Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter 
THE HALF Moon Bay Fishermen's Co-operative Society Limited is resisting the Portmore Municipal Council's move to regularise commercial activities on the Hellshire beachfront.
Donette Prendergast, secretary of the 10-year-old co-operative, which represents the fisher folk at Hellshire, questioned the motives of the municipal council. She argued that for years they had appealed for help from the relevant authorities to no avail.
"These shops have been there for thirty odd years," said Ms Prendergast. "We have asked on numerous occasions for technical assistance and it fell on deaf ears."
The Council waited until the community had become well established and now was questioning the basis of its existence, she said. "That don't make any sense."
David Parkes, chief administrative manger at the Portmore Municipal Council told The Gleaner that his administration is seeking to legitimise the commercial activities in the Hellshire area but not in a high-handed manner or with any ulterior motives.
"Right now we are trying to render the necessary co-operation to guide the fishing co-operative in terms of re-organising the layout of the commercial areas," he said.
PARISH COUNCIL WILL
ENFORCE THE LAW
Mr. Parkes said the Council will enforce the law if it does not get the required co-operation.
"Right now, the breaches continue and we are a little bit impatient," he said. "We will be employing the force of law in the short run."
Ms. Prendergast told The Gleaner that her group has no problem complying with the requests made by the municipal authority. But, she pointed out that some underlying factors must first be dealt with.
"It is not that we don't want to conform to these requests that have been made but there are other underlying factors that need to be dealt with before you try to push things on us," she said.
One of which she said was the erosion of the beach front which she attributed to the dumping
and dredging being done in the vicinity of the causeway.
Currently, the Council is concerned with the 'permanent commercial structures', those with concrete walls up to the roof level, that were rebuilt after the passage of Hurricane Ivan.
The Council wants the structures modified. Additionally, it is asking that commercial structures be moved further back from the water's edge for their own safety, as hurricane force winds partially destroyed the coral reef that served as a protective barrier.
"The coral reef was damaged to some extent and it shifted the high water mark, (as a result) the units under construction would be more exposed to storm surges," warned Mr. Parkes.
