The latest hope for a clean-up of the British petroleum oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was announced today. A humongous oil skimming vessel is heading to the gulf to attempt to absorb the contaminated water on either side of its bow. After being separated from the water, the oil is expected to be […]
The incursions into Belizean territory by Guatemalans have been going on for some time and have continued unabated. Over recent years Guatemalan farmers have been infiltrating not only our borders but have been entering our natural reserves. So last week when there were new discoveries of xate extractions and mass hunting of the Scarlet Macaw […]
There is word tonight that the newly organized coalition against oil exploration will get the support of a powerful ally. That can come in the next few days from the National Trade Union Congress of Belize which is the umbrella organization for the Christian Workers Union, the Belize National Teachers Union, Belize Water Services Workers […]
Still on the question of oil exploration, one of the guests at a forum held on Tuesday by the Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage forum was flown in from the United States to build awareness on the potential risks to the environment in case of an oil spill. Dale Stewart, a U.S. citizen, […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow also weighed in on the question of a Guatemalan-owned oil company that was granted concession rights to explore the southern waters of Belize. While he said he was just briefed on the situation, the Prime Minister said that it is not a matter of Belize’s territorial sovereignty being threatened by an […]
While the topic of oil exploration is dominating the headlines, in southern Belize, the Mayas continue to struggle over their ancestral lands and other rights. Earlier today, the Maya Leaders Alliance issued a statement on an incident that dates back to May ninetieth. According to the MLA, the Forestry Department confiscated two thousand four hundred […]
The opposition against oil explorations in protected areas is growing leaps and bounds. Today, the Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage held a public forum to state why they are calling for a moratorium on oil explorations. It is known that eighteen licenses have been issued so far, but one particular license was zeroed […]
The search for black gold across the length and breadth of the jewel has raised concerns from a number of environmental organizations that oppose oil prospecting. It was revealed recently that the entire country has been parceled off for exploration except for the Maya Mountains. Tonight we can report that there is another area where […]
Earlier in the newscast we told about the Guatemalan company that has a license for oil exploration in the Sapodilla cayes. At the same forum this morning, other groups penned their signature to join the cause against oil exploration. News Five’s Jose Sanchez has been following this story and has this report. Jose Sanchez, reporting […]
Several environmental groups are demanding a moratorium on oil concessions. So far APAMO, BELPO, COLA and Oceana have formed a super environmental coalition to protect the ocean, the reef and land from the devastating effects of a possible oil spill. The group which is now called the Belize Coalition to Save our National Heritage has […]
According to Matura Shepherd, in addition to the B.T.I.A., the Belize Tour Guide Association is also coming out strong against oil drilling and exploration. Shepherd said that the Tour Guide Association’s Chapter in Orange Walk is fuming over a current development near the heart of a sensitive protected area. As we’ve pointed out before, the […]
Images of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico bring home the stark reality of the risks associated with offshore drilling. So far, damages have been estimated at about a billion U.S. dollars. The oil spill on April twentieth has caused a massive pollution of the waters and shores of the Gulf States. President […]
Other than Belize Natural Energy, no other company has struck oil in commercial quantities. There is a veritable chase similar to that of the California Gold Rush and prospectors have bought chunks of concessions hoping to one day see the slick of sweet black crude oil. But the environmental community has been focusing on the […]
There are numerous incidents in recent memory of boats, yachts and just about every type of vessel you can imagine damaging the coral reef system. That, compounded by the problem of pollution and now the prospect of offshore oil exploration is making waves among environmentalists. Wafagua Nautical Safety Institute is one of the many organizations […]
There have been many initiatives to get students and other youths to read. Drop Everything and read was one that had much success but the Audubon has decided to transform the written word into an interactive audiovisual experience for over three hundred primary school children from Belize City. According to Amanda Burgos Acosta, Audubon’s Program […]
The Belize Barrier Reef is currently on UNESCO’s list of endangered World Heritage Sites. It now faces another threat, a more serious one at that, since the reef could be permanently removed as a Heritage Site because of licenses granted for oil exploration and drilling. A UNESCO specialist spoke to News Five from the UNESCO […]
On Wednesday night’s newscast we showed you the updated Belize Petroleum Contracts map. The February map listed seventeen companies which have been given concessions to explore for oil on land and sea. That number now reaches eighteen as one more company, Northern Spirit Resources, has also been granted a license to search for oil. News […]
And if there is a time in which the various government departments need to consult, the time is now. According to Andre Cho, the Inspector of Petroleum in the Department of Geology and Petroleum, none of the oil companies are in the drilling stage. On Wednesday Citizens Organized for Liberty Through Action (COLA) joined the […]
On Tuesday night we told you about the seventeen concessions that were granted to companies for oil explorations. The environmental community is uproar and the Association of Protected Areas Management Organization, APAMO and OCEANA expressed resounding anger and disapproval. But how much did these companies pay for the concessions? And can they just go out […]
There have always been accusations of sweetheart land deals which would result in a chosen few acquiring prime property for rock bottom prices. And in some cases areas in reserves have been sold off. There have also been incursions in wildlife conservation posts, the Barrier Reef, and national parks such as the Chiquibul. But never […]
In addition to APAMO, the Belize Audubon Society also made known its concern today. Audubon believes that terrestrial drilling can be done feasibly but it is also concerned about drilling on the sea. OCEANA has also come out with a strong viewpoint on offshore drilling. According to Vice President of OCEANA, Audrey Matura Shepherd, after […]
They say that progress brings problems and tonight a new project in San Pedro Town is in the eye of the storm. There are numerous environmental woes which the residents and environmentalists are outraged about in the new underwater project in the Mexico Rocks area. It is proposed by developer, David Gegg, and is known […]
But the developer of the proposed project, David Gegg, says the concerns are based on unrealistic impressions and false information. The project was originally planned for the Tuffy area, south of the current site. But San Pedro Town Mayor, Elsa Paz recommended that the location be changed to the Mexico Rocks area. She was not […]
When you think of sharks, many people think of ‘Jaws’, the unstoppable man eating fish. Sharks have gotten a bad reputation in most movies spawned from Hollywood. And the truth about the amphibian is far from the fiction. Whale Sharks are known to span up to forty one feet and weigh over twenty one tones. […]
The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest in the world. Because of its beauty and abundance of life that is found nowhere else, UNESCO gave it a ‘Wonder of the World’ status when it dubbed the reef, a World Heritage Site. But despite the recognition that a part of our environment is something to […]
