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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
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 !
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....
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
ty Gail I sent my concerns
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ktans
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...
It will be interesting to see how the new rules will work or is a dismal failure do to lack of enforcement. If it works out well I just may see what can be done on our lake.
designated areas sounds like riding around in a circle - lol - that'll be fun
In addition to the zones, the Maritime Authority said they have increased funds for added patrols. Sorry, I forgot to mention that. As I said, they are taking this seriously.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaggy
I am not sure how big your lake is, but with the entire Caribbean just offshore, Jamaica probably has much more water area to create these zones making them of ample size for the noisy jet skis to buzz around.
But if your lake is big enough, this might work in your case...
Thank you Gail for posting that information.
I will be surprised to see how many patrols they will need to hire to enforce these "zones"Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob
I agree with you in theory but the reality is that Jamaica's economy is strongly based off of Tourism so that's why a bunch of visitors have a dog in this fight.Quote:
Originally Posted by elcyd
I totally enjoyed the ban, when we were there in Feb. I was about to email the people on Gail's list, when I read Rob's reply.
I understand both sides of this story.
Personally, I'd prefer the jet ski operators move to an activity that is a little more health conscious. Maybe kayaking, or some other non-motorized way of enjoying the sea.
I'll give the authorities the benefit of the doubt in this case. I've seen the reduction of "higglers" on the beach this year. I didnt think it was possible to control these aggressive vendors, but apparently, they've managed to do it. We found a lot less than previous years..
If they could find a way to control that, maybe they can control jet skis too. I have to assume that they know that anyone relaxing on the beach dont want to be bothered with jet skis, and they will keep our best interest in mind. They dont want to lose tourist dollars either. I'll wait and see before I pass judgement.
Here's some ideas...
JAMAICA
Be green, be unique, be an example to the rest of the world.
Lower pollution, create less noise, have safer waters, and attract more tourists.
Add spot: (3 sec clips of beaches with jet skis ripping by, obnoxiously loud, with blue smoke coming out the back, just missing swimmers / Cut to a peaceful Jamaica beach, two people in lounge chairs, drinking Red Stripe, watching whales swim by :rolleyes: ) Announcer speaks,"Jamaica, feel the vibe".
OPERATORS
For every used jet ski buy 3 kayaks.
Rent the kayaks and triple your business.
Provide guided tours to increase employment.
Less fuel and maintenance equals more profits.
OWNERS
Buy a boat, they're much more fun.
"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..."
I assumed that elcyd's reference to that "underemployed town" implied Negril....and when someone says "a ton", I'm thinking in the thousand range. Do you think that the ban of Jetskis in Negril has resulted in the loss of a thousand jobs?
Being that tourism is the mainstay of Negril's economy, it makes sense that tourists' concerns/input would be considered.
No jet ski's please!
If they want jet skis on the beach, they need to have a centralized rental location farther up the beach where there are fewer swimmers and sunbathers. Renting the jet skis cannot be a profitable business. The Jamaican "employees" ride those jet skis around more than the tourists, and they drive the jet skis much like they drive on the road. With the cost of gas, the profits have to be miniscule. When the tourists were injured/killed, was the jet ski operator an "employee" or tourist?
If there was a good hospital and adequate medical coverage in Negril, I might agree with you, Rob.
Ryan,Quote:
Originally Posted by RyanP
That is essentially the plan, a centralized rental location farther up the beach where all the operators are located. There wont be employees riding around anymore as in the past, as they will not be permitted to leave that centralized area.
The incident in Ochi last August were caused by a tourist, and the incident in Negril was caused by one of the sales operator after assisting other guests with their jet skis.
According to IndexMundi.com, Jamaican tourism revenues accounted for roughly 5% of GDP in 2011.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamerican71
5% is a large amount.
I remember until a few years ago, Jetski's were pretty far off the shore... Then starting in like 06, every time we came back the swimming area was closer and closer to shore, bringing the jet ski's closer and closer. At 1st somebody told me it was the natural course of the Carribbean Sea, which often controls the shoreline. With a little thought, that seemed super false, in that it happened year after year and no matter what, it seems the swimming area buoys could be pushed farther out. That would have "theoretically" pushed the Jetski's back out. I'm sure someone else noticed the shrinking swimming zone between hotel's and buoys between let's say 2004 and 2014... I'm all for people earning a living, but wonder about the will to enforce rules once enacted.
Happy Travels
Skb
Quote:
Originally Posted by elcyd
Last time I checked ALL tourist are from another country and last time I checked it is the Tourist who Pour money into the country and UM last time I checked it was Tourist who were the victims of the jet skis?
How will the jet ski guys get any customers if they don't troll up & down the beach? WHO? will enforce any so called "rules?" answer,nobody.
Actually the largest foreign direct inflows come from remittances that account for over 15% of GDPQuote:
Originally Posted by Fred Stripe
Capt. Remittance
Kevan,Quote:
Originally Posted by Smokin Kevan
Those swimming area buoys are put in place by each individual property to mark their own swimming zones. They are not permanently anchored and can be pulled in during rough weather. They are not always put back in the exact same location, so that would account for how they can "change" over time. The excuse you were given was "super false".
The buoys are simply markers, they have no legislative value. Jet skis routinely would ride inside the buoys because there was no real law preventing them from doing so. Operators were asked to observe the buoys, and the Marine Police could warn the operators, but that was the extent of their legal powers.
