The proposed, or “cursory” discussion about de-reserving a portion of the Bacalar Chico National Park, on the lagoon side, has raised the ire of Conservation groups all over. In a press release dated October 26, 2007, government announced that it was “in negotiation with (a) group for the sale of some 2,700 acres…on the lagoon side…of the Bacalar Chico National Park.” The government position that it had made “no decision” on the matter, and its assurance to “strictly follow proper consultation and due process,” were not enough to halt the floodgates opened on any who would dare dismantle…the World Heritage Site.
At 9:47, Friday, October 26, APAMO (Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations) released a letter it had sent to Hon. Florencio Marin the previous day. APAMO advised the Minister to “be reminded…that Belize is currently receiving international funds from the United Nations Foundation through the UNDP/Compact Programme due to the World Heritage Status of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System which includes among others the Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve. Any de-reservation, re-alignment or modification of the Bacalar Chico… will therefore not only cause an embarrassment to Belize but may also result in loss of funding for marine conservation and perhaps even tourism arrivals as such an action will go against the ‘best kept secret’ concept under which we market our tourism.”
At 15:33, Monday, October 29, 2007, the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) wrote thus to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Natural Resources, and others: “The BTIA is understandably appalled at the revelation of the de-reservation of any portion of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, including the Bacalar Chico National Park. We…call on a responsible government…to honor its commitment to the rest of the world through the UNESCO Convention, as well as its commitment to all Belizeans for the protection and preservation of this natural national heritage or any other reserves within the country of Belize.”
At 17:15, Monday, October 29, 2007, the Belize Press Office defended its tarnished image, informing the nation that Honorable Florencio Marin had declared a brand new National Park, Peccary Hills, a 10,744 acre plot south of the Sibun River and west of Northern Lagoon, which it described as “of high economic value as a visitor destination only 20 miles from Belize City…” The new National Park, the release continued, was “pristine, has wide biodiversity of flora and fauna, riddled with caves, and many natural arches and an important watershed for the Sibun River Valley.”
At 12:30, Tuesday, October 30, 2007, the World Heritage Alliance weighed in from abroad, sending a letter to the Prime Minister, the Natural Resources Minister, and other parties in leadership, on the Bacalar Chico. The World Heritage Alliance expressed its “concern with the recent reports…of the Government’s intent to de-reserve and sell 2,700 acres of the Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve”, and advised the government that “By de-reserving and selling the Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve, the Belize government may jeopardize its promise and endanger the preservation of the World Heritage site.”
APAMO, “after an urgent meeting”, on Tuesday, October 30, wrote to the PM and Minister Florencio Marin. APAMO, noting that “the Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve is only one of the sites proposed for de-reservation and that there are sites that have already been de-reserved without proper consultation and scientific justification” requested “in writing” that GOB “will not de-reserve any part” of Bacalar Chico; stop all de-reservation of protected areas until “a clear and transparent process has been established”; activate the National Protected Areas Commission (NPAC) immediately; and declare that all matters of de-reservation go through NPAC.
That same day, Tuesday, October 30, the PM, via a press release, “categorically denied” that his government had “taken a decision and intends to de-reserve any part of Bacalar Chico National Park”; declared that the GOB “would not act arbitrarily in such a decision relating to the environment” … that GOB remained “committed to maintaining its good record on environmental protection and proper stewardship of its natural resources”; and informed that Chief Environmental Officer, Mr. Ismael Fabro, had written to the “Global Environmental Facility of the World Bank expressing Belize’s commitment…and continued proper stewardship and prudent management” of our reef resources.
Also on Tuesday, October 30, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) pointed out in a press statement that: “Belize’s marine and terrestrial resources provide the foundation for a sustainable tourism industry that yielded some $505.7 million in tourism expenditure in 2006. For the past 10 years, this industry has also generated 1 in every 4 jobs and has contributed significantly to the Belizean economy, both directly and indirectly.” The BTB advised that it could not “support the de-reserving of any protected areas without the benefit of research and consultation with all the relevant national and international stakeholders. To do so would jeopardize Belize’s status as an internationally recognized, leading ecotourism destination.”
The last release received at Amandala, at 15:31, Wednesday, October 31, was from APAMO. APAMO explained that it had “attended an urgent meeting…October 31, 2007…with the Minister of Natural Resources”, and the CEO’s of relevant ministries and other key Government Officers and NGO’s “to discuss the proposed de-reservation of the Bacalar Chico National Park and other protected areas.” At the end of the session APAMO declared that it “is pleased to announce that the Minister of Natural Resources has agreed and committed that”: it (government) will NOT de-reserve the Bacalar Chico; it will stop de-reserving ALL other protected areas; it will immediately activate NPAC; and that any contemplated de-reservation in the future will go through NPAC.
The Ministry of Natural Resources (or is it Cabinet?) could not have anticipated this backlash from conservation groups and others when it floated the idea of de-reserving a portion of the Bacalar Chico…on the lagoon side. We sought comment from the CEO and/or the Minister of Natural Resources, to get their thoughts about all that had transpired over the last hectic days, but unfortunately both gentlemen were out of office on Thursday afternoon, November 1.
On Wednesday, October 31, at 5:03 p.m., an unknown party faxed a list (18 sites) of protected areas across the country that government had proposed to put under the knife. Hopefully next week we can catch up with the Minister or his CEO at Natural Resources for clarification. Maybe they are all on the lagoon side.