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44-575: Westmoreland is the westernmost parish in Jamaica , located on the south side of the island. It is situated south of Hanover , southwest of Saint James , and northwest of Saint Elizabeth , in the county of Cornwall . The chief town and capital is Savanna-la-Mar . Negril , a famous tourist destination, is also situated in the parish. The earliest inhabitants of Westmoreland were the Arawak and Ciboney Indians. The Ciboney were first to arrive, from

88-530: A laissez-faire position, which argues that humans should not harm wild animals but that humans should not intervene to reduce natural harms that they experience. This subsection focuses on anthropogenic forms of wildlife destruction. The loss of animals from ecological communities is also known as defaunation . Exploitation of wild populations has been a characteristic of modern man since our exodus from Africa 130,000 – 70,000 years ago. The rate of extinctions of entire species of plants and animals across

132-481: A sport or recreation. Meat sourced from wildlife that is not traditionally regarded as game is known as bushmeat . The increasing demand for wildlife as a source of traditional food in East Asia is decimating populations of sharks, primates, pangolins and other animals, which they believe have aphrodisiac properties. Malaysia is home to a vast array of amazing wildlife. However, illegal hunting and trade poses

176-575: A common subject for educational television shows . National Geographic Society specials appeared on CBS since 1965, later moving to American Broadcasting Company and then Public Broadcasting Service . In 1963, NBC debuted Wild Kingdom , a popular program featuring zoologist Marlin Perkins as host. The BBC natural history unit in the United Kingdom was a similar pioneer, the first wildlife series LOOK presented by Sir Peter Scott ,

220-539: A dramatic and rapid growth in recent years worldwide and many elements are closely aligned to eco-tourism and sustainable tourism . Wild animal suffering is suffering experienced by non-human animals living in the wild, outside of direct human control, due to natural processes such as disease , injury , parasitism , starvation , malnutrition , dehydration , weather conditions , natural disasters , killings by other animals , and psychological stress . Some estimates indicate that these individual animals make up

264-579: A feature of local administration in Jamaica since the island was captured by the English in 1655. The number has varied over time and some no longer exist having either been absorbed into or divided between neighbouring parishes. At the peak, 1841–1865, there were 22 (the current 14 plus those listed below). The current set of parishes was established in 1866 with the elimination of the 8 listed below (roughly by county): Surrey : Middlesex : Jamaica

308-504: A large hill in Westmoreland Parish. [REDACTED] Media related to Westmoreland Parish at Wikimedia Commons 18°14′N 78°09′W  /  18.233°N 78.150°W  / 18.233; -78.150 Parishes of Jamaica The parishes of Jamaica are the main units of local government in Jamaica . They were created following the English settlement of Jamaica in 1655. This administrative structure for

352-434: A period of acclimation can increase in numbers significantly, having destructive effects on many elements of the native environment of which they have become part. This final group is one of secondary effects. All wild populations of living things have many complex intertwining links with other living things around them. Large herbivorous animals such as the hippopotamus have populations of insectivorous birds that feed off

396-403: A result of the fertile plains, the parish thrives on agriculture , mainly sugarcane , which offers direct employment. Other agricultural products include bananas , coffee , ginger , cocoa , pimento , honey , rice , and breadfruit . Pastoralism is also practised; the rearing of cattle , horses , and mules , as well as fishing —there are 19 fishing beaches with over 90 boats engaged in

440-505: A threat to Malaysia's natural diversity. A November 2008 report from biologist and author Sally Kneidel, PhD, documented numerous wildlife species for sale in informal markets along the Amazon River , including wild-caught marmosets sold for as little as $ 1.60 (5 Peruvian soles). Many Amazon species, including peccaries , agoutis , turtles , turtle eggs, anacondas , armadillos are sold primarily as food. Wildlife has long been

484-839: Is considered its preferred area or territory . Many processes associated with human habitation of an area cause loss of this area and decrease the carrying capacity of the land for that species. In many cases these changes in land use cause a patchy break-up of the wild landscape. Agricultural land frequently displays this type of extremely fragmented, or relictual habitat. Farms sprawl across the landscape with patches of uncleared woodland or forest dotted in-between occasional paddocks. Examples of habitat destruction include grazing of bushland by farmed animals, changes to natural fire regimes, forest clearing for timber production and wetland draining for city expansion. Mice, cats, rabbits, dandelions and poison ivy are all examples of species that have become invasive threats to wild species in various parts of

