The Editor, Sir:

I am a Jamaican and I love the beach, with refreshing blue waters. I had the recent luxury of spending several months in Barbados where I relished the easy and frequent access to the beach - any beach on the island - whether a hotel was stuck behind it, or it was still visible from the road. But having now returned to Jamaica, I am homesick for the beach in Barbados. They have the better beaches.

Former Barbadian Prime Minister Owen Arthur declared that all, and he meant ALL, beaches were to be open and accessible to the public, hotel or no hotel, and free of cost.

Patriotic policy

Bravo to the Barbadians and indeed the citizens of all the other Caribbean islands who still own a little piece of their country and can freely access any of their beaches. I pray that their leaders will be strong enough to never change that wise and patriotic policy.

Here in Jamaica, a national beach policy allowing free access to all beaches has not been ratified by Parliament. My fondness for the beach is outweighed by the balancing scales of tourism. Others may rejoice at the news of more hotels being built, but I mourn the vanishing sea view and landscape, bartered in exchange for bags of cement and building blocks, all for the exclusive enjoyment of the demigods, otherwise known as 'foreign tourists'.

I am, etc.,

REECE BRISCOE

reecebriscoe@gmail.com