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Jamaicans encouraged to engage in climate smart activities

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#Kingston, March 24, 2019 – Jamaica – Jamaicans are being encouraged to engage in climate smart activities for World Meteorological Day, to be observed on March 23.

“We encourage persons to conserve on energy. If you don’t have to do any unnecessary driving on World Meteorological Day, don’t do so. You can also plant a tree or two, so that when they grow,  we will have another set of trees that will remove some of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and put some oxygen in it,” Head of the Applied Meteorology Section in the Meteorological Service Division, Ronald Moody, told JIS News.

The World Meteorological Organization has designated this year’s theme as ‘The Sun, the Earth and the Weather’, with a focus on the range of effects from the interconnectedness of the three elements.

 Mr. Moody said that meteorological research has shown an increase in mean global surface temperature by approximately one degree Celsius since the mid-20th century. Scientists project that if the trend continues, we could experience temperature increases anywhere between three and five degrees Celsius by the end of the 21st century.

“Even for Jamaica, there has been an increase in temperatures. When we look at the State of the Climate Report that was done in 2015 by the Climate Studies group, it shows that minimum temperature across Jamaica has increased by 0.26 degree Celsius, while maximum temperature has increased by about 0.06 degree Celsius per decade. What that is suggesting for us is that the nights are getting warmer in Jamaica,” Mr. Moody said.

While acknowledging that temperatures are rising, studies of the sun over the last 30 years have determined that its energy output has not increased. There is another contributor to global increase in temperatures.

“Scientists have attributed this to an increase in greenhouse gases (GHG) and the main GHG that is responsible is carbon dioxide. This increase has been as a result of human activities over the decades. There is also the situation of the use of fossil fuels, and their byproduct is carbon dioxide. We have seen deforestation taking place across the world, and trees were the main source of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” he noted.

Mr. Moody underscored the Division’s commitment to providing the country with timely weather forecasts and climate products, so that the information is readily and easily accessible.

The Metrological Service has been working with a number of agencies to further this commitment, including the Climate Studies Group, Mona; the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).

“We are trying to be proactive in providing information and products that can play a role in our clients’ decision-making. We have, in recent times, narrowed weather forecasting to the community level through an app, so persons can access information for their communities. There is also the Smart Alert app where you can find all the severe-weather-warning messages issued by the Met Service,” Mr. Moody said.

The apps can be accessed by visiting agrilinksja.com and alert.metservice.gov.jm.

Contact: Charnele Henry

Release: JIS

Photo: Head of the Applied Meteorology Section in the Meteorological Service Division, Ronald Moody, speaks with JIS News.

Photographer: Charnele Henry

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New Tilapia Hatchery Slated for Completion Later This Year

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#Kingston, Jamaica, March 27, 2024 – The new tilapia hatchery under construction in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine, is slated for completion towards the end of 2024.

The 12,000 sq. ft. facility, being built at a cost of approximately $574 million, is intended to address the major issue of shortages in good-quality seed stock for fish farmers islandwide.

Manager for the Promoting Community-based Climate Resilience in the Fisheries Sector Project, Selena Ledgister, says the hatchery’s establishment is critical for securing a sustainable fisheries sector.

“Construction is on in earnest and we are looking before the year is out – which would be by around September or October – to complete the building part of it. The Project will be supporting the purchase and installation of the recirculating aquaculture system. This system will provide over five million advanced fries (young fish) per year, using the recirculating aquaculture system,” she told JIS News.

The bio-secure climate-resilient modular hatchery, being developed in partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), will feature a solar standby generator, plumbing system, rehabilitated guard host and administrative building.

Mrs. Ledgister said the hatchery, to be built and operated under environmentally friendly conditions, will impact the lives of fish farmers islandwide.

“I believe we have over 120 aquaculture farmers, and that number is growing; so, this will benefit the industry significantly. The hatchery is also expected to cushion the demand for fish. Fish farmers will also get the supply of advanced fries to restock their ponds. This is a significant impact that the Climate Resilience Project, as well as JSIF, will be creating for the Jamaican fish farmers,” she said.

