INGSTO K HARBOUR N Bring back

The degraded water quality and equally degrad- the life! ed physical conditions on the shore have greatly Institutional Strengthening for Enhanced retarded the development of the Harbour as a Management of Kingston Harbour tourist destination. The social and economic impacts due to severe pollution of the Harbour have caused loss of many employment and busi- ness opportunities. “Red tide” surrounding a ship in Kingston Harbour

• initiatives for assisting industries to improve the quality of effluents from their operations. National Environment & What is Being Done? • a blueprint for a ship waste reception Planning Agency 1. The National Environment and Planning facility. Agency is developing regulations for sewage • increased public awareness about the Managing & Protecting ’s and industrial effluents and sludge. Land, Wood & Water harbour and our stake in cleaning it up and 2. A sewage treatment plant is to be built at bringing it back to life. Soapberry in Hunts Bay. 10 & 11 Caledonia Avenue, 3. The Government of Jamaica with the assis- Kingston 5, Jamaica W.I. tance of the Inter-American Development What Can YOU Do? Tel: 754-7540 - 3 Bank, is implementing the Kingston Harbour • Educate yourself about Kingston Harbour and Fax: 754-7595 - 6 Rehabilitation Project which will deliver: how it is being damaged. Web: www.nepa.gov.jm • a management and zoning plan for • Dispose of your garbage properly, and the Harbour. definitely not in gullies or the Harbour • a computer model for water quality • Minimise your use of harmful household, agri- monitoring. cultural and industrial chemicals and • a management structure to ensure order- non-biodegradable packaging material. ly and planned development and use of the • Encourage your family and friends to do the Harbour. same.

Kingston Harbour Today

Today, Kingston Harbour is severely polluted by ingston Harbour is one of the largest natural sewage, solid waste, and industrial effluent. harbours in the world. It owes its existence to K An estimated 20 million gallons of untreated or the tombolo which forms a protective poorly treated sewage is discharged into the barrier to the south. harbour each day. The harbour is bordered on the north and east Tons of solid waste deposited in the fifteen Results of Pollution by Kingston, Jamaica's capital, and on the west by gullies which traverse Kingston ends up in the Green Bay, Port Henderson and the municipality of Harbour, as does runoff from the Riverton landfill. The results of the high levels of pollutants entering Portmore in St. Catherine. Industrial waste coming down the gullies Kingston Harbour have been a severe reduction in Kingston Harbour has played an important role and from factories located around the rim of the marine life, and a dangerous increase in the intro- in the history of all the groups that have lived on Harbour contribute to its poor health. duction of alien invasive species which have crowd- its shores. Its aquamarine waters provided fishing Water rich with agricultural chemicals ed out some indigenous marine species. This has for the Tainos and a port for the Spanish and the draining from farms as much as 30 miles away impacted the livelihood of thousand of Kingston English, whose pirates used as a base enters the harbour by streams and rivers which Harbour fisher folk. for their raids on the Spanish Main. feed into it. The Harbour is no longer an attractive place for Importance of Kingston Harbour Waste, including ballast water is dumped into recreational activities and facilities such as swim- Many surviving historical monuments and sites the harbour by the thousands of ships that call at ming and water sports, picnicking, waterfront such as Fort Charles at Port Royal and Rodney’s Kingston Harbour and its shores are important to the port of Kingston each year. restaurants and parks. Cross-the-Harbour races are Lookout at Green Bay bear testimony to the Jamaica because of the economic value of the activ- • Sediment enters the harbour from the rivers, a distant memory to those old enough to remember Harbour’s historic past. Cross-the-Harbour races ities which it supports. The main activities are fish- gullies and drains. them. were a feature of Kingston life in the middle of the ing, shipping, aviation, industry and commerce. The 20th Century. • Inadequate planning and lack of value of these activities is estimated at over US$510 It was also a major port of call for cruise ships. adherence to planning regulations million annually. Tourism and recreation could In the middle years of the twentieth century, and laws for physcal development have increase the value if environmental conditions in Kingston Harbour was a place of many recreation- caused environmental damage. and around the Harbour were better managed. In al activities such as swimming, water skiing and addition, the Harbour is a laboratory for study of yachting. Since the beginning of this millenium, marine sciences and the effects of human activities on New Year's Eve, it is the launch pad for beau- on such bodies of water. It supports a variety of tiful displays of fireworks when the entire area marine life, which has been greatly diminished by teems with activity. pollution, dredging and other human activities.