I wonder if yesterday’s shenanigans will hurt Jamaica’s 13th spot ranking in terms of press freedom. Reporters were initially invited to a meeting about a proposed logistics hub on Goat Island, which is a protected area. They were subsequently kicked out. A politician claimed the invitation was a mistake. This simply does not happen. Government officials, not just in Jamaica, but everywhere, see the press as a strategic tool. If media coverage will be of benefit to whatever message the government is trying to get out there, the press will be invited. If their presence would be detrimental, meetings are kept private.

“Mistakes” like this are rare as they tend to inflame situations and create controversy where there may not have been any.

But once the press is shut out of something, all bets are off. If you want to keep the press happy, you simply do not disinvite them. First of all, it is bad manners. Second of all, the more you tell reporters they cannot have access, the more they will dig their heels in, as their suspicions will be raised. Transparency and accountability, especially in terms of access to government officials, is at a premium for reporters, and anytime this is limited, red flags are raised.

This situations is ratcheted up even further when foreign money and the private sector is involved, and this is the case with Goat Island, which is part of the Portland Bight Protected Area:

Goat Islands fall under the St Catherine Coast Development Order and the Town and Country Planning (Clarendon) Development Order. It is also covered under the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) Act 1991, and several other policies, legislation and regulations. (From the Observer).

The problem is, Chinese investor China Harbour Engineering Company has issued an unsolicited $1.5 BILLION proposal to build a “logistics hub”, which would be comprised of a port facility, industrial, office and recreational space. This would include “light” manufacturing and an IT component, and would eventually employ up to 15,000 people. It appears an MOU has already been signed and construction could start in 2014. How is this so given the environmental considerations?

From a development perspective, Goat Island is in a favourable location for this type of project, as it is located just off the coast of Hellshire in St. Catherine Parish. Less so for the environment, of course. From a Gleaner article:

The PBPA is a nesting site for marine birds and endangered turtle species, such as hawksbill and green turtles. This reserve area is said to contain 81 acres of limestone forest, wetlands, seagrass and mangroves. It covers 500 kilometres on land and 1,300 kilometres on the marine side. Little Goat Island falls within the PBPA. The reserve is habitat and home to birds, iguanas, crocodiles, manatees, sea turtles, fish and 50,000 human beings.

The Jamaica Exporters’ Association appears to be in favour of the project. As for the government? It is less clear, even less so after journalists were kicked out of the meeting. The official word from Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister Andre Hylton is that the government has made no decision. So why the secrecy? 

The Chinese are no strangers to investing in Jamaica. In fact, the state-owned company previously mentioned is setting up an office here. And Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller is wrapping up a trip to China aimed at shoring up tourism and securing more investment dollars.

So there are definitely environmental concerns weighing on the government’s mind, but the scope and scale of the Goat Island project is especially attractive as Jamaica’s economy continues to suffer. As a result, it is a matter of weighing economic growth with protecting the environment. The government appears to be going through this process, but we don’t really know much, and it appears we will know even less if the press keeps being shut out of public meetings.