BELIZE CITY, Wed. Oct. 20, 2021– Yesterday, the Government of Belize released a statement outlining its position on the country’s cruise sector and the several development projects within that industry. The construction of three mega-cruise ports is being proposed within the Belize District. The environmentalist community has expressed serious concern about the risks to the country’s marine resources that are posed by each of the three developments, and last week Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño told local media that it was unlikely that all three projects would reach completion.

The statement released by GoB this week adds further detail and definition to the stance the government is formulating in regard to such prospective projects. Within the release, the government lays out seven points which are a precursor to a National Cruise Tourism Policy and National Ports Policy that is said to be coming online within the coming months, according to GoB.

The release appears to concede that the Stake Bank project is at an advanced stage and will probably proceed to conclusion. The project was approved a few years ago, and is already in the construction process, following the issuance of all requisite permits. A range of amenities will be available for cruise ship passengers on this island destination, which is scheduled to become operational by 2022.

What is not a certainty, however, is a proposed causeway that the developers wish to construct to connect Stake Bank to the Belize mainland. The undertaking would involve connecting the Stake Bank destination to North Drowned Caye by means of a causeway that has already been approved, and thenceforth connecting North Drowned Caye to Belize City, via a second causeway that currently is a subject of contention.

According to the UDP, who were the ruling administration when approval was granted for the project, their government approved only the development of the island, but not the construction of the causeway. Last week, however, Chief Environmental Officer Martin Alegria addressed the media at a virtual press conference and purportedly presented the ECP approving the causeway connecting the development to Belize City.

These purported approvals are now the subject of a governmental review, says the release.
“Permissions and approvals relating to the proposed causeway from Belize City to Northern Drowned Caye, the development of that island, and the causeway to Stake Bank are the subject of an active governmental review to determine the validity of all processes and approvals. The urgent review commenced today with an initial briefing to Cabinet by the Chief Environmental Officer, Mr. Martin Alegria. Serious questions have arisen from such briefing, including purported missing files. Cabinet has instructed Mr. Alegria to promptly produce a written report on the factual circumstances associated with the processes engaged to seek regulatory approvals for these development projects,” the release states.

A report on the findings of the review will be made available to social partners and the public, according to the release.

The GoB release goes on to state, “If there has been non-compliance with relevant regulatory processes and approvals, appropriate action will be taken including, if necessary, the rescission of purported permits or licenses.”

Thus, any irregularities discovered could place on the chopping block this aspect of the project, and might require the Stake Bank developers to generate alternative plans.

The government has indicated that it does not consider the causeways and the North Drowned Caye development to be real-estate-related; as such, Cabinet does not expect that the viability of Stake Bank’s cruise facility is contingent on those developments, specifically a causeway to the mainland.

The government release also noted the current status of the Port of Magical Belize project, which includes plans to construct a mega cruise port destination near the Sibun River. According to the release, the project has already been granted environmental approval, subject to a strict and detailed ECP.

The release states, “The compliance standards for this project are particularly sensitive to eco-marine protections and the health of the coastal environment.”

Only if these standards are met and the operational and financial requirements for the development plan are met will actual construction begin, says GoB. Such construction would begin sometime in 2022.

The fourth point addressed the possibility of the issuance of a government approval of the proposed Waterloo cruise port on the premises of the Port of Belize Ltd., and the phrasing in the release appears to indicate that there is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding this project and its potential impact. While the release stated that “a final determination” regarding upgraded proposals from the Waterloo developers “remains pending from the NEAC,” it pointed out in startlingly stark terms that, “the unfeasibility of the critical dredging component, is now a matter of public record.” Readers would recall that a proposal to dump almost 7.5 million cubic meters of dredged material in an area in the open sea was harshly criticized by the conservationist community, who noted the detrimental effect such dumping would have on our Barrier Reef.

What the statement pointed to as a matter of priority at the Port of Belize, however, is the “modernization of the facility’s cargo port.” GoB, while noting that its views will be formalized in the forthcoming National Port Policy, said that a modern cargo and bulk shipping port facility is essential to the health of our economy, and such a priority is “independent of and cannot be dictated by the location or viability of any cruise port.”

The fifth point states, “Cabinet will consider, approve and publish in the coming months an updated National Cruise Tourism Policy and the National Ports Policy, both of which will be consistent with this interim Statement on Cruise Sector Development.”

The release states that Cabinet views the cruise tourism industry as important but considers overnight tourism to be more lucrative, sustainable, and stable. The Government is, as a result, poised to give overnight tourism “foremost focus and attention,” says the release.

GoB noted that the development of these sectors will be underpinned by the country’s continued commitment to marine conservation. The recently signed Blue Bonds demand this, and the government has thus indicated that it is foregoing short-term financial gain in certain industries to ensure this.

“Short-term financial gains, even at the evident peril of the planet, is the underlying cause of the global climate crisis. In Belize’s case, this crisis is resulting in coastal erosion, the depletion of fish stocks, the degradation of our Barrier Reef system, and the impoverishment of coastal communities,” the release from GoB states.

It added that development, including in the tourism industry, must be “demonstrably sustainable for the long-term.”

Recently, Belize signed on to an innovative deal in which it traded the country’s Superbond debt for Blue Bonds for Conservation, which will require the commitment of about 170 million dollars to marine investment and management within the next 20 years.

“Marine sustainability will be bolstered significantly, and in a manner without precedent, in the coming years as a result of this Administration’s Blue Bonds for Conservation Agreement. Multiple Marine Conservation Milestones and Undertakings will expand marine biodiversity zones, initiate a comprehensive Marine Spatial Program, revamp coastal zone management and environmental impact assessment processes, transform alliances with conservation social partners, among many other novel initiatives,” the release states.

Cabinet has decided to set up a sub-Committee to follow up on the Implementation of these policies in the tourism industry. Reps from the Ministries of Finance, Natural Resources, Tourism, Logistics, Sustainable Development, and the Blue Economy will sit on the committee.