By Chris Patterson
KINGSTON, Jamaica, (JIS) – The government will be spending $1.9 billion to establish the Goat Islands wildlife sanctuary, just off Jamaica’s south coast, said the parliamentary secretary in the office of the prime minister, Senator Robert Morgan.
“This forms part of measures to safeguard Jamaica’s biodiversity and natural history, “he said, during the 2019/20 State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on Friday, February 7.
Senator Morgan said the sanctuary will also provide significant research opportunities for ongoing conservation and natural resources management initiatives.
“We are building out a sanctuary, not just so that people can go and watch animals, but so that we can have scientists go there and study our endemic flora and fauna,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Jamaican Iguana’s classification as “critically endangered”, there is recognition of the need to do more to ensure the survival of this and other wildlife species existing in Jamaica, he noted.
Moreover, Senator Morgan stated, the Coney; the West Indian Manatee; the American Crocodile; endemic plants, birds and other animals, emphasizing that the government is serious about implementing measures and policies geared to safeguard the environment.