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The perennial issue of rosewood extraction, despite an existing moratorium, remains a thorn in the sides of conservationists across the south. Illegal logging operations continue throughout Toledo, from Trio in the northwest part of the district to the fringes of the Sarstoon-Temash National Park. A recent incursion by Guatemalan harvesters within the protected area resulted […]
Written on March 28, 2014 | Posted in
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On Monday, the Council of the European Union formally imposed a sanction on Belize, as well as two other countries, for failure to comply with international regulations in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The ban is a hard blow being dealt to non-compliant third countries, including Cambodia, Guinea and Belize, and its […]
Last week, our friends at PGTV reported that a container of rosewood was detected near Trio Village and taken to Big Falls Port ready to be exported. While there is a moratorium in place, government officials told News Five that the rosewood was allowed under the 2013 amnesty program. Well tonight, there is another report […]
SATIIM has applied to the Supreme Court for an injunction to stop US Capital Energy from starting pre-drilling operations within the Sarstoon Temash National Park pending a court decision. Today, SATIIM got support from APAMO, the Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations. The umbrella organization is calling on US Capital and the Government to respect […]
Written on March 21, 2014 | Posted in
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A training workshop for fisher folks was held today at the office of the Belize Fishermen Cooperative Association. The workshop is part of a project funded by the Community Management of Protected Areas Conservation Program (COMPACT) to improve the welfare of fishing communities and increase the conservation, protection and sustainable harvest of fishery products. The […]
Written on March 21, 2014 | Posted in
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On Wednesday, we reported on a container of rosewood detected near Trio Village in southern Belize. The operation was suspect because it is widely believed that despite a moratorium placed in April 2013, the plunder of the precious wood continues by Guatemalans and locals. Prior to Wednesday’s operation Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management had […]
Written on March 20, 2014 | Posted in
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Illegal logging, as well as the prohibited trade of rosewood, across both sides of the Belize/Guatemala border has grown to become an international matter for the governments of both countries. While Guatemalan loggers are responsible for the extensive clearing of trees within the department of Peten, they are also encroaching deeper into Belizean territory in […]
Written on March 20, 2014 | Posted in
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March twenty-first has been proclaimed as the International Day of Forests by the United Nations General Assembly and it is celebrated by bringing awareness to the importance of the various types of forests. This year, the Forest Department along with the private sector and the Environmental Research Institute of the University of Belize is putting […]
Written on March 20, 2014 | Posted in
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The wholesale pillaging of rosewood in southern Belize continues unchecked despite a moratorium which came into effect in February 2012. And we can report tonight that since the start of the annual dry season there has seen a spike in illegal harvesting activities within the Toledo District. On Tuesday, an operation in the vicinity of […]
Written on March 19, 2014 | Posted in
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The government of Canada gifted Belize with an Integrated Ballistics Identification System back in October 2012. Known as IBIS, the system is a modern tool being used to investigate and solve gun crimes, but its success is yet to be determined. This morning, officers involved in investigating firearm crimes gathered at the Belize Biltmore Plaza […]
The Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage says its supports SATIIM’s efforts to stop any oil drilling activities by US Capital Energy Limited in the Sarstoon Temash National Park. A release issued late this evening from the Coalition says that while SATIIM and the communities have acted in good faith and continue to await […]
The Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management, SATIIM, is heading back to court, despite a pending decision on an ongoing suit against the Government of Belize. Last Wednesday, SATIIM filed for an injunction to halt pre-drilling activities conducted by U.S. Capital Energy within the Sarstoon-Temash National Park. This, notwithstanding a judgment on a related matter […]
Written on March 18, 2014 | Posted in
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In Bermudian Landing, a community in the Belize River Valley, the only government managed primary school, was about to close today because of a three-week old water crisis. The Belize Rural Primary School was birthed from the amalgamation of other schools in the valley, including Rancho Dolores, Bermudian Landing, Scotland Half Moon and Flowers Bank. […]
