And while Blackadore Caye passed the EIA stage, the Ministry of Economic Development and Petroleum's seismic survey project did not. The ship conducting those surveys has left Belizean waters, but the conversation still hasn't ended. Last week the Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage told us that the government has still not responded to their questions about the moratorium on offshore oil exploration and their demands for a referendum. Well this weekend, Minister Heredia gave us an update on both situations...
Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. - Minister of Tourism
"I personally believe that we supposed to know what we have in our country. What is there underneath, what we have above, and all around, but again, I don't believe in confrontation, I believe in listening to the people."
"I believe that we took the right measures and decided to let it go. Unfortunately the second part of that in November should have been more of a sonar study where we would have been able to know what kind of species we have on the sea. What kind of different marine life is underneath, not beneath the ground but underneath the ocean. And then the boat, I must say that it will not be back again, cause it's very expensive, it costs about $60,000 US a day and it was not being paid by Belize, but by accompany that was doing the survey form the Gulf of Mexico all the way to Belize, but again, we decided that all the World Heritage Sites and Protected Areas we will legislate to have that completely for banning any type of off shore drilling. We agreed that probably we will still maintain the moratorium on offshore drilling as long as it is needed. If that is to be lifted there has to be consultation with the NGOs and the majority of the Belizean people as to what they feel about that."
Alex Courtenay, 7News
"Finally from me, you mentioned the upkeep of the moratorium, can you give us any kind of indication of the government's response about the mention of a referendum that the environmental has been trying to push?"
Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. - Minister of Tourism
"Well, the referendum has never been a topic of discussion with OCEANA, never. According to PM and people, it has never been there, but again, I have asked Cabinet that probably later on in the Cabinet we're supposed to probably be speaking as to alternatives possibilities of probably banning. I don't know it's up to our colleagues to decide that one. It's up to the cry of the people if they want it or not, but again, let us weigh the consequences do you want taxation or do you want other investments to come into Belize. But again, this tourism industry is really flourishing. We have to protect it."
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