Número de homicidios en los Montes de María Periodo 2008-

agricultural sector is singularly the largest source of employment accounting for 36 percent of the labour force.

Sugar cane and bananas are the most important export crops, occupying 21 percent of all agricultural lands. Other traditional export crops are coffee, cocoa, citrus, tobacco, and to a lesser extent, a variety of spices such as ginger and pimento.

The non-traditional export crops include vegetables, fruits, tubers and horticulture.

g _{-Economic and Social Survey Jamaica 1986: Planning} Institute of Jamaica

mai- Domestic crops, which include yams, sweet potatoes,

ze, pumpkins, peas, beans and other vegetables, are grown mostly on small farms well below five acres in size. Tree crops, such as mangoes, avocados and ackee, are also planted by small farmers. Livestock, products such as meat, milk and eggs, are also produced. Fish and seafood are important sources of protein supply.

1.9.2 Mining

Bauxite and gypsum are the main minerals mined in the country. The local bauxite industry dates back to 1952, when Reynolds Jamaica Mines Ltd. wholly-owned subsidiary

of the American owned Reynolds Metal Company of the Uni­ ted States, commenced the export of kiln-dried ore. This was soon followed, in 1953, by the export of aluminium by Alumina Jamaica Ltd, a subsidiary of the Aluminium Compa­ ny of Canada.

Up to 1982, bauxite and alumina were the major source of foreign exchange. However, tourism is now the major source of foreign exchange. /Other minerals mined in the island are limestone, silica sand, phosphate, marble, clay, peat, and, to a lesser extent, black sand contai­ ning titanium, copper, lead, zinc and phosphate.

1.9 3.' Manufacturing

Manufacturing, which started in earnest in the early 1950s with the enactment of incentive laws and the estab­ lishment of the Jamaica Industrial Development Corpora­ tion (JIDC), is now quite diversified. Jamaica manufactu­ res a wide range of products, including food and drink, clothing, footwear, textiles, paints, building materials, agricultural machinery and toilet articles.

A large number of these industries are heavily dependent on imported raw materials, machinery and technology. In the interest of increasing employment* and utilizing local raw materials, several organisations have been created to promote small business.

1.9.4 Tourism

The Tourism sector is Jamaica's largest source of foreign exchange. This sector has been the fastest growing sec­ tor in the island since the early 1980's and the biggest and most consistent earner of foreign exchange. Contribu­ tion from this sector for the years 1967 and 1988 amoun­ ted to over 500 million US dollars.^

Jamaica's main tourist market is North America because of its close proximity and high per capita income. North America accounts for some 85 percent of stop over visi­

tors.

There are many tourist areas along the North Coast. These include famous resorts such as Montego Bay, Runaway Bay, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio. (Figure 11) The Negril area of Westmoreland has also become an internationally popular tourist centre in recent years. (See Figure 11)

1.9.5 Ports and Shipping

The two principal ports in Jamaica are Kingston and Montego Bay. The Bustamante Transhipment Port in Kingston services cargo en route to Caribbean and Latin American Countries.

Economic and Social Survey Jamaica 1988: Planning Institute of Jamaica.

7

Up to 1986 the Jamaica Merchant Marine Company Ltd,the national shipping line, was active and carried some of the countries bauxite, banana and grain. However plans have been made to divest the line.

1.9.6 Summary

'

Jamaica is a relatively small island with a fragile ecosystem. Over the years, several factors have contributed to the deterioration and destruction of this ecosystem.

The marine and coastal waters and bordering land areas also support a number of very important economic secto­ rial activities such as industry, transportation, ports and shipping, tourism, fisheries and coastal communities. These activities are all important to the economic deve­

lopment of the island. However, they have contributed to the destruction and deterioration of the natural eco­ system and the marine and coastal resources.

The environmental problems will be outlined in chapter 5.

It is now accepted that the continued exploitation of coastal and marine resources and the development of the coastal areas require new planning and management strate­ gies. These strategies should be geared towards the pre­ servation, maintenance and prudent uses of the resources for the present and future generation. However, in order to develop the policy and management plan for the sustai­ nable development of the natural resources, a review of all marine and coastal activities and factors affecting the marine environment is relevant. Accordingly) the pro­ ceeding chapters will cover areas such as the economic importance of the marine sector to the Jamaican economy.

the problems of the marine sector, marine environmental problems and issues, and maritime jurisdictional issues in connection with the United Nations Law of the Sea Con­ vention.

This will be followed by other chapters outlining the framework for the development of an integrated national marine policy, which is the strategy recommended for the development and management of the coastal and marine resources. The final chapters will then deal with policy recommendations and the integration of marine policy into the national development strategies.

Chapter 2 will outline the economic importance of the