Minister of National Security Carlos Perdomo has been making the rounds in the past week. He’s visited the police, the Immigration Department and the BDF. And today it was the baby of the bunch - the Coast Guard. This protector of Belize’s seas and coastline may be newly commissioned – but as I found out today – there are big plans for the Belize Coast Guard.

Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
We are not sure why the decision was made to relocate the National Coast Guard formerly the Belize Defence Force Marine Wing to its present location in the Ladyville area but it has not helped in the tactical operations on our waters and at sea. It is has been a challenge to secure and rescue because there is no immediate access from the Coast Guard’s docking area alongside the Belize River to the open waters.

It takes at least half an hour to carefully manoeuvre their vessels for a quarter mile through the winding tributary littered with debris and overhanging branches. The ride is further delayed by no wake zones on the Belize River. It’s a deployment impediment that was pointed out to the new Minister of National Security Carlos Perdomo when he visited the facility today for the first time since his official appointment.

Hon. Carlos Perdomo, Minister of National Security
“The Belize Coast Guard is one of our youngest service organisations and so it has a long way to go. It is in its budding stages but it is going to be a very crucial element for our security because the Coast Guard will take care of the safety and security at sea.”

But as the threat at sea develops so does the Belize Coast Guard. Commandant Brigadier General Cedric Borland told 7NEWS that major plans are underway to allow for easy and quick deployment from two strategic locations this includes the relocation to the Belizean Beach area by mile four on the Western Highway and a base at Calabash Caye.

Brig. Gen. Cedric Borland, Commandant - National Coast Guard
“Which is going to be a forward base for us to deploy if there are any incidents, any emergencies out at sea we are already out there and ready to deploy. We will have two vessels posted at that location for immediate response within that area. We are also looking at setting up our main headquarters in the area of Belizean Beach so the Coast Guard continues to develop.”

The relocation from Ladyville to the Belizean Beach area won’t happen for the next two years. Construction on the million dollar headquarters should start by the end of the year. In the meantime the National Coast Guard continues to forge ahead as it has since its inception in 2005.

Brig. Gen. Cedric Borland,
“In fact we started off with just six vessels, now we have nine vessels. We started off with 55 men, we are about to take in a recruit of 30 men, a recruit intake of 30 men.”

As part of the familiarisation tour Minister Perdomo viewed a slide presentation on the Coast Guard’s operations along Belize’s two hundred and thirty five mile long coastline.

Hon., Carlos Perdomo,
“It also beginning the work to share the new direction and the new policies of government.”

Brig. Gen. Cedric Borland,
“We are able to patrol all the way north in Bacalar Chico, we are out at the Turneffe Atolls, we have a station known as Hunting Caye where we have one vessel deployed. We have a minimum of at least three vessels out at sea at any one time so we can consider that adequate. What we are not able to do at this time is perhaps go well into the exclusive economic zone because our vessels are not capable of the endurance out there but that is an area we are working on at this time.”

Minister Perdomo says while the Belize Coast Guard should be saluted for what it has accomplished there is still a lot of work ahead. That includes more vessels and other resources.

Hon., Carlos Perdomo,
“Our operational skills will improve with more boats. The Coast Guard will expand personnel wise, operational wise. So in four or five years we will see an increase in the presence of the Coast Guard in the number of vessels. So it takes a little while but as I said, it is a new unit but it is developing fast.”

In January Commander of the 12th US Air Force Base. Lt. General Norman R. Seip made an official visit to Belize. One area of discussion included the assistance of helicopters to help improve our national security. Perdomo says that possibility still exists.

Hon. Carlos Perdomo,
“Those talks about helicopters will be a Central American initiative and I only known very generally the details about it but we will sit down and pursue it. It is not something that’s right around the corner but it is developing and we will how that goes.”

And for a Coast Guard at the crossroads of change, the next few years will make for interesting watching.

The National Coast Guard works closely with the BDF, the Police, Fisheries Department and other agencies like the Belize Audubon Society.