NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Speaker of the House of Assembly Halson Moultrie asserted yesterday that landowners on Paradise Island have sought to deny Bahamians access to the beach because of their apparent desire for “apartheid-type control” of the island.

Dozens of vendors and other supporters took apart the fence blocking the path that leads to Cabbage Beach yesterday morning.

“What is happening, I believe, is that persons on Paradise Island are seeking to deny Bahamians access to the beach because they want absolute apartheid-type control on Paradise Island,” Moultrie said.

“I believe the Bahamian people should resist that at all cost.

“You should never — as a matter of fact, I had a similar experience when I was studying meteorology in Barbados when Tom Adams was the prime minister where the foreign investors were trying to deny Barbadians access to the beach and the Bodybuilders Association led the opposition to that initiative, and today, Barbados has new coastal management laws — which I was proposing, mind you…”

Moultrie said the same or something similar should be done in The Bahamas where greater access to the beach is offered and existing access points are better guarded.

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