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The Portland Bight Protected Area (PBPA) includes most of the southern parts of the parishes ofSt. Catherine and the sea to the edge of the coastal shelfIts terrestrial area includes the dry forests of Hellshire Hills, Brazilletto Mountains, Kemps Hill and Portland Ridge, the lower reaches of the Rio Minho (one of the largest rivers in Jamaica) as well as the surrounding agricultural lands (mostly sugar cane), settlements and towns that surround them. Its freshwater ecosystems include the lower reaches of the Rio Minho – one of the largest rivers in Jamaica and many other streams, gullies and irrigation canals. Along the coast there the longest contiguous mangrove coastline in Jamaica, as well as 2 ports and several fishing villages. The protected area stretches out to the edge of the island shelf, which is at its widest in this area. The protected area was designed to integrate biodiversity conservation with measures to improve the quality of life of the residents. This is why the boundaries were drawn to include many of the users of the natural resources of the area, in the expectation that this would encourage them to acknowledge their ownership and responsibility for the area. The PBPA was declared under the NRCA Act in 1998, and the Portland Bight Wetlands and Cays Ramsar site in 2006. The PBPA also contains 4 Game Sanctuaries, 3 Special Fisheries Management Areas, two Forest Reserves and several National Heritage sites.
The PBPA has seven (7) management programmes which are: biodiversity, fisheries management, watershed management, invasive alien species, zoning for conservation and development, education and outreach, monitoring, evaluation and research.