Jamaica goes to court to challenge beach privatization and defend public access

Campaigners led by the Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement (Jabbem) are filing five court cases to prevent privatization of public beaches including Mammee Bay, Little Dunn’s River, Blue Lagoon, Bob Marley Beach and Flankers/Providence, arguing the 1956 Beach Control Act and the Narra Act erode long-held public access and threaten livelihoods. The government says access should be balanced with economic benefits and resilience, pointing to corridors for the sea and a proposed beach access policy, while critics warn that new laws could grant developers “qualified rights” and weaken oversight.