THE Government is still meeting with environmental advocates on the issue of the definition of the boundaries of the Cockpit Country.

This was the word from government spokespersons who responded to questions from the press Wednesday at Jamaica House, regarding its failure to meet its own 30-day timeline to reply to the “Save Cockpit Country” petition which surpassed the required 15,000 signatures prior to its September 30 deadline.

Minister of education, youth and information, Senator Ruel Reid told Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press briefing that the Cabinet was currently summarising its positions on the issues, and a decision will be reached and made public “very shortly”.

“We are now summarising our positions and the final decision, we feel, will be one that the Jamaican society will accept,” he said.

Reid also insisted that the Government had full respect for the country’s environment.

“We are here for the long-term development of Jamaica, and while there are some anxieties on the part of many persons, in terms of the leadership style of our prime minister, we don’t rush very critical decisions,” Reid added.

He noted that the Cabinet had dedicated several of its meetings to having full deliberations on the issues raised in the petition, by listening to the opinions of “an array of persons”.

Jamaica House press secretary Naomi Francis said that the Government was aware that the 30-day response time schedule had expired. But she said that Prime Minister Andrew Holness was still having “informal discussions” with environmentalists on the issues.

She also promised that a statement will be issued “shortly”.

The ‘Save Cockpit Country’ petition was launched on August 21 by the Jamaica Environmental Trust (JET) on the Office of the Prime Minister’s website. It surpassed the required 15,000 signatures for Government attention a full week before the September 30 deadline.

The petition outlines that the Cockpit Country is the largest remaining natural forest in Jamaica, and that its almost 40 rivers, streams, springs, upwellings, glades, and ponds supply about 40 per cent of western Jamaica’s water needs.

— Balford Henry