Today officially marks the end of an active Atlantic Basin Hurricane season and while there were a few scares, in the end the Jewel was spared. The Western Caribbean was the area buzzing with storm activities; two systems, Tropical Storm Harvey and Hurricane Rina, sent NEMO into emergency. At the start of the season eighteen […]
There is trouble in paradise for Kimano Barrow and Alfredo Acosta, as the injunction filed against Paradise Energy Limited continues to be in effect. Their oil contract was signed in June 2010, and shortly after its release, other shareholders appeared, including Oren F. Miles I and II, and Allen Saum. Saum and Miles, also principals […]
Still on the prospect of oil, Cabinet has approved the establishment of the Environmental Common Fund as has been long stipulated in the Petroleum Regulations. All current Production Sharing Agreements require the contractor to contribute a percentage of the annual gross revenues to the ECF after a discovery is made and production commences. Oceana Belize […]
US Capital Energy has been conducting seismic testing in a national park in the south. Several NGOs have voiced their opposition to the licensed granted to the company for testing in the Sarstoon Temash National Park. Recently, testing resumed and the Belize Institute of Environmental Law and Policy, BELPO and the Association of Protected Areas […]
It is no secret that the Chiquibul Forest Reserve is under threat and by now the situation has become dangerous. To compound the serious state of affairs, it was revealed two weeks ago that illegal Guatemalan loggers and poachers have ventured deep into the Chiquibul and are in close range of the Caracol Archaeological Site. […]
Executive Director of Friends of Conservation & Development, Rafael Manzanero says that urgent measures are needed to curb the plunder of the Chiquibul. With a detailed recommendation guideline, Manzanero says one of the important steps to prevent the mass illegal logging and poaching, is through the setting up of additional conservation posts. Rafael Manzanero, Executive […]
Today Oceana reached a milestone; it is celebrating its second anniversary of officially opening its offices in Belize. It has a number of accomplishments under its belt, the NGO got government to agree to ban trawling in Belize’s territorial waters. The organization which is a member of the Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage, has […]
Two NGOs have teamed up to fight illegal logging within days of a report by Friends for Conservation Development which disclosed that Guatemalan loggers have moved significantly into Belizean territory and that the exploitation of the forests continue unabated in the south. According to the FCD report called Chiquibul Forest and Development- A Case for […]
The recent revelation of seismic drilling in the south is stirring up resentment among environmentalists. The Association of Protected Areas Management Organization, APAMO, also a member of the umbrella group Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage, has issued a press release on oil exploration in the Sarstoon Temash National Park. In Wednesday’s newscast Executive Director […]
You heard about the Gulf of Honduras Project back in October when directors announced that they were pressing full speed ahead to stop pollution in the gulf that is shared by Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. As a follow up, a workshop was held today to discuss an environmental analysis and the strategic plan of action, […]
In the south, there’s also trouble brewing. SATIIM, the Sarstoon/Temash Institute of Indigenous Management, one of the more established NGOs, is coming out strong against seismic testing taking place in a national park. The oil company, U.S. Capital Energy, has been spotted since October twenty-fifth in the area and is reportedly resuming testing within the […]
Late this afternoon, the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage, of which SATIIM and Oceana are both members, today issued a press release affirming its support in SATIIM’s call for transparency in government’s approval of permits to oil companies for exploration within protected areas. According to the release, secrecy in contracts and operations of […]
At the top of the newscast, you heard about the demolition of hundreds of acres of cane fields ready for harvesting and about drilling in the Sarstoon Temash National Park. Well, there is one more irritant; this time in the west where illegal loggers from Guatemala continue to extract precious woods well within Belizean territory. […]
The threat to the Chiquibul Forest has intensified; it is well documented that Guatemalan loggers trespass Belizean soil to carry out illegal logging. The B.D.F. has often surprised Guatemalans extracting our precious resources well within our borders, but that illegal activity has continued over the years. There is an alarming report tonight from Friends of […]
Last year, the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary was set on fire by an angry mob of villagers in the Toledo District. The villagers had wildly suspected that two missing children had been eaten by the crocs. It was a horrific act based on predictions of a fortune teller. Well, ACES has relocated to the Ladyville […]
All fifteen CARICOM countries are simultaneously holding activities in commemoration of the first annual CARICOM Energy Awareness Week. The objective of the activities is to sensitize the public on the use of renewable energy, the importance of energy to economic development, energy efficiency and the sustainability of energy supplies. While it actually started on Sunday, […]
Flowers also explained some of the obstacles that CARICOM countries face as it relates to energy efficiency and he also highlighted notable initiatives in Belize which are geared toward sustainable energy. Dr. Paul Flowers, Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment “For most CARICOM countries, the critical issue is one of inadequate energy security arising […]
At the Prime Minister’s Quarterly Press Conference, PM Barrow was asked about the status of the offshore drilling. On Thursday night we aired his response, in which he replied that Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage, under which OCEANA falls, hasn’t been able to maintain their end of the deal. According to the PM, the […]
And so where does that leave the Coalition? Well, Matura-Shepherd says that they are still collecting signatures, and as soon as the coalition prepares its position on the referendum, they will inform the public. But since there seems to be an impasse, we asked Matura-Shepherd, if there is sense of defeat? Audrey Matura Shepherd, Vice-President, […]
The Gulf of Honduras Project; not much is known about it, but it is an initiative that involves three countries that share marine ecosystems. Its goal is to reverse the degradation in the Gulf of Honduras through a coordinated plan of action that involves a range of components. You have heard about it on the […]
In our recent poll on the security of our borders, an overwhelming number of persons did not have confidence that the Belize Defence Force could man the borders. Well tonight, there is a new report of incursions into Belizean territory by Xateros that come across the border from Guatemala. During a recent research expedition funded […]
In the past few days an unbearable stench enveloped Fabers Road Extension and the Western Highway near the junction and dumpsite. Residents of the area have been suffering and they complained to News Five today about the headaches and discomfort they have been living with. Some say they have been forced to keep their houses […]
The American Crocodile Education Sanctuary in Toledo was burned to the ground in September 2010, by an angry mob of Mayan Villagers, who were convinced by a psychic that the crocs had eaten missing siblings, Benjamin and Onelia Rash. After losing everything, the owners, Vincent and Cherie Rose, relocated to San Pedro and have been […]
The Belize Audubon Society has been at the forefront in the promotion of sustainable management of the environment. The organization has taken on numerous initiatives and from educational trips to book launches and photography exhibitions, it remains actively involved in encouraging and developing conservation in Belize. This morning at the Image Factory the Audubon launched […]
A multi-million dollar project slated for Saint George’s Caye, on the north-western part of the island started two weeks ago. It is already sparking controversy because of the impact on the fragile ecosystem in the area. The residents of the historic caye have more questions than answers to the proposed development. Chairman John Searle called […]
