JAMAICANS BARRED FROM OWN BEACHES: END THE BAN!

Imagine living on a beautiful island with picturesque beaches - but you’re not allowed to visit them.

That’s what life is like for Jamaicans, where less than 1% of the sandy coastline is open to the public. It’s a colonial legacy of the 1956 Beach Control Act, which grants private landowners extensive - almost exclusive - rights over coastal areas, effectively barring residents from enjoying their own shores.

As a result of this exclusion, prime beachfronts are predominantly reserved for private entities and foreign tourists, with Jamaicans marginalised in their homeland.

Under British rule, laws were instituted to favour the interests of the colonial power and its economic expansion at the expense of the local community. Although Jamaica achieved independence, these colonial-era statutes persist, perpetuating stark social and economic disparities.

This clip is part of a campaign calling for an end to the colonial-era beach law. In it, @mikaelaloach argues that denying locals access to their natural resources not only infringes upon their rights but also undermines their cultural heritage and identity.

It’s a prime example of exclusionary colonial practices creating systemic inequities impacting the quality of life of Jamaicans today, even after their so-called independence from the UK in 1962.

Video credit: @mikaelaloachy

Sources:

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/podcast-episode/banned-from-the-beach-jamaican-locals-want-their-ocean-access-back/ix0zj00x3

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/dateline/article/second-class-citizens-why-locals-in-this-island-nation-cant-use-its-stunning-beaches/o76xj99ac

https://globalvoices.org/2023/10/15/an-overseas-media-report-reignites-jamaicas-longstanding-concern-regarding-limited-beach-access/

https://www.voice-online.co.uk/news/world-news/2024/11/27/jamaicans-fight-colonial-era-beach-law-in-court/