Dear Editor,

This letter is written to the Hon. Dean Barrow, Hon. Manuel Heredia, Hon. Lisel Alamilla, Hon. Erwin Contreras, Hon. Santiago Castillo, and Hon. Godwin Hulse.

As a Belizean concerned about my country, and as someone who has lived in the US Virgin Islands and seen the devastation wreaked on the culture and nature of these islands by cruise ships, I strongly urge you to oppose the expansion of cruise tourism in Belize.

Some issues to keep in mind when cruise ships arrive: cultural insensitivity; noise pollution – interferes with marine life and SCUBA diving; sedimentation – coral killed; propeller hits of cetaceans and manatees, especially by tenders going up Belize River, as has been recorded on a number of occasions; shore power not used, smoke stacks polluting constantly; trash – especially hard for Belize; sewage being poured into systems that cannot handle the volume; and little money left on shore by visitors.

Please see how the island of Dominica has been affected by cruise “tourism:”
http://internationalboulevard.com/latin-america/240-antilles/222-the-difficult-job-of-getting-screwed-by-cruise-ship-firms.

Sincerely,
Raymundo Castellanos, Riversdale