Oracabessa Foundation gets $15-million boost

A $15-million donation from the Tourism Enhancement Fund has boosted the efforts of Golden Eye’s Oracabessa Foundation to improve marine life at the Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary in St Mary.

According to the executive director of the Oracabessa Foundation, Travis Graham, the money was donated to build a dive shop and plant 8,000 corals, but the foundation ended up building the shop and planting 10,000 corals instead.

Work by the foundation has seen a massive improvement in marine life in the targeted area, it has been disclosed.

Graham said several other donors came forward to assist, including Seacology, Paper Ball Ja, Stacy Wishart, Progressive Grocers, Loshusan Supermarket, Charles Johnson, Sun Source Technologies, British High Commission, German Embassy, and several homeowners at the Golden Eye property.

In declaring the dive shop open, Graham hailed the “beautiful partnership and synergy” between the Oracabessa Marine Trust, the Oracabessa Foundation and the Oracabessa Fishermen Association, which has seen the successful implementation of the sanctuary.

Graham said it is the first dive shop that be operated by a non-profit organisation, as proceeds from it will be used to support the sanctuary.

He is appealing to the government for continued support of fish sanctuaries because of its importance.

“Creation of the fish sanctuary supports and stimulates our tourism economy, it also stimulates our agricultural sector and our environmental industry, the environment on a whole, which is very important. Jamaica is an eco-destination and we are also very vulnerable to climate situation; any environmental impact and initiative like this is very important.”

Meanwhile, according to Inilek Wilmot, a member of the Oracabessa Foundation, 10 years after the establishment of the sanctuary, they are seeing great results.

“Ten years later, fish population has increased by 1,700 per cent, over 14,000 corals and each year, thanks to Mel (Tennant) the turtle man, we helped more than 20,000 baby turtles begin their journey from beaches right here,” Wilmot said.

Wilmot said community-based fish sanctuaries have proven to be the most effective tool for managing life under the sea for the benefit of people and the environment.

Tennant, whose contribution to marine life in the area has been hailed over the years, in turn, mentioned Chris Blackwell, David Murray and Jonathan Josse, whose contributions have been vital to the process.