Villagers Protest as Public Sea Access in Warrie Bight Comes Under Threat

A quiet stretch of coastline in northern Belize, near Warrie Bight, has become the center of a growing controversy and residents of Sarteneja say they’ve had enough. In September 2025, the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development warned Natural Resources Minister Cordel Hyde that public lands in the area were being quietly taken over, describing the situation as ongoing “land grabbing.” Their concern? Road reserves meant to create public access to the sea are now being surveyed, reclassified, and shifted into private hands. According to the group, several areas legally designated for public use are disappearing. Two cases stand out: a proposed public access road that has now been reclassified as Lot 1955, and another roadway tucked between Lots 85 and 86, both meant to serve the wider community. For villagers, the issue cuts deeper than paperwork and parcel numbers. It’s about access to the sea, traditional use of the coastline, and a fear that public land is quietly slipping away. That frustration spilled into action over the weekend, when a group of Sarteneja residents made their way to Warrie Bight to protest and physically defend what they say is their remaining sea frontage. Earlier today, we caught up with Corozal Southeast Area Representative Florencio Marin Jr. Here’s what he had to say about the issue.

 

Florencio Marin Jr., Area Representative, Corozal Southeast

“I have been on top of it. I have been communicating with the Minister of Natural Resources, Deputy Cordel Hyde, and we were highlighting all these issues to him long before. So, in one way, I think what occurred on Saturday was a culmination of the reaction of some people and that’s good. But we have been on top of it and we’ve been working very closely with the Minister of Natural Resources to ensure that what is public space remains public space.”

 

Corozal Southeast Rep. Florencio Marin Jr. says the weekend protest shows growing frustration in Sarteneja but adds that he’s already working with the Natural Resources Minister to keep public spaces in Warrie Bight open to everyone.

 

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.

 

Watch the full newscast here: