The Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement (JABBEM) advocates for the constitutional guarantee of universal rights and unrestricted access to all beaches and the sea in Jamaica. This initiative, known as “Beach Birthright,” seeks to protect Jamaicans’ access to coastal spaces for leisure, spiritual practices, meditative therapy, traditional baptisms, and sustainable livelihoods such as fishing and marine entrepreneurship.
JABBEM’s mission opposes corporate exploitation and the creation of exclusive economic zones that degrade the beach environment and restrict public access, causing harm to both nature and the human spirit. The movement views the reclamation of public beach rights as the foundation for a fairer and more sustainable coastal policy.
By promoting awareness of the cultural and environmental importance of beaches, JABBEM aims to inspire a sense of ownership among Jamaicans. This cultural shift will encourage behaviors that prioritize the preservation of nature, fostering both environmental stewardship and the protection of Jamaica’s coastal heritage for future generations.
In their petition launched in 2022, they argue that the law is discriminatory and call on the Jamaican government to ‘immediately repeal and replace the colonial-era law, and grant the Jamaican people unfettered access to the beaches and use of the sea and rivers.
They flag with particular concern, developments near Bob Marley in Bull Bay, St. Thomas, which threaten Jamaican freedom of access to what was once the ‘favourite spiritual retreat of the late Bob Marley’.
They highlight the stark contrast with Jamaica’s law and the rest of the Caribbean where the right to access to the sea a central aspect of our Caribbean heritage is enshrined by law.
Prominent figures like Ziggy Marley and Cedella Marley have joined the call for unconditional beach access for all Jamaicans, emphasizing the importance of natural resources for the well-being of local communities and future generations.
While the Prime Minister has acknowledged the importance of beach access for all Jamaicans, no tangible steps toward reform are being taken or explored.
If you too would like to join the call, click to sign JABBEM’s petion on Change.org
Showcasing stories of Caribbean organizations at the foreground of the struggle against disaster capitalism in the Caribbean. Our network of participants in the Greater Caribbean region connect, learn, share their hands on responses to the impacts of the twin threats of the climate crisis and disaster capitalism in our region.
Bernard Lodge Farmers Group
WAVE (Progressive Reform Movement)
Tèt Kole
Global Challenges Research Fund
Open Society Foundations
All Rights Reserved – strongercaribbeantogether.org 2022
All Rights Reserved – strongercaribbeantogether.org 2022
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