A stop order has been issued to a developer who cut a massive canal right through a wildlife sanctuary. It's the Belize Central Corridor near mile 25 on the Western Highway. It connects the wild areas of Southern and Northern Belize and is used by Jaguars as they roam over a large area.
But, a huge agricultural development - reportedly eighteen thousand acres of cane production - is in that same area - and the developer has trenched a massive canal to bring in water from the Belize River.
Now, the project has no environmental clearance - and the Forestry Department just became aware of it a week ago - after the trenching was well underway with four excavators working overtime to build the canal - right through the biological corridor.
A quite disturbed Forestry Minister, Lisel Alamilla today told us that a stop order has been issued post haste.
She spoke to us via phone from Belmopan:..
Hon. Lisel Alamilla, Minister of Forestry
"We have been informed late last week that they were digging a trench within the sanctuary. Since then we have gotten photographs showing what is happening and the Department of the Environment and the Forest Department will be serving these people with a cease and desist order."
Jules Vasquez
"As I understand it this is a major agricultural project and they need the drain to bring in water from the river, am I correct?"
Hon. Lisel Alamilla, Minister of Forestry
"This is what I understand that it's a 18,000 acres development for sugar cane. But they don't have an EIA. We are just gearing this second hand. They don't have an EIA first for that project and secondly even so for this drain that they are digging."
Jules Vasquez
"I see that they have multiple back hoes operating in the area. All this was done without permission?"
Hon. Lisel Alamilla, Minister of Forestry
"Yes, without permission Jules, It is very huge and my concern for us is that people think that they can just carry on business in this manner without proper clearance."
Jules Vasquez
"A huge cane production project such as this has to have its supporters in the government."
Hon. Lisel Alamilla, Minister of Forestry
"I am not aware of this. I don't know if this happened before I became a minister. I will have to investigate more about this project. But it doesn't matter who is supporting this project, it doesn't exempt people from following the laws. No developer is exempted from following the laws of this country."
Jaguar experts say the canal can meaningfully affect the natural balance and cat movements in the area.
Coincidentally, today is world environment day.
Later on in the news we'll show you why that central corridor is so important to Belize's jaguars and big cats.
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