“All is not Lost” for Red Bank Scarlet Macaw Sanctuary

Earlier this week, we took you to Red Bank Village where tensions rose high during a three-hour public consultation. The government wants to establish a sanctuary two area for Scarlet Macaws but the residents aren’t having it, voting to reject it. It got so heated that a the meeting ended after a fight broke out. Minister of Sustainable Development Orlando Habet cited a communication breakdown as a key factor. Villagers said they already protect the birds and warned the project could cause more problems, while tour guides raised concerns over access and habitat protection. Here is that story.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

On Tuesday night, the consultation held in Red Bank Village to discuss the proposed Scarlet Macaw sanctuary two in the Maya Mountains was abruptly cut short when a heated argument escalated to violence and residents were escorted away. The three-and-a-half-hour-long event had been tense from the start when attendees demanded that local tour guide Basilio Mes cut his presentation short and move on to the next speaker. Ultimately, residents voted ‘no’, as they were dissatisfied with the government and village council’s failure to include the wider village in the conversation. Minister of Sustainable Development Orlando Habet says that while disappointed by the resident’s decision, he believes that all hope is not lost.

 

Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development

“While I’m a little bit disappointed, I am also feeling that something positive can still come out because apparently it is a failure in some of the of communication. So whether it is from our side or jointly from us and the village council who did not do the proper consultation and communication with the people, but I believe that the people will come around. And that eventually we will be able to have the sanctuary established.”

 

Habet cites a breakdown in communication between residents and the village council as a factor. Basilio Mes was one of several tour guides that brought serious concerns such as the surveying of land and illegal logging to the minister’s desk. He shared with us how the sanctuary may benefit the community beyond tourism.

 

Basilio Mes, Local Tour Guide

“What they’re planning to put in place is a body in the community whereby they can collect the park entry fee for every tourist that visit this the place to come and see the birds. And those monies will then be used in the community to, for further development. There is their tax that they are going to be paving our road from the southern highway all the way to Redbank Village. And also the, the. Village Council will have sufficient monies whereby they can buy equipment. And as you can see here, this is a private piece of property. And they the owner of this property actually came and mowed his grass here. Just imagine other farmers who don’t have this type of equipment to work on their place going to their farm.”

 

Following the consultation, Stann Creek West Area Representative Rodwell Ferguson assured the public that he would work with the lands department to ensure that the land is not sold. Habet also addressed the concerns of residents regarding possible farm relocation.

 

Orlando Habet

“We also have people from the village people who want to have some parcel of land for agriculture or other purposes, and they might be on the fringes of the land that we want to put into conservation, or in some cases might be within the area, but all those can be resolved because if they’re in the fringes, fine we can establish a buffer. If they’re within, then we can see if we can work with those who are within already. So ask them to also be part of the conservation because you can also have private and public conservation programs where we are participate. So I don’t think it is all lost.”

 

The proposed sanctuary two differs from a sanctuary one, as it gives villagers the freedom to sustainably collect materials from the location. Additionally, the local community would be included in the care and management of the reserve. Tour guide Raul Tech believes that with more information, many would be open to the sanctuary.

 

Raul Tech, Local Tour Guide

“When they hear the word reserve, they think that they always speak about Coxcomb, right? Nobody goes in there for hunting, no fishing or what’s not. So the government is stepping in however, and he’s saying, you know what, sanctuary two is better for Red bank, which means they will do whatever they were doing with the land before they can still be able to do it sustainably. And I think that is the way forward and will benefit many.”

 

For now, the vote is still a ‘no’ and the government claims that it plans to work with Red Bank to ensure that the community is included in major decisions that affect the community going forward. However, the government and tour guides are still hoping that the village will consider implementing the sanctuary in the future. Britney Gordon for News Five.