You can no longer light fire during the state of emergency. If you are found doing so, you can be fined up to five thousand dollars and if you can’t pay that fee, then you can spend up to two years behind bars. That is because today the Ministry of Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and […]
…and to help them monitor the situation, the Forest Department has been using an online tool that records heat points across the country. While that tool will help to guide the steps of the department, they are also looking into getting some boots on the ground to curb this growing problem. C.E.O. Percival Cho explains. […]
Local manatee conservationist, Jamal Galvez got another major shout-out from National Geographic. He is being featured by the publication for their Earth Day celebrations, which is being observed on Wednesday. The feature includes a short video and a write up about Galvez’s work and the manatees. The piece helps to raise awareness, as well as […]
More than one hundred fires were recorded on a single day in Belize last week posing serious risks to human health and the wider environment. Air quality measurement tools showed that the air recorded in Belmopan on Friday morning wasn’t suitable for breathing. The western parts of the country have recorded heavy smoke that has […]
Residents in western Belize, particularly in Belmopan and San Ignacio and Santa Elena have been complaining about smog that has been lingering going on for almost two weeks. They say a number of fires have been burning and the smoke is tough to deal with. Well, the Forest Department agrees and says that too many […]
As you heard earlier in the newscast, the Forest Department is facing a growing problem with fires across the country. And there may be regulations coming as early as next week to try to put a stop to this issue. Today we also got commentary from other experts in the field who shared why this […]
The Belize Zoo is asking for help for one hundred and fifty plus residents. The zoo has closed its doors and, like many other entities, it is unable to earn funds during this time. Founding Director Sharon Matola says that they have received a positive support from the business community and many Good Samaritans. But […]
Is another drought on our horizon? That’s what’s it shaping up to be – according to the National Meteorological Service’s seasonal rainfall forecast for April to September. That forecast shows there may be drier than usual conditions, which could mean a drought across most of the country. The Met Service cites the El Nino Southern […]
Fisheries personnel were on patrol on Sunday when they came across a vessel with four persons who threw their cargo of one hundred and thirty-two whole lobsters overboard. As you may know, the lobster season is closed at this time and reopens until June, so fishermen shouldn’t be harvesting lobster. The four persons found on […]
Last year, Belize recorded the lowest number of manatee deaths. But with less than half way through the third month of this year, there are already five recorded deaths. On March third, a mutilated manatee carcass was found in the Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary and on Sunday another manatee was found dead with massive chop […]
A four-year project to spur greater benefits from the ocean was launched in collaboration with the Global Environment Facility and the Food and Agricultural Organization. The initiative is called the Blue Economy and involves six countries from the Caribbean. More than forty-six million U.S. dollars are being invested to maximise the marine economy. Here is […]
Oceana Belize has upped its proposed transitional support to Belizean fishers to two point five million dollars. The N.G.O. has been calling for the absolute ban of the use of gillnets in Belizean waters. In 2019, the Government declared gillnets as destructive fishing gear and since then Oceana has been engaging with government ministries and […]
In February, the People’s United Party condemned the decision of Belmopan Mayor Khalid Belisle and his City Council to approve the construction of a gas station immediately in front of Our Lady of Guadalupe Primary School on four parcels of prime land designated as a green area. Residents of the area and parents at the […]
The Department of Environment says that a stop order has been placed on the construction of a road in Riversdale. As we’ve been reporting this week, residents in that southern community are not happy that the road was pushed through a creek that serves as breeding grounds for a number of species of fish and […]
So, what’s next for road construction? As we’ve reported, the road would give access to lands in Riversdale where a big development is expected to be established. When we spoke with Edgar Ek today, he shared that the project developers didn’t obtain any form of permits or clearances to build the road. He explains what […]
Today, News Five went south to follow up the issue of a road being built in a creek in Riversdale. Residents of that southern community, located off the Placencia peninsula, say that a developer pushed a road through a creek that provides critical nursery for fish. The developer seemingly heard the residents’ complaints and attempted […]
Residents in Riversdale say that a big developer is causing problems in the community. They are calling for the immediate removal of a road that they say was laid on top of a creek to the north of the village. The villagers say that the road is being pushed to facilitate the sale of lots […]
Fox says that cutting off the creek may cripple the livelihoods of Riversdale fishermen. He reports that two creeks are being affected, but one of those creeks serves as spawning site for number of species. He told us today that the developer’s actions extend beyond Riversdale and will have consequences for other communities along the […]
The Ya’axché Conservation Trust recently held its Community Forestry Symposium for State Actors under the theme, “Forest Conservation and Governance.” The symposium, which was held at the George Price Centre in Belmopan, is part of a regional Forest Governance Project, which includes Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, to safeguard forests, increase government transparency and indigenous […]
The Department of Environment continues to investigate the damages to the barrier reef on February ninth, when a yacht owned by U.S. billionaire investor, Daniel Loeb dropped anchor on the reef. The vessel, named Samadhi, was caught on camera as its anchor wrapped around live corals at the reef near Long Caye in the Lighthouse […]
Forests across the world are disappearing at an alarming rate and because deforestation causes almost twenty percent of global emissions, the preservation of trees is important to slow down climate change. About two years ago, Belize was recorded as having fifty-nine percent of its forest cover, with a deforestation rate of zero point six percent […]
Three protected areas within the Belize National Protected Areas System received funds today to strengthen the management of their sites. A brief ceremony was held today to hand over the funds to the awardees. News Five was there to find out more about how the funds will help the grantees. Here’s the story: Andrea […]
The fifth annual Cocktails for the Manatees fundraiser, organized by Programme Coordinator Jamal Galvez of the Clear Water Marine Aquarium Research Institute, is ongoing at this time at Kukumba Beach on the Old Belize Compound. For years, the manatee population in Belize has been at risk due to collisions with boaters in the Belize Harbour. […]
While the health of the Meso-America Barrier Reef system is not in the best shape, in Belize it is showing significant improvements. A report card was released today which shows the good indicators resulting from sound management systems and legislation. News Five’s Duane Moody reports. Duane Moody, Reporting A report card on the Meso-American […]
Officials from the Department of Environment, the Fisheries Department, the Belize Port Authority and the Belize Audubon Society today travelled to the site of a recent grounding on an aquarium near Long Caye in the Lighthouse Reef Atoll. On Sunday, a vessel, namely the Samadhi, which is registered in Cayman Island, had dropped its anchor […]
