Belize Marks 8 Years of Offshore Oil Ban, But Will It Last?

Eight years ago, Belize made history. The country slammed the brakes on offshore oil exploration, a decisive step driven by a nationwide push to protect our precious marine ecosystem. It all started back in 2010, when talk of oil concessions ignited a firestorm of debate. What followed was unprecedented: environmental groups, everyday Belizeans, and even global celebrities joining forces under one banner, ‘Save Our Seas.’ Fast forward to today, we’re marking the anniversary of that landmark moratorium. But as the world’s energy demands grow, what does the future hold for offshore drilling in Belize? Will the ban stand the test of time, or could the tide turn?

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

It’s been eight years since the moratorium on offshore oil exploration has been passed into law. This legislation stands as proof of what’s possible when an entire nation rallies behind a single cause, a lesson that remains just as relevant today. The spark for this movement came in May 2010, when a report revealed that seventeen oil exploration concessions had been granted to various companies.

 

Andre Cho, Inspector of Petroleum (File: May 12^th ,2010)

“They ultimately must go and get environmental clearance and they do that through the environmental process where they either do an EIA ort the environmental department would grant clearance through and environmental compliance plan. Of course, they will determine what they can do, where they can do it and obviously they can’t drill on the reef, they can’t drill near to coral patches etcetera.”

And this did not sit well with the NGO community. A month later, they joined forces to form an environmental coalition, with a mission to ban offshore drilling.

 

Yvette Alonzo, Coordinator, APAMO (File: Jun 1, 2010) 

“And as a result we got together and we decided that there was a need to form some sort of coming together and uniting out efforts so that we are not duplicating resources and going out and doing the same educational campaign and so we can work together on this issue.”

The movement even got the support of huge celebrity names, like Ted Dansen and Morgan Freeman.

 

Morgan Freeman, Actor (August 25th, 2010)

“I saw the map, it’s dreadful, it’s awful. There is no government oversight in Belize.  The government officials just say okay go ahead and do it and as you can see from this experience here, that could work out to be very, very bad for Belize. You have wonderful waters around Belize, you’ve got that reef, you’ve got that wonderful ecosystem there. It’s too fragile.”

 

Back in 2011, the coalition launched a bold mission to collect eighteen thousand voter signatures to force a referendum on offshore drilling. They hit the target, but when the list went to Elections and Boundaries, eight thousand names were tossed out. It was a major setback. Still, the group didn’t quit. Instead, they staged their own vote, calling it ‘The People’s Referendum.’

 

Tanya Williams, Coalition Coordinator (Feb 15th, 2012)

“No this referendum is not coming under the referendum act. If you can recall, we tried to have a referendum on the referendum act, but forty percent of the signatures were rejected. But people were still asking us; they want the opportunity to vote on this issue.”

 

Voters who turned out voted overwhelmingly for the ban on offshore drilling. But it wasn’t until 2017 that years of hard work finally paid off with real legislation. The moratorium legislation was introduced in the National Assembly in October 2017 and took effect on December thirtieth, 2017, exactly eight years ago.

 

Janelle Chanona, Vice-President, OCEANA Belize (Oct 20th, 2017)

“I think this is a big day for Belize. We have continuously framed this issue not as an environmental issue or conservation issue but as a national issue because when you look at the fact that more than half of our population is directly dependent on marine and coastal ecosystems.”

 

Today marks eight years since Belize passed the Petroleum Operations (Maritime Zone Moratorium) Act, a law that put a stop to offshore oil drilling. It’s a moment to look back, but also to ask what’s next for oil exploration in our waters? Oceana took to Facebook today to celebrate the milestone, and here’s something worth noting: in 2023, the Briceño administration doubled down on its commitment. They amended the law to make one thing crystal clear, before any change or repeal of this ban, Belizeans must have their say through a mandatory referendum.

 

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Constitutional and Political Reform (Oct 13th, 2023)

“G.O.B, confirms that there is no intention of amending or repealing the provisions of the Moratorium Act. We have to be clear about that. Two, G.O.B and Oceana in Belize are mutually committed to meaningful consultation on the matter of petroleum exploration in the maritime zone.”

 

As the country looks ahead, the challenge will be balancing economic ambitions with ecological responsibility, a decision that will continue to shape Belize’s identity for generations to come. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.