If you are anything like me, before Christmas you took that trusty old blanket out of mothballs…and guess what…a month later it’s still keeping you warm. With today’s weather forecast predicting yet another norther for the weekend, News 5’s Jacqueline Woods headed up to Ladyville to ask: is it my imagination, or is Belize getting […]
Those opposed to the hydroelectric project on the Macal River known as Chalillo, lost a crucial court battle last month when the chief justice ruled that the project’s government approval was properly handled. The only caveat in the judgement was the failure to hold a public hearing where opinion could be solicited on the dam’s […]
Environmental awareness has come a long way from a generation ago when bush was only good for chopping and wild animals were shot with rifles instead of cameras. We may not be certain exactly why the public’s attitude has been altered, but one factor may be the steady stream of small grants, which have raised […]
Today marked the end of Belize’s first Freshwater Summit. The session, attended by international experts and government officials, as well as interested students, aims at safeguarding our water resources. Freshwater Coordinator for the Fisheries Department, George Myvett, says there’s plenty of work ahead. George Myvett, Freshwater Coordinator, Fisheries Dept. “Obviously, one of the greatest challenges […]
We often point to Belize’s magnificent Caribbean coast, reefs, cayes and adjoining seas as perhaps the nation’s greatest natural resource. But when it comes to water, Belize’s most important variety may prove to be fresh, not salt. Marion Ali reports. Marion Ali, Reporting There is so much of it around us that we often take […]
As the countdown to construction of the Chalillo hydroelectric dam trickles away, today it was announced that the date of the public hearing ordered by the Supreme Court has been announced. The Department of the Environment, in coordination with BECOL, has decided that the forum will be held on January sixteenth at the Novelo’s Convention […]
It may not yet be in the same league with Miss Universe or Miss World, but Belize’s Miss Rainforest Pageant is trying hard to find a niche on the global stage. Some of the international contestants came into town today and stopped by for a chat. Nancy Juan, Founder/Organizer, Miss Rainforest “The Miss Rainforest Pageant […]
Today, over a hundred and thirty representatives from a wide cross-section of governmental and non-governmental organizations met in Belize City to participate in the National Marine Forum 2002. Coordinated by the Belize Audubon Society, the gathering aims to create a plan of action to protect our marine resources. According to Audubon’s Valdemar Andrade, it will […]
School might soon be out for the little ones, but that doesn’t mean learning has to stop. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur is currently showcasing a display of animals and plants from the region at the Mexican Cultural Institute on Newton Barracks. Called “Wildlife and Trees from the Yucatan Peninsula”, the exhibition includes information […]
Delegates from Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras are meeting in the city for the next two days as part of the first regional tourism forum coordinated by the Meso-American Barrier Reef Systems Project. The workshop aims to promote conservation and sustainable use of the reef by learning from each country’s progress and setbacks. Noel Jacobs, […]
On a good day a lucky naturalist in Belize might get to see all three rare aquatic species. But if you don’t want to face those odds and inconvenience, you could learn all you need to know about turtles, crocodiles and manatees without even getting your feet wet. News 5’s Marion Ali reports. Marion Ali, […]
Their interests are the reef systems — how they function and react to disasters, both natural and manmade. Led by Monitoring Specialist, Doctor Patricia Almada, twenty-seven trainee biologists of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef Project’s Monitoring Programme visited the Belize barrier reef today for an inspection tour. With participants from Belize, Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala, Doctor […]
In related news, the Fisheries Department reminds members of the public that fishing for the Nassau Grouper is now closed on all traditional fishing banks except two: Maugre Caye at Turneffe and Northern Two Cayes at Lighthouse Reef. Those fishermen who want to work the two sites must first procure a special license from the […]
It’s a resource that perhaps many of us take for granted…the Belize Barrier Reef. We might have the tourism slogans memorized, but few people realize that recent events in nature, combined with the impact of man, have left that resource in bad shape. And while local environmental groups are trying to protect the reef, they […]
The national anthem tells us “nature has blessed us with wealth untold”. Unfortunately, as far as mineral wealth is concerned, the “untold” refers to its location. That, however, may be changing. News 5’s Marion Ali has the story from Belmopan. Marion Ali, Reporting Any discussion of minerals in Belize will invariably turn to the subject […]
It seems that over the last decade Belize has been overwhelmed by a sea of acronyms: that is those non-governmental organisations with long winded names whose first initials form a much shorter, and often less relevant title. Tonight, we look at one such N.G.O., that despite the nomenclature, has managed to make its presence felt […]
For a hungry fisherman, the sight of a Nassau Grouper sitting fat and pretty beneath a coral head is about as good as it gets. But that sight is rarely seen these days. What to do about the situation, as News 5’s Janelle Chanona reports, is the subject of some debate. Janelle Chanona, Reporting For […]
Now that it occupies one of Belize City’s choicest seaside locations, the organisation with the unwieldy long name is making sure that the public can see what it’s doing. Jacqueline Woods has the story. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting The Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute is the country’s major data centre for coastal information on Belize. […]
Belize’s natural resources have been a constant source of pride and joy, but as more entrepreneurs dive into the tourism sector, there is a need to make sure that protection is on the heels of development. Jacqueline Woods has more. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting It’s no secret why tourists from across the globe have been travelling […]
Disputes over how land in Belize is developed are nothing new. But while recent squabbles over the Chalillo Dam and Western Highway landfill have involved government and environmental groups, the latest fight pits angry residents of a seaside community against private landowners. Janelle Chanona reports on the battle for the beach in Hopkins Village. Janelle […]
Another international agreement that Belize will soon ratify involves that treatment of turtles. Cabinet has endorsed the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Turtles, a move that will make Belize eligible for training and financial assistance to preserve turtle habitats. The video on your screen shows one of the nation’s most important turtle […]
Goff’s Caye is one of the most beautiful of Belize’s barrier reef islands, but because it’s so close to Belize City it takes a beating from the large number of visitors. That impact should be minimised by a recent gift. The Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute has received a grant of twenty-five thousand U.S. […]
Today ceremonies were held in the Mountain Pine Ridge for the signing of a long-term agreement for sustainable logging of that forest reserve. The forty-year license for the Pine Lumber Company applies to those areas which have not been affected by the southern pine bark beetle. The thousands of acres that have been devastated by […]
Two weeks ago when officers of the Belize Agricultural Health Authority discovered the presence of Mediterranean Fruit Flies in Punta Gorda, it was hoped that it was an isolated outbreak. Those hopes have been dashed, however, as BAHA today announced that three more fertile medflies have been found in Seine Bight on the Placencia Peninsula. […]
The boys and girls at the Y were not the only happy swimmers in Belize City today. This morning at the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute a statutory instrument was signed that should make life easier for another group of aquatic mammals. Janelle Chanona, Reporting For many manatees, the mangrove islands off the coast […]
