But the CBS relies primarily on the tourism aspect of the sanctuary. The sanctuary offers six different tours including the nature walk, a river canoe tour that is contracted to a landowner and birding tours. The tours being the primary source of economic development in the area is under threat, however, by an investor that […]
Belize has been taken off the European Union Red List, a position it had been given because it was deemed, “non-cooperative in fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.” The announcement came via press release from OCEANA, which claimed that the lifting of trade sanctions is a result of improvements to international law obligations and the […]
A pair of Guatemalan men found hunting in Belizean territory illegally is spending the first night of a five-year sentence at the Belize Central Prison. Thirty-five-year-old Emilio Chub and twenty-five-year-old Erasmo Vasquez were poaching near Machakilha when they were busted by a team of law enforcement officers on patrol in the area. The men were […]
A single engine Tropic Air plane left San Pedro this afternoon and crash landed on arrival at the Belize Municipal Airport. While the pilot was able to land the plane, he could not bring it to a complete stop and the aircraft came to rest in the nearby sea. The incident is attributed to the […]
The 2014 sugar crop is programmed to begin next week Monday, that’s six days away but there is still no resolution to the dispute between the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and ASR/B.S.I. After many rounds of meetings, the BSCFA is tonight no closer to reaching an agreement with the sugar company, but it is […]
While there is optimism and a willingness by B.S.C.F.A. to compromise, there is also a real possibility that things won’t end favorably, as has been the case in the past where negotiations have collapsed midstream and both sides find themselves back at the starting point. If that should be the case, says Cansino, cooler heads […]
OCEANA’s Ride for Belize begins this Thursday in Corozal where participants will ride-off on a four day ride across the Jewel. The OCEANA initiative is intended to create awareness on the work of the organization and the importance of protecting the environment. Vice President, Janelle Chanona encourages everyone to join the cause. Janelle Chanona, […]
A press conference was held this morning during which FECTAB officially announced that the forty eight inch regulation which prohibits persons less than four feet in height from enjoying caving activities has been put on hold. The tour operators now have until the end of December to work out the wrinkles of the regulation. While […]
The 2014-2015 sugar cane crop season is threatened by an impasse between the factory and the farmers. Latest developments this week are that BSI has sought to bypass the BSCFA, in a move to sign contracts with small reaping groups and individual farmers. The BSCFA has countered that move, holding meetings with all eighteen branches […]
Work on the cleaning of Douglas Jones Canal was abruptly suspended on Tuesday due to several health and safety concerns raised by the Ministry of Works, through the Flood Mitigation Infrastructure Project. The temporary delay angered a number of manual workers who suddenly found themselves without jobs. Prior to the stoppage the men had been […]
The B.T.B. announced today that it had reached its one million mark in tourist arrivals in the country. According to the release, one million eighteen thousand seven hundred and five visitors have arrived as of October 2014. Another bit of good news in the industry is that tour operators are tonight breathing a collective sigh […]
Fisher folks are celebrating a decision taken by the United States not to enlist the queen conch as threatened or endangered species. The petition was made by WildEarth Guardians in 2012 but the US National Marine Fisheries Service gave it a thumbs down based on the best scientific and commercial information available that the species […]
The rains have been pounding the country for days and it is expected that in the next few days, the downpour will persist. The weather report will have more details later in the newscast, but the Met Service told News Five today that with the sustained rains, residents in the south and north of the […]
Four days ago, the European Union agreed on targets to protect the changing climate. The principal target was a pledge to reduce emissions by at least forty percent by 2030. The EU is the first major global emitter to reach agreement in advance of the United Nations climate meeting in Paris at the end of […]
A two-day conference under the theme “Climate Change and You” begins on Tuesday at the UWI Open Campus on Princess Margaret Drive. This morning as a prelude, UWI revealed the top winners of a poster competition dedicated to the topic. The winning poster was presented by a student from Ladyville Technical High School who depicted […]
We will have more details on Tropical Storm Hanna later in our newscast, but for now we can tell you that Hanna poses no threat to Belize. In an advisory sent out today, the National Emergency Management Organization says the tropical storm is heading deeper into Nicaragua and Honduras and that on its present course, […]
We are a little over thirty days away from the end of the Hurricane Season for 2014, but this time of the year is when the Caribbean is most active and favorable for the development of storms. Earlier this week, tropical depression number nine formed over the south western Bay of Campeche and for the […]
The Protected Areas Conservation Trust has been in existence for about twenty years, and in that time has disbursed over twenty million dollars to conservation entities and N.G.O.s in Belize. Today, a little over a million dollars was handed over to five organizations in three categories – small, medium and large grants. The ceremony was […]
A telethon was held by Friends of Conservation and Development on Saturday at the Memorial Park. The target was to raise half a million dollars to expand its Park Ranger Program from seven to twenty-four rangers. The private sector, Belizeans, the government and even Beenie Man contributed to the cause and by the end of […]
The Chiquibul has been in the news since Danny Conorquie was executed at the Caracol Archaeological Site. On Wednesday night, we showed you the concerns and recommendations coming out of a trip to the Chiquibul by representatives of the People’s United Party. While nothing new, the concerns are real, and the recommendations are sound. For […]
The People’s United Party over the weekend headed into the Chiquibul National Park, with a stop at the Caracol Archaeological Site. They were accompanied by members of the Belize Defence Force, the Police and rangers from Friends for Conservation and Development. Now, Guatemalan incursions into the Chiquibul have been happening for donkey’s years, and the […]
With input from the rangers and front line personnel who took them out there, the P.U.P. also prepared a list of recommendations which Fonseca presented today. Francis Fonseca, P.U.P. Leader “Government must convene an urgent meeting of all relevant stakeholders: inclusive of government, opposition, Friends for Conservation and Development, Tour Guides Association, B.T.B., NICH, […]
The Protected Areas Conservation Trust announced today that it is disbursing one point one million dollars in grants to various N.G.O.s. The biggest beneficiary is Friends for Conservation which is getting close to six hundred thousand dollars for a project called Towards Sustainability through an Improved Management Effectiveness’. The money is earmarked to institute sustainability […]
Construction of a Coast Guard forward operating base on Hunting Caye was brought to an abrupt close last week after a stop order issued by the US Southern Command. That same day, Thursday, all Guatemalan workers on site jumped in their boat and departed the premises. Government’s response to the breaking news that Guatemalans were […]
On Thursday the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association met with representative of Belize Sugar Industry/American Sugar Refinery to finalize the new sugar-cane purchase agreement. That agreement has been delayed because the parties have been unable to agree to core facets of it. Of course, perhaps the most glaring issue of contention is the quantum of […]
