Education vital to protecting the natural environment

As Jamaicans contemplate 2023, environmental conservation will be in the thoughts of only a few.

And yet it is, and has always been critical in the preservation of life as we know it.

sadly, the very unfortunate human tendency to treat with the natural environment in an offhand manner for short-term gain has led to far-reaching, real threats, including climate change.

We see that near-sighted, self-defeating behaviour in the lobbying to mine in areas that obviously should be protected for our long-term good; as well as in the destruction of wetlands and clearing of steep, forested hillsides for the construction of businesses and houses.

We see it in the thoughtless destruction of marine life and in the overuse of fertilisers, insecticides, etc.

We see it in the smuggling of plants from overseas because they look “unique” or “pretty” with no thought to the knock-on effects of imported plant diseases and so forth.

On sunday, New Year’s Day, we were reminded of another example of selfish, offhand treatment of the natural environment. The sunday Observer lead story headlined ‘Wildlife crime’ tells of protected birds, such as the endangered yellow-billed parrot, the black-billed parrot, and the Jamaican parakeet being unlawfully captured and sold for $8,000 to $10,000 each to people wanting to keep them as pets.

The practice has existed for generations — for as long as anyone can remember — and from time to time the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has stirred itself to remind people it is unlawful and could lead to hefty fines, even land offenders in jail.

We recall in 2010 a bird lover turned in his yellow-billed parrot after realising he had been breaking the law by keeping it.

Back then NEPA not only applauded the action of the bird lover but reminded Jamaicans that endemic yellow-billed and black-billed parrots are protected under the Wild Life Protection Act and the Endangered species (Protected, Conservation and Regulation of Trade) Act.

We can safely say that the threat to Jamaican parrots and other endangered wildlife is even greater today as persistent human intrusion reduces forested areas and natural habitats.

Naturalist Mr Damion Whyte reminds us of the valuable role of diverse species in the preservation of life. He tells us that parrots — blessed with powerful beaks — break down hard seeds, nuts, and fruits so other wildlife can feed; and also disperse seeds for the growth of plants and trees.

At another level, we need only consider Jamaica’s potential for environmental tourism to recognise that there are sound economic reasons to protect our endangered species.

so how is this to be done? Obviously strict enforcement of laws is crucial.

We believe an even more critical strategy is education. In the case of endangered parrots, it would appear that one reason for the high demand is that many people don’t know that keeping them is illegal. so why not tell people? It seems to us that the message should be out there continuously, in formal media, on the fast-growing social media platforms, in schools, in churches, in community meetings, on street corners, wherever people gather.

It’s a never-ending strategy that should be extended to every aspect of environmental preservation and, indeed, wider human behaviour.

Ultimately, we believe, nothing beats education.