KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) says it has received reports from members of the public of a large beach sand mining operation in Trelawny just west of Duncans Bay Beach and Silver Sands. 

According to JET, information received alleges that dozens of truckloads of sand have been removed from the coastline over a period of at least three days last week, but may have been going on for much longer.   

The environment watchdog group said that it is unclear whether the sand mining operation received an environmental permit or a beach license from the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) “or any oversight at all from the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA)”.   

However, it is understood that the Mines and Geology Division of the Ministry of Agriculture did give approval, but no official confirmation of the scope of what was allowed has yet been received from any government agency, JET said in a release Tuesday.  

 “How can any Government agency be giving permission for removal of beach sand?  It displays a staggering ignorance of how beach sand is replenished and a complete disregard for the ecosystem functions of beaches,” JET CEO Diana McCaulay contended, adding that many parts of Jamaica’s coastline are seriously affected by beach erosion.   

As a result JET is calling on government to release full information the matter including “who carried out the operation, what permission was granted, where the sand was sent to and what enforcement action, if any, is appropriate or has been taken”.