Swiss Re said it has awarded $70,000 to The Nature Conservancy for a river cleanup project on the island of Jamaica.

The money is being given as part of Swiss Re's International ReSource Award competition and will be presented Thursday at a ceremony in Kingston attended by representatives of The Nature Conservancy, the Jamaican government and Swiss Re, the company said.

The Conservancy project, Swiss Re said, aims to significantly reduce the use of illegal agrochemical poisoning agents to harvest fish, shrimp and crayfish in Jamaica's Rio Grande valley.

By the end of 2008, The Nature Conservancy wants to eliminate these unsustainable inland fishing practices by educating local communities on the dangers of river poisoning, mobilizing them to safeguard their own rivers, and promoting sustainable and viable alternative fishing methods such as fishing pots, line fishing and nets.

“As a company that supports the insurance market in Jamaica and the Caribbean region, it is Swiss Re's pleasure to bestow this honor on an eminently worthy project,” said Jean-Jacques Henchoz, chief executive officer of Swiss Re's Canadian Property & Casualty operations, which also include the English-speaking Caribbean. “Swiss Re seeks to leverage its financial strength and expertise to effect positive change for the environment.”

Mr. Henchoz pointed out that “unsustainable trends which threaten our natural resources and social coherence are likely to create new risks and thus raise the loss potential for the insurance industry.”

He said the reinsurer feels it has a “large stake in the sustainability of our world, and that carries with it a great responsibility to ensure sufficient resources are allocated to the stewardship and protection of our planet.”

The International ReSource Award 2007 also recognized a project based in Ethiopia which aims to improve water availability for household activities and small-scale production by installing water harvesting techniques.

The ReSource Award is conferred annually on projects selected by an international jury. The program focuses on sustainability and humanitarian projects and on supporting the communities in which the group operates.

Special Reports /

Swiss Re Awards Funds For Island River Cleanup

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