. A trelawny mi come from. Stop rape the parish. We are hard-working people in the south who eek out living without anything substantial from governments. Take flight and leave our land. We don't wish to be colonised or recolonised in the name of progress or prosperty. "NUH DUTTY UP DI COCKPIT".
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