Kingston Harbour, one of the largest well protected natural harbours in the world, is located on the southeastern coast of Jamaica, borders Kingston, the capital city, and is the country's major port.

The Harbour is a valuable resource for the people of Jamaica, providing port and airport facilities, fishing, site for thousands of industrial and commercial enterprises, as well as home for hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans.

At present the full value of Kingston Harbour is not being maximised, as the water quality has been badly degraded, and the surrounding land area has also deteriorated in many places. Improvement in these areas would enable its use for a range of recreation and tourism activities, thus providing employment for thousands of Jamaicans.

In addition, the rich biodiversity of the harbour is under threat from pollution and alien species brought there by shipping.

The very feature that makes Kingston Harbour a safe and sheltered haven, contribute to its vulnerability to pollution: it is largely, landlocked, with a relatively small opening on the southeastern end.