THE St Catherine Parish Council was last week blamed for the poor condition of the Old Harbour Bay fishing beach.

The presence of stray animals on the compound of the fishing beach, inadequate pipe water supply, lack of proper sanitary convenience and poor garbage disposal were among the shortcomings cited at a meeting last Tuesday, involving officials from the St Catherine Health Department, the Old Harbour Bay Fishermen’s Cooperative, the Caribbean Coastal Area Management and councilor for the Old Harbour Bay Division Hilda Johnson.

Most of the representatives who attended the meeting, which at times was stormy, said the St Catherine Parish Council should accept blame for the existing condition in which the beach is being currently operated.

“For years now the beach has been mismanaged by the parish council, to the extent that the place is now a free for all,” said one of the participants at the meeting.

At the same time, deputy chief public health inspector for the parish, Everton Francis, said, too, that he was unhappy at the condition under which the beach was being operated and the scant regard being showed by the parish council in dealing with the problems.

Meanwhile, public health inspector Daniel Graham said that since he took up duties in the area two years ago, the Old Harbour bay fishing beach has been a great source of embarrassment to him.

Peter Espuet of the Caribbean Coastal Area Management suggested that if every user of the beach is committed to at least donating the sale of one pound of fish to a special committee to maintain the facility then within a few weeks the beach could maintain itself.

Espeut said the parish council should lease the facility to management group, which he believes would help to minimise the current problem which exist at the facility.