Letter of the Day | Awareness without consistency sinks the cause

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The Gleaner reported on September 23 that Jamaica is observing Maritime Awareness Week under the theme “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity.” The Maritime Authority of Jamaica and its partners deserve recognition for staging a wide range of activities, from parades and community events to webinars, career exhibitions, and the open day at the Caribbean Maritime University. These efforts bring attention to the value of our maritime heritage and the opportunities in the blue economy, but will they be enough to move Jamaica from a week of awareness into a culture of lasting action?

The Caribbean Maritime University continues to equip students with relevant industry training, and the University of the West Indies continues its mangrove restoration work. These are encouraging steps, though the real challenge is expanding and sustaining such initiatives on a national scale.

Maritime Awareness Week must not become just another entry on the national calendar. Policies and pilot projects already exist, but they must be expanded, adequately funded, and maintained beyond symbolic phases. Maritime literacy should also be introduced earlier in the school system so that exposure to the sector is not confined to a single week of activities. At the same time, government agencies, maritime bodies, and the private sector must strengthen their collaboration to ensure that ocean stewardship is not addressed in isolation. Laws against marine pollution and coastal degradation must also be enforced with greater consistency.

The Maritime Authority of Jamaica already produces annual reports, a sign of commitment to accountability. Yet what is missing are updates on specific programmes that clearly show how coastal projects are progressing, how resources are being used, and what tangible results are being achieved. These updates must be easy for the public to access and written in a way that ordinary citizens can understand, while highlighting not only successes but also the challenges that remain. Greater transparency of this kind would strengthen public trust and ensure that ocean protection does not fade once Maritime Awareness Week has passed.

We rally around the ocean during Maritime Awareness Week, but can we also commit to safeguarding it throughout the year? The ocean truly is our obligation and our opportunity, so will Jamaica prove equal to the task, not just this week but for years to come?

SHANA-GAE REID