Lincoln Bain arrested on Cabbage Beach

COI leader Lincoln Bain was arrested this morning during a protest at Cabbage Beach, one day after a tourist was swept into rough seas while attempting to get around a controversial fence erected along the shoreline.

Bain, leader of the Coalition of Independents, was among a group of supporters and concerned Bahamians who gathered at the Paradise Island beach to protest the barrier, which has sparked renewed concerns about public access and safety.

The arrest came as protesters called for the fence to be removed, with the government confirming that it must come down.

The incident intensified calls for the government to intervene, particularly because the fence was erected close to the shoreline, leaving beachgoers with limited space to pass without entering the water.

The government’s decision to have the barrier removed comes just weeks after a similar dispute at Cabbage Beach in late August, when the fence was first erected as part of a private development and was ordered removed following protests from vendors, watersports operators and advocates.

The Ministry of Tourism said the developers had proceeded with the fencing despite being asked to engage further with the government before beginning the work. The Department of Environmental Planning and Protection subsequently advised that the fence should be removed.

Environment and Natural Resources Minister Zane Lightbourne said last night that the fence was erected without sufficient notice to the government.