Will there be a Cruise Terminal at Crawl Caye?
Crawl Caye, a small island just off the Placencia mainland, has been the source of some contention lately. Norwegian Cruise Lines has approached the government about constructing a cruise terminal there, but one immediate concern is that the caye lies within the South Water Caye Marine Reserve, which is a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site. Environmentalists have told us that development of that sort will have a drastic effect on the environment. Early during his quarterly press conference on Monday, Prime Minister Dean Barrow mentioned the project as one of the highlights of investment promotion in Belize…but later stated that the project is by no means a done deal.
Jules Vasquez, Channel 7
“You spoke earlier in a superficial way about the Crawl Caye….the option for Crawl Caye. Are you taking into account the fact that it annexes a World Heritage Site and secondly that the National Tourism Master Plan also says that only pocket cruising should be reserved for the south of Belize?”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
Dean Barrow
“I said that this is pending environmental approval…maybe that was a little bit of a misrepresentation. Indeed the sub-committee which is supposed to be working with NCL, when last I heard was awaiting a report from the conservation people…the Ministry of forestry, Fisheries and the Environment as to whether any activity of the sort being contemplated could legally, properly take place at Crawl Caye and if the answer to that is yes, what are the limits to such activities. So while there is absolutely no doubt that Norwegian is dead serious, it may well be that in view of the considerations you have raised, the answer comes back from our professional people that this is simply not on.”
There have also been concerns raised by cruise ship stakeholders from Belize City, who are not pleased about the rights and incentives they say are being offered to Norwegian Cruise Lines by the government.
Please dont do this…. we’re all aware of the need for outside investment in Belize, but it really is a bad idea!
The headline should read ” There will be a Cruise Terminal at Crawl Caye ” Is just a matter of time. C’mon PM, protect your country.
Think of this, a cruise terminal at Crawl Cay or any cay requires one of 2 things — either [1] tender/taxi boats to take the tourists to land, which is the problem they complain about today in Belize City, or [2] they must build a causeway to connect the cay to the mainland, so the passengers can disembark directly to land. Can anyone project the environmental change that will be caused by such a massive project? It will change the tidal currents, and require constant massive dredging. Forget about sea life in that area!
There are 2 things wrong with the plan:
1. It appears to be a “get rich quick” scheme by whatever ministers have their fingers in the mess, with no regard for the future good of the nation or the environmental impact, and
2. PM BARROW DEVELOPED THIS MASSIVE PROJECT IN SECRET, UNDER THE TABLE, AND SIGNED AN MOU BEFORE THE PUBLIC EVER HEARD OF IT, AND WITH NO PUBLIC HEARINGS, NO INDEPENDENT EXPERT STUDIES, OR OTHER RELEVANT INPUT. Just a rush to the bank while UDP is still in power, the same way PUP saddled us with bad deals that we are still paying for.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.
NONONONO HELL NO NOTHNG IS LEFT IN BELIZE MONEY IS THE ROOTS TO ALL EVIL
I don’t understand the people of belize! Everytime when they want to make a project for the benefit of the country they are against it, how the hell in the world belize is going to develop to be a well known country!
Finally were getting foreign investment..Oh of course, we hope and cry for it, and the day it shows up, we say HELL NO! So what now? Are we seriously just gonna say no no no, to everything..Simply hands off? Let Belize stay an uninhabited place, uncivilized, desolate, a place with tons of riches that no one ever has a benefit of? How is it that we have oil in Belize..Were you guys displaying same attitude at that time? Oil is nasty business..Lots of environmental damage..How come @storm@angel and the above have nothing to say about that?
Well not everyone says no no no, however in the light of the matter, things need to be carefully evaluated here. Personally I think this too huge of development for this area, now if on a smaller scale and the Belizean people are involved then it would def work. Our waters are precious and is one of natural resources, yes business may be great for the first 5 -10 years, but what happens when all destroyed, you may have filled your pocket, but our child legacy is gone… Then What???
S. Meighan and joe Lopez and anyone else supportive of this project: Please tell me how you see this project benefiting Belize? I can’t see it. I really can’t.
@barefootguy, I notice you don’t challenge anything I said, it appears you just want development without question or planning.
I just pointed out the logistical facts — you either still need tenders, or to build a causeway.
And I pointed out the political facts, that this was presented to the country as a “fait accompli,” the deal was done and signed and NOBODY had a chance to look at it in advance. Do you think that’s the right way to operate a democracy?