Who placed survey pegs on Goff Caye and what’s the plan for this beautiful, eminently accessible piece of Belizean paradise just eight miles from the mainland? That’s the million dollar question right about now. Last week questions abounded when it was reported that survey pegs appeared on the island. That suggests that somebody’s planning to […]
But while Minister Vega is focused on pointing political fingers at the previous administration, he may have to do some more digging to find out who is actually surveying Goff’s Caye. That’s because we tracked down Cervantes this afternoon. First, he verified that he indeed got a lease in 2002 based on a concept he […]
And it might have been, but it never happened. Wanting to do things the right way, Cervantes sought approval from the Belize Tourist Board and got it. But then he was shot down by the Coastal Zone Management Authority…and that was the end of that. Ramon Cervantes, Holds Lease for Portion of Goff’s Caye […]
Last week there was some consternation and concern when survey pegs appeared on the much used and much loved Goff’s Caye. It may not be a world heritage site, but for many years it has been the caye of choice for residents who want some sand, sea and sun for a day. So that’s why […]
Torrential rains overnight in the south have resulted in flooding in the Toledo District. This morning, commuters along the Southern Highway were delayed near the Jacintoville Bridge where several inches of water inundated the thoroughfare for a few hours. Although the area is considered a flood prone location, traffic was interrupted until midday when the […]
For decades the Krooman Lagoon has been designated as an important reserve for wildlife in Belize City. The area is a catchment for rainwater and was once teeming with birdlife and aquatic species. But a lot has changed over the past years, as the location has been filled by developers and settled by squatters. This […]
Early indications are that carnival 2014 will be the biggest ever; so far seventeen bands have registered for the hugely popular event which attracts thousands of spectators along the carnival route in Belize City. This year, competition also promises to be even fiercer because a band from neighboring Chetumal has registered to enter the event. […]
The Italian investors of the proposed billion-dollar Puerto Azul mega tourism development project on Northern Caye and Sandbore Caye, within the Lighthouse Reef Atoll, arrived in the country this afternoon. While the purpose of their visit is to clear the air on what has been reported in the local media since the introduction of the […]
Sightings of manatees in our coastal waters are no rare occurrence, in fact, the large sea mammals are usually spotted near the mouth of the Belize River. What is uncommon is the location of a large herd near the city’s shoreline…but it is mating season. This morning, Program Coordinator for the Belize Manatee Conservation Program, […]
You’ve heard about eco-tourism, sex tourism, cruise tourism, overnight tourism…even medical tourism. What about bird-based tourism? The International Audubon Organization is meeting with both private and public sector partners to work on a plan to strengthen bird-based tourism as a conservation and sustainable development tool in the country. The two point six million dollar project […]
C.E.O. in the Ministry of Agriculture Jose Alpuche has scheduled a meeting today with representatives of Green Tropics and the Valley of Peace Farmers Association. The meeting became necessary after peaceful negotiations between both parties broke down last week. On Monday, thirty-two farmers were served with an eviction notice from Green Tropics, ordered that they […]
There is tension tonight among the farming community of the Valley of Peace. As you know by now, the farmers lost their vegetables when the herbicide Roundup was used in aerial spraying. The company, Green Tropics, was fingered in the spraying but the company says it owns the land. On Wednesday, the farmers received an […]
In the wake of the prime minister’s pronouncement on the proposed Puerto Azul development project, the coalition of environmental organizations, including Oceana, APAMO and the Belize Audubon Society, has written to the chair of the Ministerial Investment Sub-committee, Godwin Hulse. The release says, “In the spirit of the Prime Minister’s personal commitment to transparency of […]
An important symposium is ongoing at the Biltmore Plaza in Belize City about an issue that has significant impact on many sectors. It is about climate change and it is the focus of discussions by a wide range of stakeholders including the Belize City Council. OCEANA and the National Climate Change Office in Belize are […]
In May, an undisclosed amount of rosewood went missing from the Savannah Forest Station. It was later discovered that the rosewood, confiscated during April operations in the south by the Forest Department, was sold off at a highly preferential price to the brother of Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega. Government is remaining mum on official […]
The discussion between Valley of Peace farmers and Green Tropics is ongoing, but from all accounts there has been little progress. Ministry of Agriculture testing has indicated that damage to hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of crops was a result of spraying done by Green Tropics. Green Tropics has rebutted by claiming that the […]
While controversy has subsided in the respect of the Norwegian Cruise Lines Project on Harvest Caye, opposition is mounting on the Puerto Azul project. Since its over-the-top unveiling a few weeks ago in the French Riviera, with all the bells and whistles to boot, the Puerto Azul development has come under scrutiny from the public, […]
Concern about Puerto Azul is growing because there is little known about the proposed project. The only information out there is what Belizeans saw and heard in news reports from Cannes, where the so-called citadel of luxury was launched. But while it was launched in the French Rivera, it hasn’t gotten off the ground in […]
On April third, Justice Michelle Arana handed down her judgment in the case of SATIIM et al versus the Government of Belize and U.S. Capital Energy. SATIIM sought an injunction against G.O.B. and the company to stop exploratory and pre-drilling activities within the national park. You would think that the judgment would have settled the […]
The Fisheries Department is modernizing; today it received technology to monitor the waters and to better fight illegal activities at sea. After receiving training from Conservation Drones, the officers attached to the compliance unit of the department are ready to put to use two operating drones and two test drones. The equipment was handed over […]
The annual Belize International Film Festival will not open until July, but today, a preview of what you can expect was revealed. The National Institute of Culture of History announced today that the festival is growing and that this year, more submissions were entered. All in all, there will be forty-five films and fifteen music […]
The 2014 hurricane season is here, and as it does every year, the Met Office is advising Belizeans to be prepared for the worst. Best predictions are that there will be six to eight named storms this year which is average, or slightly above average. Chief Met Office Dennis Gonguez today told News Five that […]
Since the beginning of the week, four manatees have perished in the waterways surrounding Belize City. The sea cows, as they are colloquially known, were victims of boating accidents and the injuries, in some cases, were so grave that the animals could not have survived the impact. Manatee conservationist Jamal Galvez stopped by to remind […]
The Puerto Azul Project by an Italian development company has been raising the ire of environmentalists. Last week, ministers Manuel Heredia and Erwin Contreras were at the Cannes Film Festival in France at the invitation of the Italian investors when the Puerto Azul Experience was launched. It is a luxury resort planned for Northern Two […]
Another mega development project that has come under a lot of fire from various quarters is the Norwegian Cruise Line’s multimillion dollar port of call on Harvest Caye. As of mid-April, the controversial environmental impact assessment that was tendered had been revised and the National Environmental Appraisal Committee has given the nod to the investors. […]
