The Full Story
Mullet Bay is a beach every resident and visitor to Sint Maarten knows. For those who grew up on our island, it is the place where many childhood memories were made. Over the past decades, despite being public, our beaches have slowly been getting smaller and less accessible due to overdevelopment. We must ask ourselves: do we want privatised beaches or do we want to keep what natural environment and beaches we have left for the public to enjoy?
On most beaches today, restaurants, hotels, and housing are built too near the shoreline, often blocking easy access to the beach. Beach establishments place beach chairs on the beach without boundaries. The beach policy seems to be rarely taken seriously and used as a loose guideline.
Development on Mullet Bay
For many years various individuals and organisations have voiced their concerns about the protection of Mullet Bay.
Two establishments (Rosie's and Da Waterhole), initially small establishments, have been serving food and beverages on Mullet Bay for a few decades. In 2022 the construction of a third establishment 'Kalatua' set off new protests. Many persons were not aware that permits were approved for the construction of a third restaurant and more beach chairs on the Mullet Bay.
Many more people were not aware that in 2014 an amendment was made to the 2012 beach and vending policy to allow for more development on Mullet Bay.
Amendment 2012 Beach & Vending Policy
In the 2012 document it stated that the maximum allowed
beach activities on Mullet Bay are: 2, in addition the zoning
allowed for 2 non-motorized water sports activities.
However in 2014, the then Minister of TEATT Ted Richardson
signed an amendment to allow for 4 activities on the beach, 3 motorized water sports activities, and 3 non-motorized beach activities.
Permits & Objections
On the Dutch side, new developments (permit requests) must be announced in a (news) publication. This is often done in the 'landscourant', a government publication. See March 5, 2021, page 42. The announcements are hard to find, short, vague, and easily missed. How is the public allowed a fair chance to object?
How permit requests are published has to be updated to allow the public to exercise their democratic right to question or protest developments. Especially if this concerns their public land or beach!
Fair Processes & Opportunities
In response to this petition, one of the comments was 'you are trying to bring the local man down'. On the contrary, we would like to keep our beaches accessible and affordable for all, instead of having a few become rich off our beaches. And if the majority of our population does want more development on Mullet Bay, should they not have been informed of this opportunity properly?
Current establishments are paying very low and outdated monthly payments to Government to use PRIME public beach property. In addition, other regulations should be enforced to protect the experience of other beach goers and fauna in the area - this includes lighting that affects sea-turtle nesting, volume of music, and beach used for private beach chairs.
It is imperative that the policies and laws surrounding beach development are updated and reflect current value of our coastline and beaches. In addition, we must consider the environmental repercussions of developing our beaches.
A way forward
This is not an isolated incident or petition. In 2020, another development was halted due to objections by residents www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/vromi-orders-removal-of-container-on-mullet. This is also not a problem only Mullet Bay faces, but all of our beaches on Sint Maarten. Take a moment to think: how many of our beaches are still in their natural state? How many beaches are easily and comfortably accessible to our public?
Over decades, many other efforts by NGOs, activism organizations, and individuals have been made to curb beach and coastal development, unfortunately often with little result. This is due to outdated laws, little enforcement of existing policies, lack of zoning, nepotism by political leaders, etc.
Let's change this. Protect what is left of our beaches. Protect Mullet Bay.