Warning signs erected along Treasure Beach coastline
THE TOURISM Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo) recently erected 18 warning signs along the Treasure Beach coastline in St Elizabeth in a bid to enhance safety and promote sustainable tourism practices in the area.
These 11‘ Caution ’and seven‘ No Swimming’ signs span the Great Bay to Fort Charles area, warning beachgoers of potential dangers and encouraging safer usage of the beach.
TPDCo’s Director of Product Quality and Community Tourism, Lionel Myrie, highlighted the necessity of the signs in light of incidents of drowning occurring in Treasure Beach over the years.
Myrie said that consequently, the Ministry of Tourism, through the TPDCo, and its partners have taken action to inform beach users about water conditions and safe practices.
“We have persons traversing from all walks of life to come here to utilise the beach, and they are not familiar with the location. So what we did, as a team, was to come here, consult with local stakeholders and they… guided us as to where exactly we should place these signs,” Myrie said.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining and Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth South Western - where Treasure Beach is located - Floyd Green was among key local stakeholders collaborating with the TPDCo. Others included the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, BREDs Treasure Beach Foundation, and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).
“We want to encourage persons … when they get here, just to operate in a safe way and take heed [of the signs and] local recommendations,” Myrie said.
“We are the agency that is tasked with Destination Assurance programme, where we ensure that our visitors, whether local or from overseas, enjoy the tourism product in a safe, secure, and seamless way,” he added.
Minister Green also underscored the significance of the initiative in enhancing Treasure Beach’s community-tourism product.
He mentioned plans to train residents as lifeguards and provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training to ensure a quick response in the event of emergencies.
“Part of our responsibility is to communicate that [to] people who visit Treasure Beach. So we’ve been working together with TPDCo and with local stakeholders to ensure that we raise our Destination Assurance [framework], that we focus on safety, and that we provide the information that people need so that they can make better decisions when they come into the space,” Green outlined.
Local fisherman Bernard Sutherland expressed support for the initiative, noting that the signs would raise awareness among visitors, especially those unfamiliar with the beach.
“Also, anywhere you go on a beach and see fishing vessels … that is the safest area to swim,” Sutherland pointed out.