Cabinet Halts Coastal Dredging Amid Public Outcries

Across Belize, residents and environmental groups are opposing dredging that threatens coastal communities. The Ambergris North Alliance is the latest to demand a halt, calling for tougher enforcement in sensitive areas. Now, the government is responding. Blue Economy Minister Andre Perez confirms Cabinet has agreed to temporarily pause dredging and beach reclamation projects while a comprehensive plan is developed. Perez says the move aims to tighten oversight, improve accountability, and protect Belize’s coastline.

 

Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy

“In cabinet we’re saying like, “Listen I voiced my concern,” and the Prime Minister has heard and everything that we have to put a stop to this. We want to halt it for the meantime because there are several things we need to do. One of the things that we discussed yesterday is that all relevant department must come together, and I think that we’re planning very soon is to meet all the relevant department as it relates to dredging, as it relates to the beach claiming. People are claiming their own areas, closing off the docks for people. So we are doing a comprehensive plan right now that is going to involve San Pedro and Caye Caulker, and by extension the coast of Placencia, Hopkins, and St. Seine Bight. I can say that we are going to have a meeting with all the relevant departments. We’re talking about DOE, mining, fisheries even health because there’s health concerns as well. As well as the the DOE has said. Also culture is going to be involved, the town council, and myself as well to come up with a plan to see where we can do it. We don’t want to shut down people  especially in Secret Beach, we have that issue. We don’t want to shut them down. We want to work along with them, but we need to provide the services along with them. There’s no water and there’s no electricity. But that’s no reason for you to just be doing haphazard illegal building of structures in the water, platforms. And that is affecting. So we have to come together if all and want to work together.”

 

Reporter

“Do you agree that the fines should be increased for environmental offenses?”

 

Andre Perez

“Absolutely. I have no problem with increasing the fines. I support it because there are rules and regulations and most of these places are doing it without approvals building docks, dredging. They, and they don’t have any. So we have to have more oversight and increasing the penalties.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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