The new, regulated jet ski zones would be much farther out by a factor of 5 or more depending on the current position of an individual property's buoys. The ban will not be lifted until all these factors, including easy enforcement are put in place.
As I have mentioned, the government is taking this very seriously. To quote the JIS (Jamaican Information Service):
"The Minister added that the Task Force will provide information on the requirements for licensing of all persons operating currently.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force, Jamaica Customs, Jamaica Defence Force, Tourist Board, Maritime Authority of Jamaica, Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, National Environment and Planning Agency, Port Authority of Jamaica and the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) are members of the Task Force."
There are 9 government agencies working on all aspects of these new regulations. The ban will not be lifted until all parties agree on the new guidelines and how they will be regulated, from importation and duty. licensing and taxation, safety of riders and swimmers, police and enforcement as well as the environmental impact. The will to enforce will have the powers of 9 government agencies behind it.
Fred,Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Stripe
Just as the catamaran operators walk up and down the beach, so will the jet ski sales people. The catamarans dont "troll" up and down the beach and they do great business. The jet ski operators business model will change, and that will become the new norm. It will also create more jobs as anyone wanting to jet ski will be shuttled up to the launching area farther up the beach, far from the swimmers by the resorts.
Read my previous post on who will be doing the enforcement.
I'm with the ELCYD guy.
How in the world do some of you feel so entitled to stick your self in Jamaican policy? Opinions are like.........we all got them. But honestly this is an issue for the Jamaican citizens. If this was well regulated and help create JOBS for people who actually NEED them I see no issue at all. If you want to go snorkeling without jet skis go to Rhodes Resort. Or go to the south side of the island. Not many jetski's there.
WE all have things that might bother us. But surely compromise is the best solution here.
When Jet ski's are outlawed. Only outlaws will ride Jet ski's.
Last November I asked one of those guys how much to rent one of those things.
60 US$ per HALF HOUR.
I said whew I'll pass on that.
He said you got 60 bucks.
I said yea but I'll hurt myself on that thing. :cool:
Fred,Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Stripe
From August of last year:
"Seven-year-old Tanoya Hyman of Christiana, Manchester, was killed in a jet ski accident in Ocho Rios, St Ann, over the weekend.
The Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), the police information arm, reported that about 3:00 pm on Saturday, Hyman was playing in the sand at the Ocho Rios Bay Beach with two of her family members when tragedy struck.
Police report that a jet ski, which was being driven by a male tourist, allegedly lost control and collided with the child, killing her on the spot."
Because a young Jamaican girl was killed by a tourist, this issue was already being discussed and regulations suggested after the August incident - this is from October of last year:
"The Government is taking action to regulate jet ski operations, which should result in a reduction of jet skiing accidents at marine recreational areas and a clamp- down on illegal commercial operators.
Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Dr Wykeham McNeill announced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, October 15, that Cabinet had approved a six-month suspension on the importation of all jet skis for commercial use.
Additionally, the ministry has consulted with the marine police and the Jamaica Defence Force Coastguard, which will conduct enforcement activities to seize and detain the illegal vessels.
McNeill added that there will be strengthening of regulations for the safe use of jet skis in harbours and bays. In consultation with the maritime authority, it has been decided that activities in all resort areas will be done beyond swimming areas and away from ships and piers.
It is a matter of safety ... . this was not arrived at lightly," he emphasised."
Since the tragedy in Negril in January, the government instituted an island wide ban to stop all possible incidents from occurring.
This is obviously a difficult issue. I would at first agree that as tourists we have no place in the debate. But then I googled the jet ski accidents. One was a man from Las Vegas swimming in front of his resort and he was hit by a jet ski who KEPT ON GOING. Another was a 6 year old girl ON THE BEACH hit by an out of control jet ski, again, on the beach. So that convinces me that tourists probably do have a say in this. I know when we were there last year the jet skis came right into the swimming area, with swimmers in the water, some of which were children, in order to drum up business. I'm definitely glad that they are taking this issue seriously and I hope that the new regulations work.
I had the first catamaran rental on Negril beach. One of my captains was "Love I" He almost ran over a tourist while trolling the beach in 1982.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob
After a meeting with the Tourist board I agreed that we would never do that again. From then on we, and the operators who came after me stuck to that agreement.
As I said earlier it's not the skis...... it's the way they were being "marketed" on the beach
Cap
I thought when Booger said the tourism is only 5% of all revenue he was attacked but now with Two Million tourist it's only 5% ?????????????????????????????????
Rob,sorry,but what you speak of is what is on a piece of paper,not reality.
Fred,Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Stripe
Sorry man, it is reality, which may very well be on paper, but reality nevertheless...
http://www.indexmundi.com/jamaica/economy_profile.html
It is reality, but for the island as a whole (which is dominated by Kingston). When you look at individual tourist driven cities/towns, it's very different.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob
TAH,Quote:
Originally Posted by TAH
Exactly. Although most tourists only see resort towns like Negril, with an entire population of about 6000 residents, tourism makes up the majority of the economy. And is greatly appreciated! But when you consider Kingston, population of about 1,000,000, tourism barely makes even a dent in the economy.
Visitors can get a very exaggerated view of how much tourism supplies to the GDP of the island. 5% is really not that high of a figure. 15% comes from family sending money back to the island in form of Western Union and Moneygram...