THE Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) has written to Prime Minister Bruce Golding objecting to construction of an artificial beach at Blue Lagoon in Portland.

The trust said it became aware of the beach in January this year, and has been communicating with NEPA and local stakeholders since, to try and find out why the development was allowed.

“JET now understands that a private developer has been given a beach license to operate the beach and land has been cleared, a slipway for non motorized boats constructed, a chain link fence erected, walls built and sand imported. Blue Lagoon is one of Jamaica’s most loved beauty spots. If it cannot be preserved, we must ask — what can?” said Diana McCaulay, JET’s Chief Executive Officer, “Blue Lagoon is currently protected by a Tree Preservation Order, which prohibits the cutting or lopping of any tree and was also the subject of an Interim Preservation Notice in 1968. Apparently, the latter is no longer in effect — we seem to have valued the Lagoon more in the past than we do in the present.”

JET has requested that Golding intervene to restore Blue Lagoon to its former natural state.