One activist group that was not represented at BNTU headquarters today is the conservation community. Right now, they have a lot on their minds with Puerto Azul - and today those groups issued a strong unified position on the controversial project.
A statement endorsed by OCEANA Belize, Healthy Reefs For Healthy People Initiative, World Wildlife Fund, MarAlliance, APAMO, Belize Audubon Society, and the Belize Tourism Industry Association are demanding that Government state clearly at what stage this project is. The release listed 7 pointed questions which they want answered. Those questions ask generally about the project, but include queries about those now famous photo bombs from France where Ministers Erwin Contreras and Manuel Herredia are seen profiling with A - List celebrities at the Puerto Azul Launch Party.
They ask, "Does the presence of the Minister of Tourism Manuel Heredia and Minister of Trade, Investment Promotion, Private Sector Development and Consumer Protection Erwin Contreras at the project's unveiling in Cannes, France indicate an official endorsement of the project by the Dean Barrow administration?"
It also asks, "Who paid for Ministers Heredia, Contreras and their entourage to attend the event"
And then pointedly questions,
"Were taxpayer dollars used or were the project's developers able to purchase the perception of a Governmental green light by hosting the Belize delegation?"
Today, we got a chance to speak with Belize Audubon Society's Executive Director about why they felt it important to make a statement now:
Amanda Acosta, Executive Director - Belize Audubon Society
"We are looking for answers as it regards to the Puerto Azul. As everyone knows the project is at this point in a realm of speculation; we have no true documentation, no proposals, no plans as to what is or proposed to occur on the island. We only have what was in social media and so we are asking if the government or anybody who has the answers can provide them. We would like to know where the project stands, is there the terms of reference and DOE has said they hasn't seen anything across their desk, but how is it the project is hitting international media? Is there any form of endorsement otherwise? The feasibility study was supposedly done, what are the results of those feasibility? Can they be made public? There is a lot of questions around the project and no one seems to have any answers and it is a site of both economic value for fisheries as well as ecological value for species such as sharks, turtles, a spawning aggregation of Nassau grouper. We highlight several of the species that are of concern to us and the fact that any form of developments or plans that occur out there should be well-thought out."
Daniel Ortiz
"In your best opinion, do ou think that any sort of development should happen on this northern 2 caye?"
Amanda Acosta
"Low density development is possible out there. You can still do high end exclusive but low density. The truth is that only about 30-40 percent of the island is land, the rest id over wash mangrove, therefore questions then beg to be answered if you are talking about mangrove - how much would be allowed to be cleared, fill, dredging, the island is not suited for mega development of this nature."
"We are very concern about the entire atoll and the fact that Blue Hole is actually only 8 miles south of this location. We have done carrying capacity limits of acceptable change. We are looking at very tight numbers in terms of visitation."
We also got a chance to speak the Fisheries Administrator, Beverly Wade at another event, and while we had to chance, we asked about Fisheries Department's position on the project. She said that they share some of the same concerns that the environmentalists do, but she doesn't know what stage the project is at:
Beverly Wade - Fisheries Administrator
"I have seen as the fisheries' administrator a concept of the Puerto Azul project and I don't know that it has moved from a concept stage yet. I am aware that there are plan for an EIA to be done for that project, but as far as I know it has not gone through any approval process yet or any real serious revision."
"From the fisheries department perspective there are some features of the development that are of some concern for us. I think as you all well know there is the feature of an airport on the reef which is obviously a red flag for us and I guess the size of the development. But I dint know what the final concept of that project is because we have only been exposed to an initial screening of a concept."
Today's statement also asks "How can Belizeans be assured that the exorbitant money being spent on promoting this project is not an attempt to legitimize a highly speculative venture?" and "How will a project of this magnitude impact the local economy of fisher folk, tour guides and tour operators?"
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