Environmental Groups Reject Port Expansion
Earlier this month the National Environmental Appraisal Committee (NEAC) granted conditional approval for the Port of Belize Limited’s Cargo Expansion and Cruise Port Development project.
A day before approval was granted, the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage, a body made up of several environmental groups, wrote to the NEAC Chair, Milagro Matus, calling for the cruise port component to be rejected outright.
The group argued that the project still poses serious environmental and policy risks, even in its revised 2026 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
Regulators tied their approval to tight controls on dredging, sediment management, pollution mitigation, and long-term monitoring of a proposed mangrove island intended for dredge disposal. The Department of the Environment has since indicated that an Environmental Compliance Plan will be required, and joint enforcement teams will monitor construction closely.
Among their main objections is the plan to create an artificial mangrove island in the Sibun Bight using dredged material. They argue that key geotechnical and stability studies have not yet been completed, making it unclear whether the structure could withstand storms, sea-level rise, and wave action. Without that data, they contend, claims of resilience remain speculative.
The letter also raises red flags about cumulative pollution impacts, including discharge from Belize Water Services settling ponds and air and noise pollution from cruise ships docking in Belize City.
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