B.T.I.A. joins Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage
audrey matura shephard
Several environmental groups are demanding a moratorium on oil concessions. So far APAMO, BELPO, COLA and Oceana have formed a super environmental coalition to protect the ocean, the reef and land from the devastating effects of a possible oil spill. The group which is now called the Belize Coalition to Save our National Heritage has received a powerful ally that is sure to lend a booming voice when it now sends its concerns to the government. OCEANA Vice President for Belize, Audrey Matura Shepherd, says that the six hundred members of the Belize Tourism Industry Association have joined the coalition. It’s a gigantic development because those members are the backbone of the tourism industry. Matura Shepherd said more will be announced at the forum which will be held this Tuesday afternoon at the Radisson.
Audrey Matura Shepherd, V.P., OCEANA Belize
“We hope to unveil all the different small, medium size, and large organizations that are coming on board. So apart from unveiling it, we also have a presentation, we have updated information that we think the average Belizean people need to know because we find that important to all of this is that the average Belizean person does not know that we’ve had makeshift oil rigs in our waters since 1999. We could tell them more about the power sharing agreements, the legislation. And like I had promised at the last forum, we’ll be looking more in depth at other things and we actually have something that I like to call the final piece of information that will greatly affect the sovereignty of our country as it relates to oil exploration. Our coalition will be named The Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage. We think that our natural heritage speaks volumes for all we have—our marine resources and our protected resources on land. And it gives a sense of pride, dignity and patriotism because it is our heritage; it’s for the people of Belize. It’s not for any one administration or government.”
Jose Sanchez
“I know last week, there was Cola, there was Oceana, APAMO and I believe BELPO. Do you have any new members to speak of?”
Audrey Matura Shepherd
“Yes, we have several new members throughout the country, but I think the one that really comes on board and brings representation throughout the country only through its membership is the B.T.I.A. We had gotten an inclination from our forum and you were there that those people, all of them, opposed offshore drilling or oil exploration in our protected areas. Well after much consultation, and I am glad that they did it through consultation, all chapters we have been told through a letter from the B.T.I.A. President, Miss Dionne Miranda, all chapters have voted unanimously that they must come on board and B.T.I.A. must represent their position on this coalition and we are most grateful for that. Because it is very clear, whether it is on our terrestrial area or in our waters, they stand to lose a lot is the tourism sector.”
Jose Sanchez
“They have hundred of members in that association right?”
Audrey Matura Shepherd
“Yes I understand it’s about six hundred members they have.”
The forum called The Belize Case for Offshore Drilling will take place at two pm on Tuesday in the Caracol Room of the Radisson Fort George. The winners of the Oceana essay competition will also be announced during the ceremony.
