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NEPA moves to stem controversy over luminous lagoon
By KERIL WRIGHT Observer West reporter
Thursday, June 07, 2007
The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) yesterday flew into this rural community to ward off an impending controversy over fears from residents and business interests that a 2,141-room Spanish hotel development could destroy the world-famous luminous lagoon.
The residents, led by businessman Earl Bernard - operator of Glistening Waters Adventure Tours - have accused the developers, who have begun clearing the property at Oyster Bay for construction, of cutting down mangroves, which they said would irreversibly damage the organisms that cause the water to glow at nights.
"We urgently need to know what effect the clearing of the mangrove will have on these organisms," said Bernard at a press conference held Tuesday.
Yesterday, acting communications manager at NEPA, Zadie Neufville, acknowledged the residents' concerns, but warned that their fears might be unfounded as they had seen no evidence of mangrove destruction.
"They have a right to be concerned," she told the Observer West via telephone, while on a tour of the Oyster Bay property. "We are concerned, and the developers are concerned. Everybody is concerned."
But she accused residents who aired their concerns to the press on Tuesday of being "premature".
"The development is being strictly monitored," said Neufville, who was nonetheless unable to give a true picture of the situation that exists at Oyster Bay.
"I can't speak on the matter right now," she said.
Meanwhile, there are indications that the clearing of the land might not have been in line with the conditions of the planning and environmental permit that NEPA granted to the developers - The Excellence Group - in September 2005, according to an Observer West source.
"They started and we didn't like the way they were being taken out so we stopped them," the source said. "It is a very environmentally delicate area, and the government was very serious that the development was a sustainable one."
According to the source, the development, which would include 36 sea rooms (rooms with a view of underwater marine life) was initially turned down by NEPA, but went ahead after the group appealed to the Minister of Local Government and the Environment. The initial development, the source added, had planned for 200 sea rooms.
Additionally, in its evaluation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Oyster Bay resort development, the Jamaica Environmental Trust (JET) said the clearing of the mangroves would affect organisms - dinoflagellates - which make the water glow at nights.
"The removal of mangroves can impact the production of vitamin B12 by dinoflagellates who obtain their food from decaying mangrove vegetation," JET noted. "Despite this warning, the EIA lacks an analysis of how the removal of mangroves will impact critical marine resources, including the bioluminescent marine life in the adjacent lagoon."
Bernard, for his part, also told reporters Tuesday that prior to the press conference, the developers had advised him that they had another area, which would accommodate twice the number of mangroves. He noted that this could mean that the developers might be removing mangroves from the area, hoping to re-grow them in another area.
The naturally occurring phenomenon of the luminous lagoon at Oyster Bay, which was studied by scientists in the 1970s, is just one of four in the world, and is considered the best. The organisms, which make the water glow at night, cannot be seen with the naked eye and is impossible to photograph.
By KERIL WRIGHT Observer West reporter
Thursday, June 07, 2007
The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) yesterday flew into this rural community to ward off an impending controversy over fears from residents and business interests that a 2,141-room Spanish hotel development could destroy the world-famous luminous lagoon.
The residents, led by businessman Earl Bernard - operator of Glistening Waters Adventure Tours - have accused the developers, who have begun clearing the property at Oyster Bay for construction, of cutting down mangroves, which they said would irreversibly damage the organisms that cause the water to glow at nights.
"We urgently need to know what effect the clearing of the mangrove will have on these organisms," said Bernard at a press conference held Tuesday.
Yesterday, acting communications manager at NEPA, Zadie Neufville, acknowledged the residents' concerns, but warned that their fears might be unfounded as they had seen no evidence of mangrove destruction.
"They have a right to be concerned," she told the Observer West via telephone, while on a tour of the Oyster Bay property. "We are concerned, and the developers are concerned. Everybody is concerned."
But she accused residents who aired their concerns to the press on Tuesday of being "premature".
"The development is being strictly monitored," said Neufville, who was nonetheless unable to give a true picture of the situation that exists at Oyster Bay.
"I can't speak on the matter right now," she said.
Meanwhile, there are indications that the clearing of the land might not have been in line with the conditions of the planning and environmental permit that NEPA granted to the developers - The Excellence Group - in September 2005, according to an Observer West source.
"They started and we didn't like the way they were being taken out so we stopped them," the source said. "It is a very environmentally delicate area, and the government was very serious that the development was a sustainable one."
According to the source, the development, which would include 36 sea rooms (rooms with a view of underwater marine life) was initially turned down by NEPA, but went ahead after the group appealed to the Minister of Local Government and the Environment. The initial development, the source added, had planned for 200 sea rooms.
Additionally, in its evaluation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Oyster Bay resort development, the Jamaica Environmental Trust (JET) said the clearing of the mangroves would affect organisms - dinoflagellates - which make the water glow at nights.
"The removal of mangroves can impact the production of vitamin B12 by dinoflagellates who obtain their food from decaying mangrove vegetation," JET noted. "Despite this warning, the EIA lacks an analysis of how the removal of mangroves will impact critical marine resources, including the bioluminescent marine life in the adjacent lagoon."
Bernard, for his part, also told reporters Tuesday that prior to the press conference, the developers had advised him that they had another area, which would accommodate twice the number of mangroves. He noted that this could mean that the developers might be removing mangroves from the area, hoping to re-grow them in another area.
The naturally occurring phenomenon of the luminous lagoon at Oyster Bay, which was studied by scientists in the 1970s, is just one of four in the world, and is considered the best. The organisms, which make the water glow at night, cannot be seen with the naked eye and is impossible to photograph.
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