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Thread: Say No to Jet Skis - Please let your voice be heard

  1. #1
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    Say No to Jet Skis - Please let your voice be heard

    Mr. Dennis Morrison, Chairman, Jamaica Tourist Board Email dmorrison@jbi.org.jm

    Mr. John Lynch, Director of Tourism Email: jlynch@visitjamaica.com

    Mrs. Maxine Henry Wilson, Chairman, TPDCo Email: maxine.henry-wilson@digicel.blackberry.com

    Mr. Dennis Hickey, Executive Director, TPDCO Email: dennis.hickey@tpdco.org

    Hon Dr. Wykeham Mcneill Email: wykeham.mcneill@mot.gov.jm

  2. #2
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    Re: Say No to Jet Skis - Please let your voice be heard

    I couldn't agree more. Thanks for the contact information,
    Will email these people when I get back home.
    Now if we can get rid of the horses which have no place on NEGRIL Beach !

  3. #3
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    Re: Say No to Jet Skis - Please let your voice be heard

    While I personally find the beach much more quiet now that the jet skis no longer buzz the beach and dont really have any desire to use one, perhaps there is another way to view this situation.

    Because of the two incidents last year where two young Jamaican girls were killed near Ochi and the tragedy in Negril in Janauary of this year, the necessary island wide jet ski ban took effect to give regulators time to study the problems and issues involved. Jet skis are in high demand at most water destinations, Jamaica being no exception.

    This ban has effected both businesses and private people alike. The legal commercial owners who bought their jet skis, paid the duty on each vehicle, have been paying taxes and hiring people to operate them are essentially out of business. They are stuck with useless inventory (the jet skis) and have had to fire their employees increasing the unemployment.

    For private owners, they saved money to build their dream home on the coast of Jamaica and purchased jet skis for their own use. The ban has rendered these items unusable, and their money has been wasted on the purchase of their own jet skis.

    After taking the time to talk with the Jamaican Maritime Authority, they have come up with plans for safe, easily monitored and regulated rules for all the commercial jet ski operations. They will all be licensed, inspected and fully insured (creating more jobs), allowed to operate in only easily identifiable areas far from any swimmers. The Marine Police will be able to easily identify any offenders and be able to issue citations or even seize the watercraft. The commercial operators will once again be able to make money from their investment and be able to rehire their staff, decreasing the unemployment rate.

    And the private owners will once again be able to live and enjoy their dream home as they desire.

    Knowing that their are solutions to prevent such terrible incidents from occurring in the future, how would you feel about a permanent ban if you were one of the business owners with a now useless investment, or one of those who lost their job and cannot feed their family or a home owner who spent their life savings on their dream home and not be able to use your own personal jet ski for their pleasure?

    Just some food for thought....
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    Re: Say No to Jet Skis - Please let your voice be heard

    Rob. Thanks for the food for thought. It will stimulate debate. There is a very strong and undeniable arguement that the benefits of the ban far outweigh the downside. I will add myself to that arguement. Keep the ban in place. Jamiaca is a more disireable destination without noisy, polluting, reef destroying annoying Jet Skis.

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    Re: Say No to Jet Skis - Please let your voice be heard

    I don't usually chime in- and I'll be the first to say I don't know the history of this but with the little info I have all I can say is "Wow". I find it amazing that we as a bunch of visitors could possibly have a dog in this fight. I can only imagine the reaction Americans would have if some tourists from another Country tried to regulate what we could do in our hometowns here in the US. I am sure I will get blasted and get a lecture on the environmental impact of Jetskis etc, but help me understand why I have any right to email anyone on this topic. There are a ton of individuals in this underemployed town that relied on the Jetski industry. Sorry I just don't get it.

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    Re: Say No to Jet Skis - Please let your voice be heard

    Although I am not a big jet ski person,I do live on a lake with tons of them around us and there are marina's renting them out all over the lake.I don't care to have them buzzing all over the beach when we are vacationing in Negril but as Rob stated they will be in designated areas and if it helps keep people employed I have to go with the Maritime Authority's decisions.

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    Re: Say No to Jet Skis - Please let your voice be heard

    I highly doubt that there are "a ton" of individuals that relied on the jet-ski industry. I don't know how they can keep the Jetskis away from swimmers (both on the beach and up on the cliffs) and the reefs--I was nearly run over while snorkeling out by 3 dives last November. Just my .02...

  8. #8
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    Re: Say No to Jet Skis - Please let your voice be heard

    Sorry Rob , even thought you make some valid points I have came to hate jet skis. We live in a town on a big lake and I'm am so sick of jet skis buzzing around all day here too. Just like in Negril , theres allot of room but most seem to want to buzz around close to other ppl no matter if they are fishing or swimming or just trying to have a relaxing day on the beach. There are good operaters out there but from what I see here and in Negril most are not. Theres no such thing on our lake anymore to get away from the constant jet ski noise. Yeah I know I'm a bit biased but I did not get there overnight.

  9. #9
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    Re: Say No to Jet Skis - Please let your voice be heard

    ty Gail I sent my concerns

  10. #10
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    Re: Say No to Jet Skis - Please let your voice be heard

    Quote Originally Posted by Ktans View Post
    I highly doubt that there are "a ton" of individuals that relied on the jet-ski industry. I don't know how they can keep the Jetskis away from swimmers (both on the beach and up on the cliffs) and the reefs--I was nearly run over while snorkeling out by 3 dives last November. Just my .02...
    According to what the Jamaican Maritime Authority told me, they have planned designating jet ski zones. The riders will be warned to remain in the zones by their operators. Swimmers will be no where near these areas. Should the jet ski rider fail to remain in those zones, the rider and operator will be fined and/or the jet ski impounded.

    The point of the new plans are to make the regulations easy to enforce and to give the operators an incentive to maintain that their riders remain in the designated zones. The Maritime Authority is taking this matter very seriously.

    While I might personally enjoy the ban and the quiet on the beach, there are other interests that do need to be considered. Island wide there are quite a few jobs that have been eliminated due to the ban. There may very well be a ton of individuals who are no longer employed due to the ban, from the owner/operators, staff, mechanics, sales people, co-riders (for those who have never rode one before), etc...
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