N.G.O.’s fight govt to keep management contracts of parks
While Audubon is outraged over Victoria Peak, APAMO is equally incensed over seismic testing in another national park. This has to do with permission given by the Forest Department to U.S. Capital Energy Belize Limited to conduct seismic testing within the Sarstoon Temash National Park. That decision was fiercely resisted by Greg Ch’oc of SATIIM, the Non Governmental Organization that has been co-managing the park. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Dean Barrow had fiery words against Ch’oc saying (quote) “If I wanted to respond in kind, I would say I feel Ch’oc has betrayed me. When he leads a charge that wants to see the entire Toledo District placed under Mayan communal ownership without reference to other ethnic groups in the area, I am going to say straight out that, he and I part ways”. (end quote) The Prime Minister’s words prompted a response from the Association of Protected Areas Management Organization. APAMO advocates for the proper management of protected areas and is an umbrella organization for all N.G.O.’s. Yvette Alonzo, Coordinator for APAMO, said that several N.G.O.’s are operating without a renewed co-management license and G.O.B.’s decision to give SATIIM the axe has them very concerned.
Yvette Alonzo, Coordinator, APAMO
“There are several issues on the table that APAMO is deeply concerned with, with regards to decisions that the government is taking on these; SATIIM is just one of these. And our main interest that this new co-management framework and the co-management agreement template that APAMO has developed be endorsed immediately so that the government can continue engaging its co-managers for the management of these areas.”
Jose Sanchez
“SATIIM spoke openly against having seismic testing done in that particular area. What is APAMO’s viewpoint regarding seismic testing?”
Yvette Alonzo
“Well, we are concerned because obviously those activities, we feel, go against the objectives for which protected areas are established. They will be opening areas that could potentially become highways for Guatemalans for intrusion to occur within that protected area, which concerns us as will the affect the integrity of the area.”
Jose Sanchez
“Do you think then that this decision not to renew SATIIM’s, for example, contract is a way for the government to say “If you don’t agree with what we want, for example seismic testing, then you may also lose contracts in other areas, other N.G.O.’s may lose renewal?”
Yvette Alonzo
“Well, it’s certainly of concern to us because it could be setting a precedence for the pulling of co-management agreements from any co-manager. However, we have since met as an association and we have called for an urgent and emergency meeting with the prime minister and the deputy prime minister to discuss these issues and hopefully come to an amicable solution. We have issued a letter of concern with regards to the SATIIM issue. We are concerned that proper consultation or formal consultation has not been done as was promised by this government. They were very clear that they would act on transparency, accountability, and proper consultation with stakeholders. We feel that has not been done.”
SATIIM’s contract to manage the Sarstoon Temash National Park ended in 2008 but it had continued park management until Wednesday when Ch’oc received letters from the Forest Department indicating that SATIIM was no longer responsible for the park. The letter that APAMO sent today to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Natural Resources requested discussions about co-management agreements with SATIIM, ITZAMNA, and several other N.G.O.’s.
