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Earlier in our newscast, we showed you how the Harvest Caye Cruise Terminal is shaping up with all the ongoing construction work.

That opportunity to see it came up because the two conservation groups, the Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative, and the Southern Environmental Association, invited us out talk about issue very important to them. We're referring to a centralized sewage system for the Placencia community, which had been planned but delayed for years. According to the experts, a recent environmental report says that the increase in microbes of the the waters of the peninsula's lagoon is most likely caused by the community's lack of proper sewage disposal. That could have devastating effects on the country's coral reef systems and the shrimp industry taking place on the peninsula. So, today, Roberto Pott, of the Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative explained what's happening while this centralized sewage system continues to be delayed:

Roberto Pott - Belize Coordinator, Healthy Reef Initiative

"I think it goes back to what we've been saying in the field; which is the increase in fleshy macro-algae across Belize and the region. We've seen that over the last 10 years or so, where we've gone up from about 10 percent fleshy macro-algae cover in the region to about 23 percent; and that's almost a 10 percent increase. We're confident that's related to nutrients coming in from the rivers as well from sewage management systems. One of the things that we did as a country; and we have to applaud fisheries department and the ministry, is protecting parrot fish back in 2009. But now we've come to one of the hard actions that we need to take; hard because it's very expensive. We need to install a sewage treatment infrastructure for developing urban areas; especially tourism destinations. It's not only Placencia, we have Caye Caulker and San Pedro that continues to grow and so we need to be able to cope with that growth. Not only it's a threat to industries, like the shrimp industry but it would have a direct impact on the health and the health of visitors that come to Belize if that starts getting out on windward side of Placencia. There is an urgent need for a sewage treatment plants in Placencia and the other destinations; Belize City as well. "

Tune in tomorrow, when we'll dig deeper into the problem and show you just what is at stake due to the increase of these macro-algae. We also hope to have a response from the Belize Water Services Limited on why this centralized sewage system for Placencia has apparently stalled.