August 21, 2026
JET calls for Jamaica’s beaches to be recognised as a public commons and held in public trust
Written byNatalie Campbell
The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) is calling for Jamaica’s beaches to be recognised as a public commons and held in public trust.
This means that access to beaches should not depend on who owns the land or who has a licence to operate there.
According to JET, as public debate continues around beach access and Jamaica’s beach access and management policy, the discussion must be focused on the fundamental issue at the heart of beach access.
JET notes that the beach access and management policy’s vision and principles frame access as something to be “provided” or “maintained”, but points out that this is a management objective, rather than a pre-existing right.
JET states that this leaves access dependent on discretionary implementation rather than legal entitlement. It adds that the policy does not explicitly recognise beaches as a public commons held in public trust, or access as a matter of public right.
JET says its review finds that, while the 2026 policy represents an important and long-awaited attempt to address Jamaica’s beach access challenges, it does not go far enough to resolve this fundamental issue.
The policy proposes amendments to establish a “qualified right” of public access to the foreshore.
However, the organisation says access continues to be shaped by ownership, licensing arrangements and discretionary mechanisms and in particular, the policy defines a “public beach” by reference to government ownership.
It says this leaves a significant gap for beaches that are privately owned, but have long functioned as traditional public bathing or fishing beaches.
CEO of JET Dr. Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie, says the debate should not be centred on what percentage of beach is open to the public, but on whether or not beaches are a public commons, or if access depends on who owns the land or holds a licence.
She says a beach does not cease to be important to the public simply because the underlying land is privately owned. She calls for a legal framework that protects longstanding public and fishing access and ensures that people can actually reach the shore.