 

Contact: Twila Wheelan

Release: JIS

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Trust Fund for Poor Children Born On or After August 6, 2022

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#Kingston, Jamaica, March 27, 2024 – Children born on or after the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s Independence, who are wards of the State or beneficiaries of the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), will be eligible for the Jamaica 60 HOPE (Hope, Opportunity, Prosperity and Empowerment) For Children Trust Fund.

Jamaica celebrated its Diamond Jubilee on August 6, 2022.

In his contribution to the 2024/25 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on March 21, Prime Minister, the Most. Hon. Andrew Holness, said the purpose of the Fund is to help to close the wealth gap and address the issue of intergenerational poverty by creating a trust account specifically catered to vulnerable children.

“The HOPE for Children Trust Fund will provide each eligible child with a long-term savings account funded through annual contributions from the Government. Parents, guardians or other donors will also be able to make deposits into the account for the future benefit of any specific child,” Mr. Holness said.

The accumulated funds, including interest, will be accessible on or after the child’s 18th birthday, for specific purposes such as education, purchase of a home or commercial property or investment in a business.

“The central idea behind the programme is to provide children with a lump sum to start them in life upon attaining adulthood. Our initial target is a lump sum of between $600,000 and $800,000, to be available on the 18th birthday of any eligible child,” Mr. Holness said.

He noted that the Government will also explore alternatives to establish and manage the Fund, adding that it could form part of the National Insurance Fund or be administered by private insurance companies.

“This is, I believe, a ground-breaking initiative to truly grapple with inequality in the society. From a historical perspective, there are many households who have no endowment in Jamaica, meaning that they can’t look towards anything bequeathed to them from their family. There is no asset being passed down to them from generation. The only way that they are able to create any wealth is through their labour, through the dint of their effort – literally pulling themselves up by their bootstraps,” Mr. Holness said.

The Prime Minister emphasised that as the economy grows, the Government has a responsibility to take instrumental and decisive steps to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty and correct structural inequalities.

“The intention here is great, the amount may be considered small, but it is the first step in the right direction to truly create a more equitable society,” Mr. Holness said.

 

Contact: Judana Murphy

Release: JIS

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Port Royal Museum to Open in May

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#Kingston, Jamaica, March 26, 2024 – The long-awaited Port Royal Museum is expected to be opened in May of this year, with the first exhibit set to be unveiled at the event.

Construction of the two-storey facility, which will be the first fit-for-purpose museum erected in Jamaica, was done at a cost of $788 million with funding from the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ).

Major work on the building was completed in December 2023, with finishing touches and furnishings left to be done.

Director of the National Museum Jamaica (NMJ), Dr. Jonathan Greenland, told JIS News in an interview that the new museum will replace the older and much smaller facility at Fort Charles.

“It didn’t touch all the subject areas… so we lobbied for the Port Authority to collaborate with us and develop a museum in Port Royal, and so they’ve actually constructed a huge building with restaurant facilities, lots of parking, multifunctional space and meeting rooms, shops and everything that a modern museum should have,” he said.

The museum will also be fully accessible to members of the disabled community with wheelchair ramps and an elevator.

Dr. Greenland added that the location of the museum is also of notable significance to the history of the sunken city.

“Right on the spot where the museum is going to be, there was a rebellion of the enslaved workers from the dockyard. The leader of the rebellion or uprising was a skilled bricklayer and when you look at the walls around the whole area where the dockyard used to be, he was probably involved in building that,” he said.

He further pointed out that the museum will present a new opportunity for the NMJ to attract even more visitors and facilitate cultural tourism.

“We’re very excited…. and you know Port Royal is a very interesting place and the history is fascinating. We always had loads of visitors from all around the world without doing any marketing whatsoever, and this is going to be a whole different level of merchandising, marketing and tourism. This is fascinating history and it’s going to be quite dramatic,” Dr. Greenland told JIS News.

 

Contact : Jermi-Lee Nelson

Release : JIS

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