Written on March 18, 2014 | Posted in
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C.E.O. of the Caribbean Climate Innovation Center, Everton Hanson, is in country since Thursday; his mission is to sensitize and bring awareness to entrepreneurs on the availability of grants for projects on climate change issues. C.C.I.C. is a regional World Bank project that is jointly managed by the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute and the Scientific […]
Written on March 7, 2014 | Posted in
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Throughout the years, many animals at the Belize Zoo, including the now deceased April the tapir, celebrated their birthdays to much fanfare from animal lovers across the country. Junior Buddy, the progeny of a problem cat who was committed to the zoo’s rehab program a few years ago, celebrated his seventh birthday in grand fashion. […]
Written on February 25, 2014 | Posted in
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Another jaguar, Edgar Hill, was caught in a trap within the Mennonite village of Pine Hill, in the Toledo District. The predator cat had attacked a horse and buggy and was taken into the Problem Jaguar Rehabilitation Program at the Belize Zoo. Well today, Founding Director of the Zoo and environmentalist, Sharon Matola, spoke about […]
Written on February 25, 2014 | Posted in
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This morning in Burrell Boom, officials from the Ministry of Forest, the University of Belize and Panthera, as well as other representatives from various environmental groups, gathered for the signing of a memorandum of understanding to protect the habitat, as well as the biological corridor traversed by jaguars and their prey. News Five’s Duane Moody […]
Written on February 21, 2014 | Posted in
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There is a very disturbing case to report tonight, and it was no accident. In fact, its senseless nature practically defies comprehension. News Five has confirmed reports that on Saturday, a dog was beaten badly and hung from a tree by its neck, before its throat was slashed. It happened on Neal Penn Road […]
Written on February 20, 2014 | Posted in
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There is confirmation tonight from the Belize Agricultural Health Authority of the presence of bovine tuberculosis in the country. Bovine TB is a chronic infectious disease which affects cattle and is caused by a bacteria that is related to the that which also causes tuberculosis in humans. According to a release issued by BAHA earlier […]
Written on February 14, 2014 | Posted in
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Health |
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The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, also known as the Great Mayan Reef, stretches over six hundred and twenty-one miles from the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula down to Belize, Guatemala and the Bay Islands of Honduras. Its coral reefs are well-known among divers the world over for their eye-catching beauty and multicolor displays, but are […]
Written on February 12, 2014 | Posted in
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There was a recent emotional and fiery consultation on the proposed multimillion dollar tourism project at Harvest Caye by Norwegian Cruise Lines. By all accounts, stakeholders in the south vehemently opposed the project which still has to go before the National Environmental Appraisal Committee (NEAC). That working group is charged with reviewing and approving the […]
Written on February 7, 2014 | Posted in
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From Orange Walk, we head south. The illegal logging of rosewood appeared to have cooled down that is until this week when SATIIM rangers on patrol in the Sarstoon Temash National Park detected a well organized operation along the Belize/Guatemala border near Black Creek. On Wednesday, the rangers found thirty-eight flitches of rosewood that […]
Written on February 6, 2014 | Posted in
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Today there was to have been a meeting of the National Environmental Appraisal Committee to consider the EIA on the Norwegian Cruise Line tourism project, but it was postponed. Information to News Five is that following a disastrous consultation effort in Independence last week Wednesday, NEAC members almost unanimously requested more time to address the […]
Written on January 29, 2014 | Posted in
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The Chiquibul Forest Reserve has seen increased national exposure following a symposium which drew attention to the park, its benefits and challenges. One of the biggest challenges in recent years has been incursions by Guatemalans, who cross the border to take advantage of the natural wealth within the boundaries of the Chiquibul. While the traditional […]
Written on January 27, 2014 | Posted in
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Last week Wednesday, Norwegian Cruise Lines executives were part of a consultation process in Independence, seeking input on the Environmental Impact Assessment for their proposed cruise tourism port on Harvest Caye. Residents lashed out at the EIA, claiming that it was full of errors and premises based on old and inaccurate data. The mood was […]
