Coastal Zone staff sent home

The Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute was designed to support the sustainable use and planned development of Belize’s coastal resources through increased knowledge and the building of alliances for the benefit of all Belizeans. And while its scope spanned the length of the country, its budget did not stretch far enough to keep its front door open. Apparently, the organisation has been operating over the last eight years through international funding as an arm of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. And last week, all the funds dried up and the staff was sent home forthwith. So what will happen to the management of Belize’s waters? That is exactly what we asked Gabino Canto, C.E.O. of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Cooperatives in a phone interview this afternoon.

Jose Sanchez
“Last week we learned that the Coastal Zone Management Agency was closed down or being restructured. Exactly what happened?”

Gabino Canto, C.E.O. Min. of Agric., Fisheries and Cooperatives
“Okay, first of all, in March this year, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries appointed a task force to look at Coastal Zone Management because of several problems that we had with regards to development along the coast of Belize and the task force made their recommendations, we looked at it and we are also auditing the Coastal Zone Management. One of the things that we discovered is that people who are working at Coastal Zone at that time were not technically qualified and in order for us to solve some of the problems we need person who are technically qualified to address specific issues. And the thing is that the budget for coastal zone does not allow us to employ new people. The problem is the limited amount of funds that we have allocated to Coastal zone Management. We cannot hire anyone else because it will take us to the rest. What we did is to decide to relieve the people who are working there in order for us to employ new people who are technically qualified, who can look at some of the issues pertaining to development along the coast in Belize and also to write project proposals to get new funding. As a result we are going to be advertising for the posts this week.”

Jose Sanchez
“So are you saying then that the Coastal Zone Management Agency is going to be reopened?”

Gabino Canto
“Yes, exactly. See what happened is that there are some instruments in the Coastal zone Management building that cannot be used by anyone because, as I tell you, the people there are not technically qualified to make use of those equipment. So we are getting technicians who can deal with these equipment and make use of it to address some of our environmental issues along the coast. It’s not that we close it down. We want to bring it back and expand it; make it a bigger unit so that it can be very effective.”

Canto told News Five, that new staff will be hired to replace those that have been dismissed.