Owning Land Above a Marine Protected Area: A Coastal Checklist

Grenada's marine protected areas are managed from the water, but much of what harms them comes from the land. Silt from a cleared hillside, effluent from a badly placed septic tank or a bright floodlight on a nesting beach can do more damage to a bay than a careless snorkeller. Owners of land above the Moliniere-Beausejour area on the west coast, the Woburn and Clarkes Court Bay area on the south coast, or the Sandy Island/Oyster Bed area on Carriacou's west coast between Hillsborough and Tyrrel Bay are, in effect, neighbours of a public asset.

This page is for those owners and for buyers looking at such land. It does not repeat the rules for divers and boaters, which are set by the Fisheries Division and explained elsewhere. Instead it works through what a landowner controls: earthworks, drainage, sewage, lighting, access to the shore and structures in the water. Each point ends with the question to put to the right authority or professional.

How land and sea connect in a protected bay

Coral reefs and seagrass need clear, low-nutrient water. When rain falls on bare soil, red-brown plumes run into the sea and settle on the reef, cutting light and smothering living coral. Grenada's steep coastal hills make this worse: a building site on a slope can deliver a surprising amount of sediment in a single afternoon storm.

Nutrients are the quieter problem. Leaking septic systems, grey water piped to the shore and fertiliser from lawns and gardens feed algae that compete with coral. In a semi-enclosed bay, where water exchange is slow, the effect builds up over years.

Light matters on beaches where turtles nest. Hatchlings head for the brightest horizon, which should be the sea. Lights shining onto the sand from terraces, pools and security poles lead them inland instead. Bays such as those on the south coast and in Carriacou see nesting by hawksbill and green turtles in particular, and a single badly placed light can affect a whole stretch of beach.

Earthworks and drainage: the checklist

Most of the impact from a coastal building project happens during construction. Before work starts, make sure the following are in place and written into the contract:

• Clearing limited to the footprint shown on the approved plans, with trees on the slope left standing.
• Silt fences or barriers along the downhill edge of the site, checked after every heavy shower.
• Earthworks scheduled for the drier months where possible, and exposed soil covered or replanted quickly.
• Spoil stockpiled away from drains and gullies, never pushed over the edge towards the shore.
• Storm water from roofs and paving directed to soakaways, cisterns or vegetated areas rather than straight to the sea.
• Concrete washout kept on site in a lined pit, not hosed into a drain.
• A named person on site responsible for checking these measures daily.

Sewage, water and gardens

Septic location. Keep tanks and soakaways as far from the shoreline as the plot allows, in soil that drains. On thin soils over rock, a packaged treatment system may be the only responsible choice, and the planning authority may insist on one.

Grey water. Showers, kitchens and laundry produce water that should go into the treatment system or a properly designed garden soakaway, not a pipe running to the rocks.

Pools. Draining a chlorinated pool into a protected bay is a bad idea and may be unlawful. Plan how backwash and drained water will be handled.

Gardens. Native coastal plants such as sea grape and seaside mahoe need little water or fertiliser and hold soil well. Lawns and heavily fed ornamentals near the edge send nutrients downhill.

Maintenance. Septic systems need emptying and checking. A schedule kept by a property manager prevents the slow leak nobody notices for years.

Lighting near nesting beaches

Turtle-friendly lighting is simple and inexpensive if planned at design stage. Fittings should be shielded so that light points down, not out to sea or onto the sand. Lower, warmer light sources are less disruptive than bright white floodlights. Motion sensors on security lights keep them off most of the night, and curtains or tinted glass on seaward windows reduce glow from inside.

Owners who let property to visitors should brief guests during the nesting season, roughly from spring into late summer and autumn for most species, though timings vary. Torches on the beach, beach fires and loud parties near nesting areas all disturb turtles. Local monitoring groups often welcome reports of nesting activity on private frontage.

If a nest appears on the beach in front of a property, the right step is to leave it alone and contact the Fisheries Division or a recognised turtle monitoring group. Moving eggs, fencing the beach or digging is not something an owner should attempt.

Jetties, moorings and access to the water

Owning land above a bay does not give rights over the water or the seabed. The foreshore and seabed are generally Crown property, and in a marine protected area there are additional rules on anchoring, moorings and activities. A jetty, slipway, mooring buoy or swimming platform needs approval, and inside a protected area the Fisheries Division will have a strong say in whether it is allowed and how it is built.

Expect conditions about construction methods, timing and materials. Piling through seagrass or near coral may be refused or restricted, and dredging to deepen water for a boat is very unlikely to be accepted in a protected bay. Shared or community moorings are sometimes the more realistic route.

Beaches remain public. A coastal owner cannot fence off the shore or stop people walking along it, and access paths to beaches are a sensitive subject in Grenada. Designing a property that respects public access avoids conflict with neighbours and with the authorities.

Before you buy: questions for the seller and the agencies

Ask the seller whether any approvals, refusals or enforcement notices relate to the land, and whether neighbours have raised complaints about drainage or construction runoff. Ask your attorney to check the title for any restrictive covenants; some coastal subdivisions carry estate rules on clearing, lighting and landscaping that go further than public law.

Ask the Physical Planning Unit for an informal view on the plot before making an unconditional offer. The questions that matter are how far back from the shore a building is likely to be allowed, what septic standard is expected and whether the Fisheries Division will be consulted. A buyer who knows these answers can price the land properly.

Ask the Fisheries Division, or the management team of the relevant protected area, about the zone in front of the land. Some areas allow swimming and snorkelling but restrict fishing and anchoring; others have specific rules on moorings or water sports. Knowing this in advance helps if you plan to keep a boat or run a guest business.

Finally, walk the shoreline at different tides and after rain. Silt plumes from an upstream gully, eroding banks or a neighbour's outfall pipe are easier to spot in person than in a listing, and they tell you what your property will be living with.

Mistakes coastal owners make

Clearing a slope for the view before applying for permission is the classic error. It sends soil into the bay, it may be treated as unauthorised development and it rarely improves the outlook as much as hoped.

Another is assuming the contractor knows about the marine area. Many do, but a crew from another part of the island may not realise that a drain cleared into the sea or a pile of spoil at the cliff edge matters here. Put it in writing.

A third is building a seawall to "protect" the property. Hard walls often increase erosion on the beach in front and next door, and in a protected bay they will face close scrutiny. Coastal engineering advice and early contact with the Physical Planning Unit and the Fisheries Division come first. Questions about ownership of the foreshore and what you may build there are best confirmed with a Grenadian attorney.

Frequently asked questions