Bluefields Bay giving back to Jamaica

Bluefields Bay, a top-ranked luxury all-inclusive Caribbean seaside villa resort on the South Coast of Jamaica, announces the current projects and initiatives of their nonprofit, Bluefields Environmental Protection Association (BEPA), including funding a local ambulance and sea turtle preservation.

Founded by Bluefields Bay's owners in 2009, BEPA is committed to its mission to protect the natural environment of the villages constituting the coastline of the Bluefields Bay, as well as to protect the aquatic life of the Bay itself. BEPA also seeks to contribute to the health, welfare and well-being of the region's residents.

BEPA recently just partnered with Ourisman Ford Lincoln of Alexandria to repair the ambulance of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, which has been broken since last July. Once the ambulance is operational, it will cover the entire parish of Westmoreland. BEPA also works with local conservationists to protect local endangered species and they have been working to monitor and protect a Hawksbill Sea Turtle nesting area from poaching and other dangers since May.

"Since opening Bluefields Bay in 1982, we have been committed to giving back to the local environment and community," said Bluefields Bay co-owner Debbie Moncure. "Our guests enjoy interacting with the local community and knowing they are supporting our charitable efforts that improve the well-being of Bluefields Bay as a whole."

Some other major BEPA achievements include:

* Education- BEPA is committed to giving back to the local schools in various ways. BEPA has provided the Belmont Academy, Black River School, Mearnsville All-Age School and Bluefields Basic School with such services as tuition-assistance, nutrition-assistance, installing modern bathrooms and installing 40 computers.

* Protect the Bay- BEPA campaigned to declare Bluefields Bay an aquatic wildlife sanctuary, which was accomplished in 2011. BEPA also paid for buoys to be put out in the water, helping to delineating the portion of the Bay that is protected, and has also paid for the patrol boat that ensures that the local fisherman abide by the law and fish in deeper waters.

* Keep the Community Clean- BEPA organizes and pays for the village of Bluefields to be kept clean. A team of three picks up any litter along the local coastline on a semi-monthly basis. In addition, BEPA paid for trash cans to be made and distributed along the community's main roads.

 * 90% of BEPA's donations come from guests of Bluefields Bay. With no permanent staff and all administration being taken care of on a voluntary basis, every cent donated to BEPA goes directly to charitable projects.

About Bluefields Environmental Protection Association (BEPA)
The Bluefields Environmental Protection Association was founded in late 2009 as the non-profit arm of Bluefields Bay. The mission of BEPA is to protect the natural environment of the villages constituting the coastline of the Bluefields Bay, as well as to protect the aquatic life of the Bay itself. BEPA also seeks to contribute to the health, welfare and well-being of the region's residents. For more information about BEPA, please visit http://www.bepajamaica.org/.