Parottee: The Sand, The Storm, and The Silence

Eight months after Hurricane Melissa struck western Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, the fishing village of Parottee, St. Elizabeth, is still fighting to rebuild — and to remain on the land. Prime Minister Andrew Holness has stated that Parottee must be relocated, saying the cost of rebuilding on the coast is too high. Residents say they were not properly consulted. Fishermen say their lives depend on the sea, the pond, tourism, and fishing. Families say their graves are there. Their history is there. But Accompong News is asking a deeper question: 00:00 — Cold Open: Hurricane Melissa and Parottee 00:34 — The Relocation Order 01:28 — Residents Say No 02:02 — The Ground Beneath Parottee 02:54 — Barrick, Geophysx, and Mineral Exploration 03:34 — The Conflict-of-Interest Question 04:20 — Access to Information Request 04:48 — Closing: The People Deserve Answers Is this only disaster recovery — or is Parottee being cleared from commercially valuable land? Parottee sits on the Black River plains, an area documented for quartz-rich silica sand and heavy minerals. At the same time, Jamaica has seen major mineral exploration activity involving Geophysx Jamaica and Barrick Gold. The minister responsible for mining licences, Floyd Green, is also the Member of Parliament for St. Elizabeth South Western — the constituency that includes Parottee. Accompong News is not asserting that a mining licence has been issued for Parottee. We are placing the conflict-of-interest question on the public record and calling for full disclosure of any active or pending mineral exploration licences or mining leases covering the Black River coastal area. The people of Parottee deserve answers. This is Accompong News. Stay informed. Stay sovereign. #Parottee #Jamaica #HurricaneMelissa #StElizabeth #BlackRiver #AccompongNews #MiningJamaica #LandRights #DisasterRecovery #InvestigativeNews Connect with Accompong News: Website: https://www.accompong.news Instagram:   / accompongnews   Facebook:   / accompongnews   #AccompongNews