The Tribune

THE United States Embassy has seen an increase in local enforcement of regulations governing the jet ski industry following repeated concerns about the sector, Deputy Chief of Mission Kimberly Furnish said yesterday.

Speaking to reporters, Ms Furnish said the embassy is encouraged by local efforts to crack down on rogue operators and was “really pleased” with the progress made so far. 

“The port is taking this very seriously and taking the lead along with the police force and the defense force so we're working together to further that technology and with the hopes that it will decrease those sorts of incidents for US citizens,” she said

The Davis administration has faced increasing pressure from the US Embassy over long-standing concerns about jet ski operators in New Providence and Paradise Island.

In an updated security alert to Americans in June, the embassy warned of “serious and ongoing” dangers linked to jet ski rentals, citing injuries, fatalities, sexual assault reports and what it described as sporadic official oversight of rental areas.

The government responded by proposing outfitting tourists with body-worn cameras as a safety measure. 

Officials have also introduced a range of fixed penalties targeting illegal and dangerous behaviour on Bahamian waters.

Ms Furnish said yesterday that she believes the body cameras will make a difference, but stressed that enforcement remains key.

“Again, we focus on enforcement efforts on the jet ski and small watercraft issue and our top priority is the health and safety of US citizens so we're grateful to the Bahamas for working on this issue with us,” she added.

The government also created its own jet ski task force.

The task force was established in March 2024 to address safety and regulatory failures in the watercraft sector but has faced repeated questions about its effectiveness and level of activity.

Earlier this year, US Ambassador Herschel Walker urged local authorities to implement planned safety reforms “without further delay” after another jet ski -related sexual assault was reported.

Task force member Robert Sands, Baha Mar’s senior vice-president, later told Tribune Business that some progress had been made in improving sector compliance but acknowledged that “more consistent progress in a timely fashion” was needed.

He said policing the sector was challenging and required authorities to commit manpower and other resources.