Will The $900M Port Expansion Project Finally Set Sail…or Sink Again?

The Port of Belize is back at the table with its $900 million cargo and cruise tourism expansion project, and this time the government says it has learned from past mistakes.

Public consultations are being held today as the project moves through the environmental impact assessment process, the same stage that derailed a similar proposal years ago when the port was under receivership. Back then, environmental concerns, particularly around siltation and the proximity to Belize’s barrier reef, helped sink the initiative.

Now under government ownership, the Port of Belize is trying again. Prime Minister John Briceño says key changes have been made to address those concerns, though he is keeping his distance from the process itself.

“I don’t think that is something for me to try to get involved with. We want it to go through its process,” he said, adding, “I do believe we have the support.”

One of the most significant changes in the revised plan involves how dredged material will be handled. Rather than disposing of it, the government wants to use it to build mangrove islands. “So once we put those islands, those mounds, we plant the mangroves. Once it grows, we will create a new ecosystem, and it will be filled with marine life and birds,” he said.

The idea, Briceño explained, is not only to offset environmental damage but also to create a new ecotourism attraction where cruise passengers could kayak through restored mangrove systems.

Still, he acknowledged that any large-scale development inevitably alters the natural environment. “Like in everything, you build a house, you change the environment. But you have to try to contain that,” he said.