“We have 70 [public bathing beaches] in Jamaica, all around the island. “And yet, some of us, when you hear what we say to the international media… you would believe that every beach in Jamaica is just locked off, and that’s not fair to Jamaica. “Some of us enjoy beating up little Jamaica. Some of us enjoy saying all the negative things about the country, and some people I hear say things like Jamaica refuse to make its people enjoy the beaches. Official data show Jamaica possesses approximately 1,022 kilometres of coastline, of which approximately 29 per cent (300 kilometres) consists of sandy beaches.