‘Turning The Corner’ On Rogue Jet Ski Crackdown
A senior tourism official yesterday asserted “we are turning the corner” in cracking down on rogue jet ski operators with 15 arrests and more than $92,000 in fines levied since July 6.
Warren Johnson, director of visitor safety and security at the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, said passage of the Commercial Recreational Watercraft Act and accompanying fixed penalties with this year’s Budget had given law enforcement authorities the tools they need to seize both jet skis and other vessels from law-breakers
The head of the Government’s Jet Ski Task Force, which was created in March 2024 to combat “growing concerns about the illegal actions of jet ski operators, revealed that since the Act took effect some 28 jet skis and 41 other vessels have also been seized for infractions and non-compliance with maritime laws.
Noting that the Task Force and other agencies has been “agitating” for the legal upgrades for some time, Mr Johnson told the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) quarterly Board of Directors meeting: “Once those amendments were enacted, we were able to arrest 15 persons for offences on the jet skis.
“Forty-one vessels were apprehended for various offences; they were speeding in the [Nassau] Harbour and doing a lot of other stuff, and we also seized 28 jet skis. We issued 69 citations, and the value of the citations that have already been collected is $66,680.
“The value of outstanding citations to be paid to the Treasury is $25,550. The citation total is $92,230 that have been issued since July 6 to-date. As you can see, we have been making progress but there’s still a lot more work to do.”
Mr Johnson, who revealed that the Task Force currently possesses just 50 percent, or six of the 12, jet skis it requires to police the five New Providence beaches where it has concerns about rogue operators, also revealed that it is seeking to establish a “centralised” jet ski facility at Goodman’s Bay “which can be the model for how this thing will be managed throughout The Bahamas and region”.
Revealing that the Task Force has already “reached out to a local architect” to obtain a design for the proposed facility, he explained that it would function “similar to the call-up system at the airport” with jet skis placed in a slip and clients able to pay with credit and debit cards at a “vendor ticket booth” for their experience.
Customers would then be taken through a “safety orientation”, and checked to confirm they are in good physical condition and not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They would also have to be need to be over 17-18 years of age. Mr Johnson said drop-off and additional parking facilities at Goodman’s Bay are also part of the plan, along with additional bathroom facilities at the eastern and western ends.
He did not identify the precise location of the proposed jet ski complex, although both the former Gaming Board and Bahamas Development Bank properties owned by the Government have yet to be redeveloped at its western end.
Mr Johnson said the Task Force was “very concerned” about potential rogue jet ski operators at five beaches – Cabbage Beach on Paradise Island, Junkanoo Beach, Goodman’s Bay Beach, Saunders Beach and Montague Beach. “One of the first things we did was we engaged two police officers seven days a week at the major beaches where we were having problems,” he added.
The beaches targeted were Junkanoo Beach, Cabbage Beach and Goodman’s Bay. Mr Johnson voiced optimism that this security crackdown will be extended to Saunders Beach and Montague Beach, as he revealed that some 40 law enforcement officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Port Department and Ministry of Tourism have been trained to use jet skis.
“After we got the training we needed equipment,” he added, “so when we evaluated the need to manage and patrol those beaches I realised the only way we could deal with this problem, because it’s a jet ski problem, is to get jet skis on the water. So our strategic plan requires at least 12 jet skis just for the management of this problem in New Providence.”
Four jet skis have so far been provided by the Tourism Development Corporation, with another two supplied by the Baha Mar Foundation, and Mr Johnson said: “We have reached 50 percent of our goal in terms of what we project we need. The Task Force has deployed those jet skis for daily patrols between the hours of 10pm and 5pm….
“As I mentioned earlier, we need 12 vessels in order to manage the beaches effectively, which would comprise of two jet skis at each beach.” They would be crewed by police, Defence Force and Port Department officials, and supported by other Defence Force ships.
Mr Johnson added that the Task Force, which is presently based at the Defence Force’s Harbour Patrol base, is eyeing a potential “operational command” headquarters for itself at the former Road Traffic Department location on Bay Street.
“We envisage future initiatives for the Task Force, which include CCTV monitoring of all beaches, and also supported by drone technology for aerial patrols,” he revealed. “This would also assist with the operations of the jet skis by our visitors. We have the tools to monitor behaviour and deploy resources as necessary.
“We’re also looking at making it mandatory to have transponders included on these jet skis that are involved in commercial activity and business. The reason for that is we will be able to track where they are similar to the way we are able to track aircraft where they are at all times, so if something happens – there’s an emergency – we can respond to it and be able to deal with those matters.’
Mr Johnson said the Task Force is also exploring body cameras for its officers, so that their interactions with jet ski operators and visitors are recorded. It is also seeking trucks to move jet skis and patrol the beaches, and examining a marketing campaign to let tourists know the industry is safe.
“We are now turning the corner,” he added, recalling how Robert Sands, the BHTA’s immediate past president and a Task Force member, had told him he had been “battling” the jet ski issue for 50 years and was unlikely to be around for another 50 years.
“At that time I determined we needed to do all in our power to fix this problem that’s been one of the long-standing issues for a long time,” Mr Johnson said. “We’ve established that a number of the persons who operate the jet skis really want to do what is right and abide by the law, but our problems are really stemming from those unregulated jet ski operators who have no regard for what it is we are trying to protect in tourism with the tourism industry.”
The Task Force is also planning to roll-out the model it has developed in New Providence to the Family Islands.
By Neil Hartnell
Tribune Business Editor
