passing this along...



"Today I bring you more information on very discouraging news from Jamaica. Earlier in the year, we raised attention to the threat of continued illegal forest cutting in the protected area of the Hellshire Hills - home to the tiny remnant population of the Critically Endangered Jamaican Iguana (Cyclura collei), as well as numerous dry tropical forest endemic plants and animals.



In the last week, it has been confirmed that Chinese investors are negotiating with the Government of Jamaica to build a trans-shipment port on the Goat Islands – land offshore from the Hellshire Hills and that is included in the Portland Bight Protected Area. The two Goat Islands have long been recognized as extremely important for habitat conservation and is the site where the Jamaican Iguana Recovery Group (including members of the Iguana Specialist Group) had initiated work to repatriate the Jamaican Iguana and other species. Per the Species Recovery Plan (2006), restoration of the Goat Islands is considered essential to the long-term persistence of the iguana, coney, other herps, and the flora of the islands.



I have compiled several press releases about this issue on our website.



http://www.iucn-isg.org/latest-news/environmental-threat-in-jamaica/



We ask your help in voicing concern to the Jamaican public through letters to the editors of local newspapers. Addresses of the newspapers are on the ISG website above. Please distribute this webpage widely among your colleagues and Facebook pages."

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