A Trelawny businessman and a contractor he employed have been fined J$150,000 each for breaches of the Beach Control Act.
According to the National Environment and Planning Agency, Rashidi Williams and Orville Webb pleaded guilty to encroaching on the foreshore and floor of the sea.
It was reported that they carried out dredging and reclamation works without a beach licence from the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA).
They appeared in the Trelawny Parish Court last Wednesday.
Deborah Lee Shung, Manager of NEPA’s Legal Services Branch, who represented the NRCA in the matter, responded to the argument that the dredging and reclamation were minor by highlighting the cumulative effect of such activities.
Ms Lee Shung urged members of the public to be aware of whether such activities were permitted in order to avoid prosecution under environmental and planning laws.
Compliance
In that regard, Morjorn Wallock, Director of NEPA’s Legal and Enforcement Division, has announced that the agency will be undertaking more collaboration with the police to improve compliance.
She says NEPA has revamped its enforcement strategy, and as a result more charges are coming for breaches of environment and planning laws.
Under the Beach Control Act, all encroachments on the foreshore and floor of the sea require a Beach Licence.
Persons who contravene this provision are liable on conviction to a fine of $500,000, or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 12 months, or both.
NEPA says dredging or reclamation of coastal resources can have dire consequences on the environment if effective mitigation measures are not in place.