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528-477: Is divided into three historic counties , though they have no administrative function today. They were established in 1758 to facilitate the holding of courts along the lines of the British county court system. The three counties are named for the English historic counties of Cornwall , Middlesex , and Surrey . Cornwall County was named for being the westernmost county, just like its namesake. Middlesex County

572-476: Is further evidence that humans have unleashed a sixth mass extinction event. According to CITES , it has been estimated that annually the international wildlife trade amounts to billions of dollars and it affects hundreds of millions of animal and plant specimen. Wildlife trade refers to the products that are derived from non-domesticated animals or plants usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions. It can involve

616-413: Is made up of a large percentage of ethnic East Indians , descendants of indentured laborers who came to Jamaica from India to work after Britain abolished slavery in 1834 and the demand for labor remained high. Many intermarried with people of African descent , and their multi-racial descendants are known locally as " half indian ". There are over 40 square kilometres (10,000 acres) of morass land,

660-425: Is one of the historic sites of the parish. In the mid-18th century, Westmoreland was, acre for acre, one of the most profitable territories, not only in Jamaica, but throughout the British empire. The plains of Westmoreland were densely populated with sugar plantations, and by the time of Tacky's War Westmoreland had about 15,000 slaves labouring on more than 60 sugar plantations, many of them owned by leading men of

704-456: The Colony of Jamaica developed slowly. However, since 1 May 1867, Jamaica has been divided into the current fourteen parishes . These were retained after independence in 1962. They are grouped into three historic counties , which no longer have any administrative relevance. Every parish has a coast; none are landlocked. Following the English conquest of Jamaica the first phase of colonisation

748-535: The natural environment has provoked activists to protest against the exploitation of wildlife for human benefit or entertainment. Global wildlife populations have decreased significantly by 68% since 1970 as a result of human activity, particularly overconsumption , population growth , and intensive farming , according to a 2020 World Wildlife Fund 's Living Planet Report and the Zoological Society of London 's Living Planet Index measure, which

792-409: The traffic of drugs and weapons . Stone Age people and hunter-gatherers relied on wildlife, both plants and animals, for their food. In fact, some species may have been hunted to extinction by early human hunters. Today, hunting, fishing, and gathering wildlife is still a significant food source in some parts of the world. In other areas, hunting and non-commercial fishing are mainly seen as

836-869: The US have dominated the market for shows about wildlife on cable television, while on Public Broadcasting Service the NATURE strand made by WNET-13 in New York and NOVA by WGBH in Boston are notable. Wildlife television is now a multimillion-dollar industry with specialist documentary film-makers in many countries including UK, US, New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Germany, Japan, and Canada. There are many magazines and websites which cover wildlife including National Wildlife , Birds & Blooms , Birding , wildlife.net , and Ranger Rick for children. Many animal species have spiritual significance in different cultures around

880-530: The coast of South America , around 500 BC. Known as "cave dwellers", they lived along the cliffs of Negril . The labyrinth of caves and passageways beneath what is now the Xtabi Hotel in Negril are one of the first known settlements of Ciboney Indians in Jamaica. Christopher Columbus stopped at what became Westmoreland on his second voyage when he landed in Jamaica. One of the first Spanish settlements

924-568: The competition between members of a population. However, if this hunting continues at rate greater than the rate at which new members of the population can reach breeding age and produce more young, the population will begin to decrease in numbers . Populations that are confined to islands, whether literal islands or just areas of habitat that are effectively an "island" for the species concerned, have also been observed to be at greater risk of dramatic population rise of deaths declines following unsustainable hunting . The habitat of any given species

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968-472: The context of the philosophy of religion as an instance of the problem of evil . More recently, starting in the 19th century, a number of writers have considered the subject from a secular standpoint as a general moral issue, that humans might be able to help prevent. There is considerable disagreement around taking such action, as many believe that human interventions in nature should not take place because of practicality, valuing ecological preservation over

