NRCA: Fisherfolk and vendors will not be displaced from Jacob Taylor Beach

The Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) says fisherfolk and vendors operating at Jacob Taylor Beach in Trelawny will not be displaced as part of plans to redevelop the property.

The authority, in a statement on Wednesday, gave the assurance following concerns raised by persons who occupy the beach over plans to remove them from the property.

They were reportedly served 30-day notices on Monday to leave the beach by the agency, which owns the property.

The NRCA explains that it is taking steps to redevelop the beach and that the conceptual plan provides for the integration of fisherfolk through a dedicated fishers’ hub, with facilities for boat access, equipment and fish storage, and engine maintenance.

“The NRCA’s Notices to Quit were not served on the fisherfolk. Their rights as traditional users are safeguarded under the Beach Control Act, and their continued access will be protected when the proposed redevelopment proceeds,” NRCA Chairman Christopher Whyms-Stone said.

Whyms-Stone said the notices were served on vendors occupying the beach illegally and were intended to address an outstanding occupancy and tenancy matter and bring the property under a lawful, orderly and properly managed framework.

It was indicated that the move is in keeping with the original intention for the beach when it was rehabilitated in 2003 to operate as a model public beach that was well-maintained, environmentally responsible and freely accessible.

The NRCA said the model beach plan made provision for 15 craft vendors to operate at the property through formal lease arrangements.

However, it said lease payments were sporadic despite repeated efforts by the authority to collect outstanding sums and regularise the arrears.

The vendors’ leases expired on August 31, 2006, the agency said, adding that following an internal review in July 2017, the NRCA determined that Notices to Quit should be issued to address the unauthorised occupancy and bring the property under effective management.

The authority said the notices were subsequently served in April 2018 and that since then, the matter has formed part of a longstanding process to resolve expired tenure arrangements, address outstanding occupancy matters relating specifically to the vendors, and enable the NRCA to manage Jacob Taylor Beach in keeping with its intended public and environmental purposes.

Whyms-Stone said provisions will also be made for the orderly accommodation of vendors once the rehabilitation work is completed.

“The conceptual redevelopment programme makes specific provision for vendors and fisherfolk currently operating at the beach. Vendors are expected to be incorporated into a designated craft village comprising covered stalls together with shared storage and utility services,” he said.

Whyms-Stone added that the purpose-built areas for fisherfolk and vendors are intended to provide safer, more orderly and better-supported conditions for existing livelihood activities.

The NRCA pointed out that Jacob Taylor Beach was identified as a priority under the Beach Management Strategy commissioned in 2014.

It said the strategy examined management options, income-generating opportunities, infrastructure requirements and the likely costs of rehabilitating NRCA-owned and leased beaches.

The objective is to address the deterioration and ad hoc use of the property while restoring it as a safe, attractive, environmentally responsible and publicly accessible beach.

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