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Jamaica is the perfect destination for anyone who dreams of strolling along beautiful white sand beaches lined with palm trees, as well as for lovers of reggae and Jamaican cuisine. You could say that this island paradise has everything you are looking for in a vacation…
…but there is also so much more than you would expect. Over the years, at RIU Hotels & Resorts we have learned that for this island to remain a dream destination, we must know what is going on in the local community and get involved. Ready to get to know this beautiful destination from a new perspective? Keep reading!
MONTEGO BAY MARINE PARK TRUST
Did you know that the sand on Jamaica’s beaches is produced by the island’s most famous fish? This is the parrotfish, a species that also helps protect the coral reefs and the marine life that surrounds them. However, due to the high demand for them, parrotfish are being caught long before they can reproduce. This has led to a serious decline in the number of parrotfish, and a solution must be found to protect them.
This is precisely what they do at the organisation Montego Bay Marine Park Trust, who we have been collaborating with since 2022. Through its parrotfish conservation project, this organisation promotes the conservation of the species and seeks to increase its population. But… how do they do it?
Montego Bay Marine Park Trust co-administrates Montego Bay Marine Park, declared Jamaica’s first Marine Protected Area. It has two fish sanctuaries, where the Montego Bay Marine Park Trust carries out its work. Thanks to RIU’s collaboration, surveillance of these protected areas will be increased and fishing activities will be regulated. An awareness-raising programme will also be rolled out to help people understand how important parrotfish are to Jamaica’s ecosystem. In addition, during the three-year agreement, monitoring surveys will be conducted every three months to assess the status of the parrotfish population and biomass and the algae cover over the reef.
JAMAICA ENVIRONMENT TRUST
You may have heard of the “Three Rs”. This is a consumption habit approach that stands for “reduce, reuse and recycle”. This motto perfectly fits the philosophy of the next organisation we would like to introduce you to: Jamaica Environment Trust (JET). Founded in 1991 by a small group of citizens concerned about the state of Jamaica’s environment, its mission is to protect the island’s natural resources.
Together, we have developed a pilot project for integrated waste management in two communities in the country: Brown’s Town and Runaway Bay, in St. Ann. And it is recycle, recycle, recycle… because it is all about making a start! That is why the communities are being given support to help them get started on this task. JET’s activities include on-site visits to the communities and workshops, and they also provide the equipment needed to set up the waste management programme.
The result? Here are some photos from the latest visit to the community that speak for themselves.
PAEDIATRIC ORTHOPAEDIC CLINIC IN NEGRIL
Negril is the quietest of the three locations where you can find our hotels (Negril, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios). It is also home to the Paediatric Orthopaedic Clinic, which we founded in 2009 to address the needs of the children here, however, the clinic receives patients from all over Jamaica.
Several visits are organised each year by the doctors at the clinic, where they treat Jamaican children with mobility problems and are provided with braces, shoes and wheelchairs or walkers, depending on the need of each patient. In the most recent visit, held in March, the doctors treated 42 patients and distributed 90 orthosis and other orthopaedic material.
Over the 14 years that the clinic has been in operation, and thanks to the treatment provided to more than 400 boys and girls with mobility problems have been able to move forward with their life plans. RIU funds the rent and maintenance of the clinic where the patients are treated, as well as housing for the volunteer doctors who treat the patients.
This work is the result of our social commitment to biodiversity and the community. We will continue to support the protection of the environment and the improvement of Jamaica’s healthcare system.
