Over the years, we’ve reported on the illegal fishing taking place in southern Belize. Hundreds of Guatemalans are fishing illegally in Belizean waters and it is an issue that Wil Maheia, the leader of the Belize Territorial Volunteers, continues to keep close watch at and near the mouth of the Sarstoon River, half of which […]
Is Gracias a Dios border marker neglected? That’s what the BTV believes. On the trip up the Sarstoon, the media made a quick stop where the BTV had planted mahogany trees back in 2013. Wil Maheia told the media that the area should be better maintained. Wil Maheia, Founder, BTV “A few years ago, […]
Did Guatemalan oil spill reach as far as into Belize’s waterways? There has been no official statement from the Department of Environment, but it is widely believed that there is a possibility due to the proximity of the scene of the spill to Belize. It happened along the Pan American highway off the banks of […]
A team of environmental watchdogs led by OCEANA inBelizeis headed to the site of a waterborne oil spill along theSarstoonRiveron Wednesday. As we’ve reported, a tanker traveling toward Chahal, Alta Verapaz,Guatemalacrashed and overturned while en route to that location. The crude that the bulk liquid carrier was transporting began leaking from the truck and made […]
There are reports coming out of Guatemala that there has been an oil spill in the Sarstoon River. The tributary originates in Guatemala and forms the southernmost border with Belize. According to a published account, a tanker transporting oil overturned while on its way to Chahal, Alta Verapaz. A pipe is said to have come […]
The World Wildlife Fund and the Belize Coalition say that Government has failed to implement promised protection for the Belize Barrier Reef World Heritage Site. According to the WWF, this leaves the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere under threat. UNESCO had requested that G.O.B. put in measures to protect the reef and so […]
Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley has found himself in quite a pickle, following a leaked memo last Thursday in which he single-handedly served notice to bar owners operating in the vicinity of B.T.L. Park. Entertainment activities in that area of Newtown Barracks have ground to a screeching halt since Friday, as several establishments, including the […]
On Friday afternoon, the Belize City Council held a caucus meeting to address the issue of the entertainment strip. News Five understands that a majority of the councilors who attended that meeting objected to the mayor’s heavy-handed approach. He says that the overnight decision is neither knee-jerk nor reactive. Isani Cayetano “All of that […]
According to Valerie Woods, a resident in the immediate vicinity of the Pickwick Club, while the problems they have been facing are indeed bothersome, it wasn’t expected that the mayor would have resorted to strict measures in such haste. In respect of the Pickwick Club which was granted a nightclub license, the open-air establishment ought […]
The annual carnival road march is at least three months away and there is already controversy brewing as a result of a proposal to reroute the parade from the Princess Margaret Drive. News Five understands that the KHMH Authority has petitioned for the National September Celebrations Commission to consider redirecting the traditional procession away from […]
On Monday, we brought you the exclusive story of Felix Castillo, whose land in the Santa Elena area Government took over, along with other landowners, for purposes of building the new Macal River Bridge and redoing the road from La Loma Luz Boulevard around downtown to Joseph Andrews Drive to accommodate heavy traffic. It has […]
The use of the land, according to Gentle, is not a primary concern for the compensation payment. C.E.O. Gentle reiterated the Government’s willingness to continue negotiations and avoid a trip to the courts, but maintained that the Castillo family cannot take advantage of that generosity. Errol Gentle, C.E.O., Ministry of Works “It has to […]
A female manatee that was mating was killed over the weekend. It appears that a number of manatees are at the peak of their mating in the summer time and lately have been spotted in the river mouth area. But this area is heavily trafficked and boats present a real threat to the herd. Jamal […]
The hurricane season is only a few weeks old and there are two storms presently churning in the Atlantic, though neither are close to Belize. Closer to home, though, is the ongoing rain producing system over our immediate area. Most of the country has seen rainfall in the course of the last few days, and […]
It has been close to three years since the Belize City Council launched the Belize City House of Culture and Downtown Rejuvenation Project which included a facelift for the Commercial Center in Market Square. Most vendors have been cleared out but there has been no work done since no money has been attached to the […]
The historic Battlefield Park has a new decoration: a Belize sign where people can take photographs and have a reminder of where they are. Mayor Darrell Bradley says it is part of his continued transformation of downtown Belize City from the “Old” Capital to a vibrant and lively space. The sign, created by Estevan Perera […]
We have been regularly reporting on issues along the Mexico-Belize border with respect to contraband and other smuggling, illegal entry and exit and other issues. The Customs and Excise Department has been at the forefront of curbing and reducing such problems, but it is always a tough job. Recently there have been flare-ups between smugglers […]
This morning in Placencia, representatives of various ministries within the Government of Belize convened a Green Climate Fund conference. G.C.F. is a fund established within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It is used to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change and its objective is to support […]
A Women in Fisheries Forum was held today at the Biltmore Plaza. When looking at the fishing activity in Belize, particularly extraction, men dominate the sector. But the industry includes processing, transportation, sale and management. In Belize we have forty-seven licensed commercial fishers and there are a large number of women involved in the processing […]
Variations in climate influence most human activities either directly or indirectly resulting in losses or benefits. Making effective use of available climate information ensures efficiency and sustainability across a number of sectors. As has been recorded across the world, climate change imposes additional stresses on agricultural systems and human livelihoods. So, the need for timely […]
The Belize Barrier Reef System will remain on the UNESCO world heritage site ‘in danger list.’ It has been on this list for eight years and in March of this year, Belize submitted its status report to the UNESCO World Heritage Site committee for review. The Committee has since given a draft decision that Belize […]
Over two weeks ago, a Scarlet Macaw named ‘Big Red’ was taken from the Belize Bird Rescue and transferred to its new home on Harvest Caye. About a year ago, the macaw was rescued by the Belize Bird Rescue and had rehabilitated for subsequent release. But, personnel from the Forest Department and Harvest Caye showed […]
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Harvest Caye destination in the South has drummed up big business for the company and to a lesser extent for Belizean vendors. But the increased traffic in the Placencia Lagoon, says the Southern Environmental Association, is to blame for four manatee deaths in 2017, the latest reported on Tuesday evening. S.E.A. reports […]
Last month a fire was set that wiped out the Belize Audubon Society’s Education Center in Crooked Tree. Someone deliberately set the structure on fire just hours before the village celebrated its annual cashew fest. Audubon lost everything in the blaze. The organization hasn’t always had a friendly relationship with some members of the village. […]
Today across the world was observed World Oceans Day. It is a day set aside to highlight the importance of oceans and the need to protect and preserve the natural resource. On Wednesday, OCEANA Belize took journalists for a trip off the waters of Punta Gorda Town. Local journalists got the opportunity to visit the […]
