The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) on Thursday said it has no problem with hoteliers in Negril cleaning rotting seagrass dumped on beaches in the resort town. However, the agency insisted that the use of heavy equipment, such as tractors and front-end loaders, to do the job requires permission specifically because the clean-up activities must be overseen by people with the requisite skill sets “in order to minimise the negative impact that such machinery can have” on the island’s beaches.

The agency was responding to a story in Thursday’s Jamaica Observer reporting hoteliers’ complaints that they were cited by NEPA for using heavy-duty equipment to clear the beach without a permit.

Three hoteliers who spoke with the Observer after a fiery meeting of the Negril Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday had said that they had to act as no help had come from officials even five days after the recent cold front washed up a high volume of seagrass, seaweed, and debris on the beach.

“I have guests in house who are paying a lot of money but yet they can’t access the beach because it is stinky and smelly. So I had to do it,” Michael Russell, the owner of White Sands Negril hotel, told the Observer.

Responding to the complaints, NEPA said it is not oblivious of the exigencies of the situation and the need to act expeditiously to protect the tourism product and ultimately the country’s economy.

“Ideally, the removal and clean-up should be done manually, using non-intrusive methods, such as hand raking or beach raking with a perforated conveyor belt to allow for the redeposit of sand. This is important in order to minimise the removal of sand during the process of clearing and to lessen the likelihood of erosion. Additionally, care must be taken to protect marine life such as sea turtles that may be nesting on the beach,” NEPA said.

The agency said it recently circulated the tourism ministry guidelines on the procedures that have been in place and have guided previous occurrences on high influx.

As such, NEPA said it “must insist that the sector interests spare the time to ensure compliance with the guidelines to reduce the likelihood of further beach loss and creating the need for enforcement intervention”.

It reiterated that clearance for using heavy equipment may be permitted once permission is sought and obtained and the necessary oversight is in place. “Where requests for permission have been made, same have been granted over the period,” NEPA said.

The agency also said it wanted to make it clear that it supports Jamaica’s economy and the tourism industry and the need to protect the gains the industry has made.

At the same time, it said it “must seek to protect Jamaica’s natural resources to ensure the long-term sustainable development of the island”.

The agency added that in so doing it “aims to work in concert with the relevant partners and stakeholders to ensure efficiency in delivering on this mandate and to strike the right balance between development and conservation”.