An expert from the Department of Environmental and Forest Biology at the State University of New York says that the quick-fix solution to the New River crisis may cause more harm than good. Doctor Guy Lanza, says that the use of aerators to oxygenate the New River may cause further sediment disruption and release other […]
The Department of the Environment and other agencies are working around the clock to improve the condition of the New River. A number of measures are being taken, this morning aerators were installed as a first step. Notwithstanding, the condition of the river is not expected to improve overnight. Dalila Ical reports. Dalila Ical, […]
A loan agreement between the Government of Belize and the Export-Import Bank of the Republic of China for fifty million U.S. dollars was signed this morning by Prime Minister Barrow. The monies are earmarked for the upgrading of the Corozal-Sarteneja Road, as well as the construction of the Pueblo Nuevo and Laguna Seca bridges. Witnessing […]
A task force has been formed to monitor and address the New River crisis that has not only left students and teachers sick in Orange Walk Town, but also disrupted the economy and daily lives of Orangewalkeños. The task force, which is made up of several government representatives, N.G.O.s and relevant stake holders met today […]
According to D.O.E., the New River catchment is currently facing the worst drought seen in recent times. This drought was forecasted by the National Meteorological Service which has collected data showing that rainfall for this year’s rainy season has been the lowest since 1983. This extreme drought combined with the vulnerability of the New River […]
The Department of Environment is now moving swiftly to address the New River crisis that continues to plague the community of Orange Walk. The health of the New River has been declining for the past months due to several factors. The situation has gotten so bad that students and teachers of the adjacent La Inmaculada […]
The heavy stench emanating from the New River has spread to a large portion of Orange Walk Town, affecting thousands of its residents. The Department of Environment has embarked in a cleanup exercise, removing the dead fish and other dead organism from the bank of the New River as one of the first steps in […]
Prison authorities are strengthening security at the central facility located on the Hattieville Road. The number of escapes or attempts to flee by brazen inmates has presented a challenge to the authorities to keep them behind bars. This morning, the Kolbe Foundation inaugurated a third tower which will assist them to monitor and keep control […]
A loan agreement to finalize the approval of a six million dollar credit line and two grants amount to six hundred thousand dollars under the CARICOM Development Fund’s Second Cycle Country Assistance Programme was signed on Thursday at the Prime Minister’s Office in Belize City. The line of credit which will be managed by the […]
The dangerous level of contamination of the New River is taking a toll in many sectors. Students from La Inmaculada School have had to be sent home because of the gases that have been creating a stench at the river. Business owners along the New River are feeling the pinch in their pockets. The New […]
Minister of Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development Omar Figueroa today commented on the declining health of the New River and the economic, health and social havoc it has been wreaking on the Orange Walk community. The effects of the pollutants in the New River are having an amplified effect on the environment due to […]
There is heightened concern if the New River fails to improve. Those living along the river bank have been enduring for weeks with no relief in sight. While the smell and other chemicals emanating from the water have hundreds worried, there is also the fear that the potable water will become affected. Today, in an […]
The amount of plastic products that end up in our waters is staggering. Plastic, whether in the form of bags, bottles, caps or utensils cause severe pollution to the ocean. A high-level dialogue on Marine Litter and Waste Management in the Wider Caribbean Region is taking place in Belize to address this problem. Stakeholders acknowledge […]
The Ministry of Health has received the results of the last set of tests taken on levels of mercury in fish in the Macal River in the west. Principal Public Health Inspector at the Ministry, John Bodden says that they will be releasing the results by press release soon but shared that the results look […]
Huge mats of sargassum continue to gently make its way into this region and ultimately to pristine beaches. The sight and the smell of sargassum have negatively impacted tourist hotspots in the country. The invasive brown algae is causing harm on local ecosystem. In Belize the sargassum has slowly crept on to several beaches in […]
The Department of the Environment and the United Kingdom Center for Environment, and Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, and the Commonwealth Litter Programme have put together a Marine Action Litter Plan for Belize to address the issue of scattered trash at sea. This morning the plan was unveiled to the public at a brief ceremony at […]
On Monday our news team travelled along with a group to Graham Creek. The journey took them on the Sarstoon and then onto Graham Creek by boat. But, as has been established, locals are encouraged to report to the B.D.F base where they record names and other particulars for persons who wish travel beyond the […]
On Monday, it was Dennis Garbutt’s first time in Graham Creek. While he has worked all his life in the waters in southern Belize, he says he had never ventured into the village before. He says that while the hardship he witnessed must change, he also saw hope and potential in the village. Garbutt says […]
A Cuban artist has painted a huge, colourful mural in Majestic Alley, Belize City. The public painting, inspired by faces and the tropical climate of Cuba and Belize, was done by visiting Cuban painter Carlos Rafael Gonzalez Barban. It was organized by artist Gilvano Swasey. Today, Swasey spoke with the media to share the artist’s […]
According to Canton, a complete study of the cost of acquisition of liquid petroleum gases from the U.S. Gulf Coast was subsequently conducted and through that exercise, they realized that by trucking L.P.G. overland from Guatemala, prices would be affected. Dr. Gilbert Canton, Managing Director, NGLC “So we started mapping the index price of […]
Earlier today, a News Five team headed north for an update on the New River. As we have been reporting, the health of the river has deteriorated significantly overtime due in large part due to harmful substances and agriculture and human waste that have been emptied into the river. Fish have not been able to […]
As nature does its part to heal the New River, the Department of the Environment is also starting its efforts to address the situation. Chief Environmental Officer, Martin Alegria says that work begins as early as Wednesday. Martin Alegria, Chief Environmental Officer “I think starting tomorrow, if I am not mistaken, we will be […]
The move to phase out single use plastic and those plastic shopping bags is underway, but it is not going as smooth as possible. Most people are still holding on to plastic bags and others are discarding it along the highways, beaches and other places. Over the weekend, a beach marine litter survey and clean-up […]
As part of its plastic pollution awareness campaign, today in partnership with Indufur North America, CEFAS and the Commonwealth Litter Program, the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment along with the Department of the Environment held the Belize Marine Litter Art and Innovation Contest. Forty-one entries were submitted for the art competition while six submissions […]
Ambergris Caye is also facing a high level of pollution. A few years ago scientific researcher and Executive Director of the Crocodile Research Coalition Doctor Marisa Tellez found that pollution caused by humans is having a direct impact on crocodiles. The San Mateo area of San Pedro where residents dump tons of garbage is one […]
