Livestock and tourism hit hard in Belize River Valley

The news is not only about the rising waters, but now a picture of the economic impact is beginning to emerge. Communities in the Belize River Valley are losing crops and livestock due to the persistent rising flood waters as we found out in Crooked Tree and Maypen Villages. Some acted in the nick of time but others need help to save their livestock. The Crooked Tree Lagoon has risen eighteen feet and Tourism is taking a major hit and waters will continue to rise. Marion Ali reports from the Belize River Valley.

Marion Ali, Reporting
Former Chairman of Crooked Tree Village, Rudolph Crawford, is concerned that he will lose all his cattle. The reasons for this are twofold: he cannot take the animals to higher ground because the road leading out of Crooked Tree is now impassable and two, he has run out of feed. If he does not get help fast, the animals’ fate seem imminent, they will either die of drowning or worse, starvation.

Rudolph Crawford, cattle owner, Crooked Tree
“Right now on this land I have about twenty heads of animals. I have them in this area because I just bought a full blood bull and I wanted to develop the breed. I have another farm but this one, my problem is where we’re standing, it’s just this land I have right now because if you look to the east and to the north you will see the water coming in from the other sections. So I will only have to use this area and it won’t be enough and I kinda run out of feed. So it’s a lot of problem and I don’t know what I can do with them at this time. It is very difficult to say because it’s too difficult to transport them any place and the land is too soft all over. In the southern area called Staine, those people are in trouble like myself and the pasture is right beside me on the north side. Certainly, they have the same problem as I do.”

Marion Ali
“What about agricultural costs?”

Rudolph Crawford
“I don’t lose a lot of agriculture crops butyeah, some people.”

While the access road in Maypen Village was also closed, farmer Ralph Reyes, still had the resources to get his sheep to higher ground. We met Reyes just as he was transporting the animals via dory to a trailer on the other side of the submerged road. He lost one sheep which drowned when water began to take the vessel.

Ralph Reyes, Sheep Owner, Maypen Village
Ih deh high now ih almost deh over land right now.”

Marion Ali
“Okay, and these animals were in danger?”

Ralph Reyes
“Yeah.”

Marion Ali
How many of them you moved?”

Ralph Reyes
“Forty-seven.”

Marion Ali
“I heard that fellow villagers are experiencing the same problems behind here.”

Ralph Reyes
“Yeah, but we noh really see deh fi know weh deh wah do right now because one ah dehn just gone back just now.”

Marion Ali
“Okay, and you have more to move out.”

Ralph Reyes
“Yeah, dis dah half.”

Marion Ali
“I noticed that one of them just drowned and you had to slit its throat. What happened?”

Ralph Reyes
“Di boat back deh mi di leak and den ih head gone under water and di people weh mi deh in deh neva si dat ih head gone under water soh ih drown.”

Marion Ali
“Ih easy fi drown?”

Ralph Reyes
“Yeah, once dehn nose cover dehn wah drown quick.”

Marion Ali
“Lotta people lose crops?”

Ralph Reyes
“Yeah.”

Marion Ali
“Except you.”

Ralph Reyes
“Yeah. Earlier wi mi got some rice weh done cover under water already too.”

Marion Ali
“Okay, lot? How much?”

Ralph Reyes
“About four acres.”

In addition to losses in the agricultural and livestock industries, Education Manager of the Belize Audubon Society, Olivia Carballo Avilez says tourism will also take an impact. But while the revenues in that area will be significantly less for several weeks, she says it is also necessary to compromise that loss for a much greater cause, to preserve the natural wetlands of Crooked Tree.

Olivia Carballo Avilez, Ed. Mgr. Belize Audubon Society
“It retains the water like a sponge so it will probably take about three months for the water in this area to go down. And of course, we just want highlight and emphasise how important this wetland is and the role that it’s actually doing right now; just soaking up all the water that’s coming down from the Belize River Water Shed.”

Marion Ali
“Which it normally does every time it floods.”

Olivia Carballo
“Every time it floods but if this area wasn’t here, Marion, if we would develop this area it wouldn’t do that role and therefore, Belize City would get the brunt of all that flooding. So it’s very important to keep this area as it is; as a wetland and not develop it, not fill it, filling within the actual wetland so it could continue doing that for our country. So we’ll be losing some tourism money. The farmers will be losing money in this area, the people just commuting to and from; everybody. But, of course, we’re trying to—Belize Audubon Society has given a boat and fuel and staff time to ferry people to and from this area.”

Because of the number of concerns already raised even before the second flood wave passes through the Belize River Valley, this evening the Belize District Emergency Management Organization held a meeting in Sand Hill Village to assess the needs and come up with ways of how they can help.

Calbert Budd, NEMO Rep., Belize District
“We want to get it as quick as possible, tonight we want to try and start mobilise ourselves. That’s the reason why we want to get into this meeting and mek everybody get together and everybody come up with an idea and put an action together.”

But while the DEMO representatives plan ahead, Belize Rural North Area Representative, Edmund Castro already had his priorities outlined.

Edmund Castro, Belize Rural North Area Rep.
“Our first plan is to make sure that we don’t lose any life so we are pleading to our residents along the river bank to go to higher grounds, whether it’s family and friends or at the designated shelter areas. A tremendous amount of corn, plantain, rice; all the vegetables—Belize Rural North is known to produce the most vegetables—so all the vegetables we will basically lose that in terms of the crop this year with this flood. The assessment is going on in the Cayo District and so on but in the Belize District, this belt here it will extremely difficult until the bulk of the water has passed through.”

Castro expressed disappointment that people find themselves in this predicament because they it could have been averted if they had moved. However, he says efforts will be made to help those people.

Edmund Castro
“Tomorrow we kick into the other phase. We have located Mr Bradley in Burrell Boom. He has offered to give up some of his pasture space for the people along the riverbank to move their cattle to. So we already have donation from both his trailer that holds about eight to ten cattle and we have another smaller trailer that holds about four to six. So tomorrow we will go into the phase whereby we will have to take some of the cattle, put them in a boat, take them out of the boat, put them in a trailer and then move them to Burrell Boom by Mr Bradley.”

Castro also warns people in the flood prone areas to reach for higher ground during the day since no rescue efforts will take place at night. Marion Ali for News Five.

Meanwhile, Rudolph Crawford in Crooked Tree, like others, is appealing to anyone who might be able to help him access higher ground for his cattle or feed for them. If you are able and willing to help you can reach him at 205-7044 or 660-7797.