The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minister Chester Cooper admitted yesterday that more must be done to improve oversight of the jet ski industry, even as he insisted there have been no delays in reform efforts, after US Ambassador Herschel Walker urged authorities to act “without further delay” following another alleged sexual assault involving a visitor.

“Can we do more? Absolutely. There's a lot of ground to cover,” Mr Cooper said, acknowledging gaps in enforcement despite what he described as steady work by authorities.

His comments come amid renewed scrutiny of the sector after Mr Walker said he was “truly distressed to hear of yet another sexual assault linked to the jet ski industry in The Bahamas,” adding: “Without regular, consistent enforcement, patrols on the beaches, and increased professionalisation of the industry, the situation will not change.”

Police said three sexual assaults were reported within hours of each other on Monday, including one involving a jet ski operator.

In that incident, shortly after 1.30pm, a female visitor from the United States reported paying for an excursion before accepting a ride from a male jet ski operator. Police said he took her to a nearby sandbank, where she was sexually assaulted. A 29-year-old man was arrested and is assisting with the investigation.

Mr Cooper said the incident was “unfortunate” and extended support to the alleged victim and her family. He noted that while the regulation of jet skis falls under the Ministry of Transport, the issue directly affects the tourism product.

He said the Ministry of Tourism has been involved in a multi-agency task force aimed at improving oversight and enforcement, including providing jet skis to support police and Defence Force patrols.

“The reality is there's been steady and consistent work,” he said, adding that it is “not accurate to say that there have been delays in the work of the agency task force.”

Still, he acknowledged the scale of the challenge, pointing to the number of visitors and the range of locations where jet ski activity takes place.

“We have a lot of guests who are coming to our island,” he said. “The myriad of places they can access jet skis, and in areas where we know that jet skis operations frequent, we try to have an active presence in Paradise Island, Junkanoo Beach, Long Wharf, Goodman's Bay, Cable Beach area.”

He said efforts are being expanded beyond New Providence to islands such as Bimini, where similar concerns have arisen.

Mr Cooper said authorities have made adjustments to enforcement protocols and improvements at key locations, including Junkanoo Beach, but indicated that work is ongoing.

“This is an area where we will continue to improve,” he said.

The deputy prime minister also defended the country’s tourism brand, saying incidents of this nature are not representative of The Bahamas as a destination.

“We are considered to be a premier luxury, safe destination around the world,” he said, adding that officials continuously monitor visitor feedback and adjust where necessary.

He said the country attracts about 12 million visitors annually and noted that some incidents involve tourists themselves, though he stressed that all such matters are taken seriously.

“Certainly we can't be everywhere, but whenever there's an incident, we take it extremely seriously,” he said.

The latest allegations have come despite a series of reforms aimed at tightening control over the jet ski sector.

The Jet Ski Task Force, a multi-agency initiative, was established to coordinate enforcement, but officials have acknowledged resource constraints. Last year, authorities said the task force had only half the vessels needed to effectively police problem areas.

Concerns have been raised about rogue operators at several beaches, including Cabbage Beach, Junkanoo Beach, Goodman’s Bay, Saunders Beach and Montague Beach.

Plans have also been outlined to centralise operations at Goodman’s Bay, where activities would be more tightly controlled.

Ministry of Transport leaders and Warren Johnson, head of the jet ski task force, did not respond to calls and requests for comment yesterday about the task force’s efforts to date.