1012-597: The dissolution of the House of Assembly of Jamaica , and the colonial administration being turned into a crown colony . John Peter Grant was appointed Governor arriving in August 1866, and he set about instituting a number of reforms, including the administrative framework of the parishes. He introduced the by which the 22 existing parishes to 14 through the A Law to Reduce the Number of Parishes (1867/No. 20) . Parishes have been

1056-522: The division of the island into ten districts. Under Governor Modyford the island was divided into precincts and parishes and he commissioned a map of the island featuring these. The first parishes were: By 1675, the following parishes had been added: In 1677, An Act for Regulating the Parishes fixed the boundaries of each parish. The crisis highlighted by the Morant Bay rebellion led to

1100-567: The industry. Manufacturing is the third largest sector. Manufactured items include food and drink, tobacco , animal feeds, textile and textile products. Negril is one of the main tourist destinations in Jamaica. Since the 1950s tourism has been the fastest-growing sector. The major hotels are Couples Swept Away (the northern half of which is technically in Hanover ), Poinciana Beach Resort and Negril Beach Club. There are another 200+ resorts and 200+ bars and restaurants. Mount Charles ,

1144-565: The island, such as William Beckford and Arthur Forrest . The name Westmoreland appears to stem from Dr John Drummond (1744-1804) who had several plantations on the island (foremost being the Drummond Estate) plus vast lands at Savanna-la-Mar which had been owned by his parents. He was surgeon to the Westmoreland Regiment of Foot from 1784. This British regiment was officially on the island from 1802 to 1813 but

1188-489: The largest part of which is called the Great Morass. This contains plant and animal material collected over centuries. The morass can be mined as peat , an excellent source of energy. The marsh serves as a natural and unique sanctuary for a wide variety of Jamaican wildlife and birds. The remaining area consists of several hills of moderate elevation, and alluvial plains along the coast. Numerous rivers run through

1232-517: The many parasitic insects that grow on the hippo. Should the hippo die out, so too will these groups of birds, leading to further destruction as other species dependent on the birds are affected. Also referred to as a domino effect , this series of chain reactions is by far the most destructive process that can occur in any ecological community . Another example is the black drongos and the cattle egrets found in India. These birds feed on insects on

1276-839: The name appears to pre-date this, for John Drummond refers to his "Westmoreland estate" in his will of 1793. In 1938, riots at the Frome sugar estate changed the course of Jamaica's history. In the wake of these riots, the legislature passed legislation for universal adult suffrage in 1944, as well as a new constitution , which was approved by the Crown. This put Jamaica on the road to self-government and eventually independence . The two national heroes, Sir Alexander Bustamante and Norman Washington Manley , emerged as political leaders during this time. Westmoreland has an area of 807 square kilometres (312 sq mi), making it Jamaica's eighth-largest parish. Westmoreland's population of 144,817

1320-685: The parish. The Cabaritta River, which is 39.7 km long, drains the George's Plain and can accommodate ships weighing up to eight tons . Other rivers include the Negril , New Savanna, Morgan's, Gut, Smithfield, Bowens, Bluefields, Robins, Roaring, Great and Dean. The westernmost tip of the island, Negril Point , is the site of the Negril Lighthouse . Westmoreland is home to several secondary schools include Manning's School , Frome Technical High School, Grange Hill High School, and others. As

1364-611: The planet has been so high in the last few hundred years that it is widely believed that a sixth great extinction event ("the Holocene Mass Extinction ") is currently ongoing. The 2019 Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services , published by the United Nations ' Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services , says that roughly one million species of plants and animals face extinction within decades as

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1408-435: The reproductive capacity of the population is being exploited. The effects of this are often noticed much more dramatically in slow-growing populations such as many larger species of fish. Initially when a portion of a wild population is hunted, an increased availability of resources (food, etc.) is experienced increasing growth and reproduction as density dependent inhibition is lowered. Hunting, fishing and so on, have lowered

1452-793: The result of human actions. Subsequent studies have discovered that the destruction of wildlife is "significantly more alarming" than previously believed, with some 48% of 70,000 monitored animal species experiencing population declines as the result of human industrialization. According to a 2023 study published in PNAS , "immediate political, economic, and social efforts of an unprecedented scale are essential if we are to prevent these extinctions and their societal impacts." The four most general reasons that lead to destruction of wildlife include overkill, habitat destruction and fragmentation , impact of introduced species and chains of extinction. Overkill happens whenever hunting occurs at rates greater than

