Last night, we told you about the Government's announcement that offshore oil drilling is banned in all of the 7 World Heritage Sites in the Belize
Barrier Reef System, along with 1 kilometer on either side of the reef system.
Oceana Belize's Vice President, Janelle Chanona, told us yesterday that it is a major accomplishment. The organization released a statement
expanding on that position, calling the ban a good first step, but noting that two Marine Reserves have been left out.
The release says, quote, "Oceana Belize looks forward to reviewing the details of the Barrow administration's plans, especially as it relates to the
status of two marine protected areas not named in the release: the Turneffe Marine Reserve and the Port Honduras Marine Reserve." End Quote.
COLA President Geovannie Brackett was the very first activist to agitate for offshore oil drilling back in January 2010. He and the conservationists
from the Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage have been actively campaigning to get the support of the general citizenry. Today, he told us that he
sees it as a win, but adds that more needs to be done to push for a full ban on offshore oil drilling in Belize. Here's how he explained it:
Geovanni Brackett - President, COLA
"We at COLA at very pleased with the announcement yesterday by the cabinet. And it's not many times that the government and COLA agrees one a matter or
in collaboration. But I must say that this move by the Prime Minister and cabinet is a very excellent start to a complete ban on offshore drilling. We
have fought a very long fight along with our partners in the coalition to save our national heritage. This is like a baby for COLA having been the
founding member to really advocate on this issue; we're very pleased. Now moving forward in terms of the work in its entirety and the completion, there
are a lot of things that needs to be done nevertheless. We've always advocated that the laws within Belize should be separated. Just as in the US where
there is a department of interior that deals strictly with offshore drilling and there is another department that deals with onshore. The reason for
that understandably deals with 2 different ecological systems and hence the reason why we can't put an umbrella law that deals with onshore drilling.
It's very different when you drilling for oil in Spanish Lookout than when you drilling in the port Honduras marine reserve. Which brings me to another
issue is that, the two marine reserves that has been excluded within this ban I think should be included actually because they wouldn't have been a
reserve if there were not sensitive ecological systems. It will be left to that management that is dealing with those reserve areas to further advocate
and so while we're happy that we have an excellent start, we would like to see further work. But we want to applaud the Prime Minister on this
particular move. It's only fitting so that we; it's not contentious move and it is one that we welcome and we will like to work with the government in
moving forward with dealing with the issues on oil exploration."
Oceana Belize's statement from today says quote, "From legal, economic, scientific and cultural perspectives, Belizeans agree offshore oil is a bad
idea. We remain confident that the future will continue to reveal reasons why Belizeans should never risk our outstanding and globally unique resources
with this type of activity." End Quote.
Today, the World Wildlife Fund added to the chorus calling for a full ban saying, quote, "This is an important step in the right direction to protect
Belize's reef from the threat of oil, but it doesn't remove that threat entirely. We know that any oil spill within Belize's waters would have a
devastating effect on the reef, including the Barrier Reef System World Heritage site.
WWF calls for a permanent moratorium or complete ban on offshore oil exploration and drilling in Belize." End Quote.
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