Prime Minister Gaston Browne has acknowledged ongoing concerns around beach access in Antigua and Barbuda but criticised the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) for what he described as hypocritical and politically damaging behaviour.

Speaking on his _Browne and Browne_ radio show, the Prime Minister said that while challenges with beach access exist in some areas, many of the issues date back decades and are not the result of recent government policy.

“I accept that there’s a challenge with beach access in many instances,” Browne said. “That’s an issue we’re going to have to try and recalibrate and resolve.”

However, he argued that the UPP is wrongly attempting to lay the blame solely at the feet of his administration, despite being in office for over a decade themselves in the past.

“When you look at Emerald Cove, that place has been fenced since the VC Bird administration,” he said. “The UPP was in government for ten and a quarter years. They did nothing about it. But now, they want to act like it’s a problem created by the current administration.”

Browne criticised the opposition’s approach to recent disputes over access points, saying their confrontational tactics with developers were counterproductive and alienating investors.