Part of Hunting Caye privately owned

Earlier this week, our newscast featured a story about the Sapodilla Cayes, and in it, we listed the names of those Belizeans with leasehold rights to the islands. But while our sources had indicated that Hunting Caye was still crown land, it turns out that in part, it is private property. Since 1997, the Fuller family from Belize City actually owns three point three-one acres of the caye. According to family member Charles Payne, by 1966 the Fuller family had gained title to the entire island, but three years later, government acquired the property, in the interest of national security. Compensatory payment amounted to twelve thousand Belize dollars. The Fullers were never satisfied with that arrangement and for several years visited various P.U.P. and U.D.P. ministers until they found a sympathetic ear with then Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel in 1997…when they were awarded a Minister’s fiat grant for the three acres. That land, on the north end of the caye, has never been developed and remains vacant. According to Lands Commissioner Armin Cansino, of Hunting Caye’s twelve acres, two acres belong to the Port Authority, the Fullers have three point three acres and government owns the remainder. News 5 understands that the University of Belize has applied for rights to two acres of the island to be used for research purposes. It is not clear what effect the creation of a tri-national park in the cayes would have on private property holders. There are precedents, however, in which privately held lands can be maintained within a protected area.