KINGSTON, Jamaica — The operators of Hellshire Beach in St Catherine are urging Jamaicans to return to the beach which is popular for its tasty seafood.

The call was made by Natasha Thompson, who is in charge of the public relations at Half Moon Bay Fisherman’s Co-operative Society Limited which manages the beach.

Thompson was speaking with Observer Online regarding the losses experienced on the beach due to Hurricane Beryl which ravaged Jamaica’s south coast on July 3.

“Our castle at the gate and the cooperative office roof (was damaged). Down the bottom you have like Ms Joy, Auntie Donna, Pauline…couple others down the bottom lost their back parts, some the front part, some persons zinc go, some persons houses…so if you ask me, everybody lose on Hellshire Beach,” Thompson shared.

Screechie’s, a well known restaurant along the shoreline, was one of the restaurants that were significantly impacted by the hurricane. The heavy winds of Hurricane Beryl left the eatery without a roof.

However, property damage was not the only significant loss suffered by restaurant owners along the beach as seafood spoilage impacted most of them as well. Thompson explained that due to the loss of electricity, some owners had to buy ice or gas daily for their generators to try to salvage their fish, shrimp, lobster and liquors, but with no electricity restored up to two weeks after the storm, efforts were futile.

“I have walked around with my team and I’ve been to several persons…and the numbers are very high in goods because we had to get ice, who didn’t get ice had to keep on going out and buying gas for their generators like every day. It’s a big loss especially on the liquor and the juice because the ice have to be on and off, most persons have to throw away their goods,” Thompson shared.

Since the hurricane, customer numbers have dwindled, exacerbating an already ongoing decline due to overpricing and harassment on the beach. However, Thompson is reassuring the public that Hellshire Beach is still open for business.

“You can still come to Hellshire Beach. Hellshire Beach is still keeping. It’s not everybody over here is overpricing people in food,” the owner of Mel’s One Stop said.

“Most persons like on a Sunday, they don’t have any customers there and they have to pay their bills, they have kids going back to school, some people here hardly can find customers so I’m appealing to you guys,” she added.

Thompson further clarified that some videos circulating online showing the beach being battered by hurricane conditions are old videos of the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and Tropical Storm Dean in 2007.

“All is not lost on Hellshire Beach. Hellshire Beach is still keeping guys so please come out,” she said.

Thompson continued, “The hurricane come and the hurricane go. Most persons don’t even have money right now. Most persons who have shops and restaurants, they lost like chicken, their regular things to cook — fish, lobster, juice. So it’s been a rough time for everybody around the world. It is a rough time I should say for persons right now.”