Jamaica’s beach access crisis: ‘We shouldn’t be forced to fight for what is already ours’

Key Points:

• Devon Taylor and local activists in Jamaica are fighting against the exclusion of communities from beaches like Mammee Bay due to the expansion of all-inclusive luxury tourism, which they describe as "plantation tourism" benefiting elites while disadvantaging locals.
• Multiple beaches, including Mammee Bay, Little Dunn’s River, and the Blue Lagoon, are subject to legal battles as communities seek to regain access to culturally, economically, and spiritually significant coastal areas that have been restricted under colonial-era laws.
• Campaigners argue that government policies and development projects often prioritize private interests over public access, with some closures and constructions allegedly misleading local residents and threatening livelihoods tied to fishing, vending, and cultural practices.
• The Jamaican government acknowledges the importance of public beach access and has proposed new policies and developments aimed at improving access, but activists criticize these measures for still allowing restrictive controls and fees.
• The conflict highlights broader issues of post-colonial land rights, with activists calling for free, legal, and permanent public access to beaches, while also expressing concerns about recent legislation that may concentrate power and undermine community land rights protections.