1496-789: The three days of Eid. In Christianity the Bible has a variety of animal symbols, the Lamb is a famous title of Jesus. In the New Testament the Gospels Mark , Luke and John have animal symbols: "Mark is a lion, Luke is a bull and John is an eagle." Wildlife tourism is an element of many nations' travel industry centered around observation and interaction with local animal and plant life in their natural habitats. While it can include eco - and animal-friendly tourism, safari hunting and similar high-intervention activities also fall under

1540-489: The trade of living or dead individuals, tissues such as skins, bones or meat, or other products. Legal wildlife trade is regulated by the United Nations ' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which currently has 184 member countries called Parties . Illegal wildlife trade is widespread and constitutes one of the major illegal economic activities, comparable to

1584-487: The umbrella of wildlife tourism. Wildlife tourism , in its simplest sense, is interacting with wild animals in their natural habitat , either actively (e.g. hunting/collection) or passively (e.g. watching/photography). Wildlife tourism is an important part of the tourism industries in many countries including many African and South American countries, Australia , India , Canada , Indonesia , Bangladesh , Malaysia , Sri Lanka and Maldives among many. It has experienced

1628-509: The vast majority of animals in existence. An extensive amount of natural suffering has been described as an unavoidable consequence of Darwinian evolution , as well as the pervasiveness of reproductive strategies , which favor producing large numbers of offspring, with a low amount of parental care and of which only a small number survive to adulthood, the rest dying in painful ways, has led some to argue that suffering dominates happiness in nature. The topic has historically been discussed in

1672-487: The well-being and interests of individual animals, considering any obligation to reduce wild animal suffering implied by animal rights to be absurd, or viewing nature as an idyllic place where happiness is widespread. Some have argued that such interventions would be an example of human hubris , or playing God , and use examples of how human interventions, for other reasons, have unintentionally caused harm. Others, including animal rights writers, have defended variants of

1716-517: The world, and they and their products may be used as sacred objects in religious rituals. For example, eagles, hawks and their feathers have great cultural and spiritual value to Native Americans as religious objects. In Hinduism the cow is regarded as sacred. Muslims conduct sacrifices on Eid al-Adha , to commemorate the sacrificial spirit of Ibrāhīm in Islam ( Arabic-Abraham ) in love of God . Camels, sheep, goats may be offered as sacrifice during

1760-490: The world. Frequently species that are uncommon in their home range become out-of-control invasions in distant but similar climates. The reasons for this have not always been clear and Charles Darwin felt it was unlikely that exotic species would ever be able to grow abundantly in a place in which they had not evolved. The reality is that the vast majority of species exposed to a new habitat do not reproduce successfully. Occasionally, however, some populations do take hold and after

1804-637: Was a studio-based show, with filmed inserts. David Attenborough first made his appearance in this series, which was followed by the series Zoo Quest during which he and cameraman Charles Lagus went to many exotic places looking for and filming elusive wildlife—notably the Komodo dragon in Indonesia and lemurs in Madagascar. Since 1984, the Discovery Channel and its spinoff Animal Planet in

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1848-403: Was also built at present-day Bluefields in this parish. The English took over the island from Spanish rule in 1655. Colonists named the parish Westmoreland in 1703, for it was the most westerly point of the island. In 1730, Savanna-la-Mar , a coastal port, was designated to replace Banbury as the capital of the parish. A fort was built in the 1700s to defend the port against pirates. Today it

1892-534: Was carried out by the Army, with a system of Regimental plantations. These were drawn up on the southern flat lands, with the Regimental commanders charged with ordering their men to plant provisions. Certain key figures such as Luke Stokes (1656) and Thomas Modyford (1664) brought substantial numbers of colonists from other English colonies. In 1662 the first census was carried out. There were no parishes and

1936-570: Was named for its location on the middle third of Jamaica. Surrey County was named for the English county in which Kingston upon Thames is found, because Kingston was its county town . Wildlife Humans have historically tended to separate civilization from wildlife in a number of ways, including the legal, social and moral senses. Some animals, however, have adapted to suburban environments. This includes such animals as feral cats , dogs, mice, and rats. Some religions declare certain animals to be sacred, and in modern times, concern for

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