NEPA protecting Winns Morass wetlands in Falmouth

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is focused on protecting the Winns Morass wetlands in Falmouth, Trelawny as an ecological restoration and conservation site.

Senior Public Education and Community Outreach Officer at NEPA, Ava Tomlinson, told JIS News that Winns Morass is one of the few remaining portions of virgin forests left on the island, particularly on the north coast, and the area is under threat.

“It's a healthy wetland and it helps to prevent flooding of nearby communities, but we do have some challenges in this space, as there are persons who have been cutting down the wetland mangrove trees in the area. Some persons are taking over the space for residence and this threatens the health of the wetland,” she noted.

Tomlinson said that NEPA has been conducting community and other face-to-face consultations with the residents on how to better preserve the space.

Meanwhile, as Jamaica marks International Day for Biological Diversity on Tuesday, NEPA is urging citizens to play their part in protecting and preserving the country's biodiversity by discontinuing harmful practises.

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The day is being observed globally on May 22 under the theme 'Be Part of the Plan'.

The theme is a global call to action to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity and for countries that are signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to highlight the ways they are supporting the implementation of a biodiversity plan.

Tomlinson noted that despite challenges, Jamaica has, so far, made significant strides in the protection of land and marine environments, with more work to be done by 2030.

“In Jamaica, we have long been a member of the High Ambition Coalition, seeking to achieve 30 per cent of the protection of land and marine environments by 2030. Twenty-five per cent of Jamaica's terrestrial land mass is now protected, and just under 15 per cent of Jamaica's exclusive economic zone, which is in the marine environment, is also now protected under the Natural Resources Conservation Authority Act,” she said further.

She noted that Jamaica has also set a target of declaring 30 per cent of territory as protected under the law by 2025, five years ahead of the 2030 target.

- JIS News