By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

SOME water sports and tour operators in New Providence are accusing the Port Department of harassment, intimidation, and selective enforcement, alleging that officials have targeted outspoken business owners while turning a blind eye to unlicensed competitors.

Operators claim they have faced arbitrary treatment under acting Port Controller Berne Wright, who they claim ignores reports of violations and sidelines those who question his department’s actions. Several allege that enforcement efforts have been used as a tool of punishment rather than regulation.

Among the most vocal is Reno Deveaux Jr, owner of 10 Summaz Adventures, who said his troubles with the authorities began in 2017 after a viral incident in which he was slapped by a police officer at Paradise Island Beach. Since then, he claims, he has faced near-constant interference from joint task forces and port officials.

He said the harassment began in 2023 and intensified by mid-2024, claiming officials used his Florida record to justify actions against him in The Bahamas and constantly found new reasons to seize his jet ski.

He said the scrutiny has become personal. “Honestly, sometimes when I wake up, I don’t even have the strength to go to work,” he said. “The whole weekend, I didn’t even go to work. But I knew after that video, they were going to send someone to harass me. On Monday, police even grabbed my brother, thinking it was me, and took him to the station.”

The video, which went viral, showed Mr Deveaux having a tense interaction with several Port officials, including Mr Wright.

His father, Reno Deveaux, a 45-year veteran of Cabbage Beach, said he too believes he has been blacklisted for speaking out. He said he repeatedly sent photos of unlicensed banana boat operators to the Port Department — including Mr Wright and Senior Deputy Port Controller Craig Curtis — but never saw action taken. “Some people, many good people, gone out of business, because no one to turn to fix the problem,”  he said. “That’s so bad, it’s terrible.”

Mr Curtis, speaking on behalf of the department while Mr Wright is off-island, dismissed the accusations as false. “It is never the intent of the port department to victimise anybody, but simply to ensure that everybody is in accordance with the rules and regulations that govern the industry,” he said.

He said the department began issuing citations on July 1 2025, to tighten oversight of jet-ski and watercraft operators. “Since July 1 2025 the port department has now been able to issue citations, and with these citations comes a lot of rules and regulations that these jet ski operators and owners are not accustomed to following and abiding by and having fines affixed to these penalties now,” he said, arguing that those who “cry foul” often fail to meet the department’s licensing requirements.

At Cable Beach, operator Derlano McMinnis, 28, owner of Aquanaut Adventures, said he was pressured into joining the Cable Beach Association to continue working. “They pretty much make us to join this association by saying that if we don’t join, we aren’t able to get jobs,” he said. “The association is only being manipulated to benefit few persons.” He claimed that smaller operators are excluded from meetings and consultation opportunities with port officials, which creates financial strain.

Sterling Martin, 32, owner of SJS Adventures, said repeated seizures of his equipment left him unable to provide for his family. “I couldn’t make my money this year. I wanted to take my son to private school, but in January, everything was changed,” he said.

Mr Curtis said such claims overlook the department’s efforts to maintain fairness. “Those that are crying foul or claiming victimisation, look deep into it and find out why they cannot meet the application requirements,” he said. “We will not victimise anybody,” he said, adding that meetings and forums are regularly held to keep operators informed and involved.

“Anybody who knows me in the industry knows that we exercise discretion. There’s not a jet ski operator out there that can openly say they haven’t been given breaks before. It is not our aim to victimise anybody.”