(Photo-Op: Sandals Montego Bay’s valued guest, Stan Hufford and Sandals Foundation ambassadors Suzanne Stephenson and Askia Moody help to make a difference by replanting mangrove saplings in the Whitehouse fishing village in Montego Bay on Saturday, February 4)
Montego Bay, St. James: In recognition of World Wetlands Day, Sandals Foundation launched an awareness campaign across the Caribbean to educate students and community members on the importance of preserving wetlands. Sandals Foundation team members in the islands of: Antigua, The Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, Jamaica and Turks & Caicos organized school field trips to give students a hands-on opportunity to observe the wetlands. They also hosted exciting competitions and expositions within the schools to educate students on the multiple roles of wetlands in the Caribbean.
Wetlands, often referred to as ‘the cradle of life’, are saturated areas that prevent flooding; the erosion of coastlines; and serve as habitats and havens for fish and other marine life. The absence of wetlands usually equates to a significant reduction in fish stock, which is not only detrimental to marine species but to fishermen who rely on them as a source of income.
On Saturday February 4th, in the Montego Bay region, Sandals Foundation took a proactive approach to ensure the sustenance of the ecosystem by partnering with the Marine Park Trust to plant over 50 mangrove saplings. This initiative was an effort to bolster the ecosystem which will in turn protect the marine life and the community of fishermen whose livelihood depend on it.
The Environmental Health and Safety Manager at Sandals Montego Bay, Haniff Richards mentioned, “We (Sandals) have been working closely with the Whitehouse community over the years to protect estuary-coastal wetland systems and the income of the fishermen in general.”
Sandals Foundation is engaged in several projects and initiatives to ensure that fishing villages remain a viable resource for income generation for the fishermen to include the management of two marine sanctuaries, coral planting and environmental education in schools.
