Jamaican activists take legal action to halt beach privatization

Community organisations in Jamaica will bring five lawsuits to court later this month seeking to stop the privatization of several beaches, including Mammee Bay, Little Dunn’s River, the Blue Lagoon, Bob Marley beach and Flankers/Providence beach. The cases are led by the Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement (Jabbem), which was formed in 2020 after protests over the closure of Mammee Bay.

Jabbem founder Devon Taylor said the legal battle is a matter of survival, noting that many Jamaicans rely on the sea for food and livelihood. "The sea is the only source of wild food in Jamaica. And when you cut us off from the sea by denying us access, you are actually setting us up to starve," he said.

Local residents also highlighted the impact on their incomes. Roseroy Gay, a fisherman at the Blue Lagoon since 1979, said changes to fishing zones and beach closures forced him to depend on support from family abroad. Clive “Up Up” Ivy, who sells handmade wood carvings and bead necklaces at Little Dunn’s River, said the uncertainty surrounding beach access hurt his earnings.

The activists aim to overturn the 1956 Beach Control Act, which gave the state ownership of the foreshore and required government permission for any beach use or development. They argue the law sustains a tourism model that channels profits out of the country and concentrates wealth among a small elite.

Environment and Climate Change Minister Matthew Samuda acknowledged the need to explore public access but emphasized the government’s goal of converting natural assets into economic benefits for all citizens. He cited employment figures for the tourism sector and related industries, and said recent development approvals have required developers to create sea-access corridors.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has proposed a beach access and management policy intended to modernise legislation and improve access, but campaigners say the draft still permits “qualified rights” that could be limited by developer licences. Damion Coombs, Jabbem’s director of community engagement, said the groups are fighting for “free, legal, unfettered, forever rights.”

Activists also raised concerns about the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (Narra) Act, passed in March to expedite post-hurricane rebuilding. They claim the act could undermine the 1882 Prescription Act, which protects long-standing public access routes, by restricting continuous use and limiting information transparency. Omar Newell, the opposition’s shadow environment minister, warned that the Narra Act concentrates excessive power in the prime minister’s office.

Samuda defended the Narra Act, stating it enables rapid procurement for resilience projects without weakening parliamentary oversight or permitting processes.