A National Shark Fishers Forum was held today in Belize City. The event brought together more than forty shark fishers to raise awareness of shark regulations, best fishing practices, and to discuss shark research being conducted in Belize. The forum also provided an avenue to discuss issues related to the shark fishery and to develop […]
Fragments of Hope was first to sound the alarm that dredging was taking place off the coast of Placencia. Today the Southern Environmental Association issued a release expressing concern over dredging activities taking place to fill a development on Little Bugle Caye. The release points out that the approval for dredging was granted without the […]
Conservationists are calling for a temporary moratorium on all off-shore dredging permits near Placencia in the south. They say that the cease and desist will help scientists to conduct important assessments on the patch reefs in the area. The call was made by Fragments of Hope, a small N.G.O. working in southern Belize for more […]
In 2012, the Belize Audubon Society awarded the first of its small grants to fisherfolk to support income diversification in northern fishing villages like Chunox, Copper Bank and Sarteneja. To date, business ventures include poultry and honey productions, food catering, beauty and wellness services, through which thirty-seven individuals have benefitted. According to the Belize Audubon […]
A regional conference aimed at empowering women in the maritime sector began today in Belize City. Representatives of sixteen Caribbean nations are participating in the third annual Women in Maritime Association Caribbean symposium to foster the development of the industry within the region. News Five’s Hipolito Novelo reports. Hipolito Novelo, Reporting The third annual […]
On October first, the fishing season of the Queen Conch officially opened. Conch represents a significant source of revenue for traditional fishermen across Belize, and generates millions of dollars for Belize’s economy. But the conch, like the lobster, is a fishery that must be sustainably managed, hence the closed season. But even then, conch and […]
The Toledo Institute for Development and Education is hosting its annual conservation festival. In the past, it was called the TIDE Fish Festival, but this year, it has been renamed to the TIDE Conservation Festival, capturing marine and terrestrial conservation efforts. The event opened today in Punta Gorda and continues over the weekend. The focus […]
There was thunderstorm activity on Wednesday night over central and northern Belize, while other parts of the country experienced winds of about thirty miles per hour and heavy rainfall. The system, according to the National Meteorological Service, developed as a result of Hurricane Michael that hit southern Florida earlier. Today, we spoke with forecaster Angelia […]
There is bad news for coral reefs all over the world. Earlier this week, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a stern warning for governments and businesses across the world in respect of reducing the risks and impacts of climate change. At the Conference of Parts in Paris, one goal was to […]
In the face of incursions into the Columbia Forest Reserve and the village of San Benito Poite by poachers from neighboring Guatemala, concerns have been raised about the ongoing encroachment on Belize’s territory. Toledo West Area Representative Oscar Requeña speaks on recent activities in those locations, despite his staunch position of not going to the […]
Poaching is a similar issue that is being faced in the Chiquibul Forest where gold panners and illegal farmers enter into the expanse of wilderness. According to Julius Espat whose Cayo South constituency includes the Chiquibul Forest, enough is not being done to preserve and safeguard the national treasure. Julius Espat, Area Representative, Cayo […]
On Monday night we reported on the Belize Audubon Society’s work with the Managed Access Programme. That programme was first piloted in one site and after seeing some positive results, there was a national roll out. It is considered a model to be followed in the region, but there are still some areas that need […]
The first regional meeting of the fisheries and aquaculture communicators network of OSPECA commenced today in Belize City. OPESCA is a regional body attached to SICA and is in charge of strengthening technical coordination between member countries through the establishment of tools that allow sustainable fishing and aquaculture activities in the region. On Monday delegates […]
An exhibition showcasing the creative and plastic free work of Bullet Tree children is open at the House of Culture in San Ignacio. Over the summer, the children participated in the no plastic, no styrofoam kids summer camp. In line with G.O.B.’s bold effort to phase out single-use plastic and styrofoam food containers, the camp […]
Over the past decade or so, you may have heard fishermen report that there are dwindling fish stocks. They say that they have to go farther and their catch is smaller. So to ensure that the livelihoods of thousand of Belizeans and the industry are secured, resource managers have implemented a programme called managed access. […]
The Belize Audubon Society has successfully eradicated rats on Half Moon Caye. The invasive species were highlighted as a problem since the 1950’s and subsequent studies showed that the rats were impacting the shape and ecology of the island because they were preying on plants, invertebrates and vertebrates. Their rapid reproduction all year round showed […]
The American Crocodile Education Sanctuary has rescued a ten-foot American Crocodile called Thomas from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. The outlook for the croc is uncertain at this time, as it will undergo some medical tests to see what exactly is wrong. ACES says that the croc was discovered at a popular feeding spot on the […]
This week, we bring you another story about the Global Climate Action Summit held two weeks ago. At that summit, a number of cities, businesses and organizations made commitments in an aim to reach their climate change targets. One of the attendees at the event was the Costa Rican Minister of Environment and Energy, Carlos […]
The San Pedro Town Council has declared the sargassum beaching a natural disaster and is calling on its residents to come out on Thursday and Friday for a massive cleanup. News Five has been following the sargassum attack on Belize’s beaches for weeks. Tons of the microalgae have washed up on beaches across the country, […]
Reports of illegal logging have been on the increase. On Tuesday, the Compliance Management Unit of the Forest Department responded to one such report of the illegal activity taking place in the Maya Mountain Foreign Reserve north of the Red Bank Village in the Stann Creek District. The Unit successfully detained a resident of Red […]
The Global Climate Action Summit was held in San Francisco, California on September twelfth to the fourteenth. It is an event that brought leaders and people together from around the world to “Take Ambition to the Next Level,” where climate action achievements were celebrated and deeper worldwide commitments were made. The Earth Journalism Network, with […]
Police busted a logging operation in the southern village of San Felipe, Toledo. On Wednesday, a joint patrol between police and the Forestry Department led to the discovery of three thousand feet of illegally logged lumber. Several persons were also detained in the area, and according to Assistant Commissioner of Police Joseph Myvett they are […]
The Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development is heading to court in respect of the proposed mega-tourism development on Cayo Rosario. The group says that the Government of Belize, particularly the Department of Environment, has left them no choice, but to take legal action for the proposed development in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve which […]
According to the Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development, the Department of Environment has failed to do its proper research, having only consulted once with the residents and stakeholders. The National Environmental Appraisal Committee gave the green light to a project that will see forty-plus overwater structures built on the island. Today, C.E.O. in the […]
Twenty-five acres of land was gifted to the Government of Belize by American Sugar Refinery/Belize Sugar Industries this morning during a short land transfer ceremony at Tower Hill. Located on the Chan Pine Ridge Road in the Orange Walk District, the piece of land is currently being used as a dumpsite by the Orange Walk […]
