TOUR GUIDES AND OPERATORS ATTEND TRAINING FORUM
Tour guides and tour operators who use Goff's Caye are today attending a training forum. The event is taking place at the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute's Conference Room in Belize City. The workshop is part of an education programme being conducted by the Coastal Zone under the "Conservation of Goff's Caye and Reef Habitats" Project, which is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The training includes sessions on coral reef ecology, utilizing mooring buoys and proper anchoring techniques, reef behaviour and etiquette, proper use of the Caye, and garbage disposal. The session is being held by the Coastal Zone Authority and the Belize Tourism Industry Association.

The objection I have with Belize’s approach to this is they are attempting to address the problem, this problem being the strain on the marine ecosystem from the over use by the cruise industry in this case, by developing training and programs to lessen the damage being done as opposed to first objectively determining the population density that this resource can withstand with proper programs put in place and then using the resource within those limitations. The objective of this government is to get as many tourists to use, rather abuse, Belize and its resources as it can. It is another example of their short term greed as opposed to long term responsible management of their resources.

ANYTHING is better than nothing, even if its done backwards according to North American standards.

On a lighter note: This just came in from the BTIA, thought it might interest you folks.

BTIA HOLDS CERTIFICATION LUNCHEON FOR TEN (10) ADVANCE MARINE TOUR GUIDES

The Majestic Room at the Princess Hotel & Casino was the venue for the certification and introduction of Belize's first ten (10) Advance Marine Tour Guides. The ten advance marine tour guides are Yovanny Leonardo of Punta Gorda, Shane Pech and Eloy Cuevas, Jr. of Monkey River Village, Elvis Solis of Placencia, Gilroy Robinson, Ian August, Giovanni Reyes, Dezerie Vernon, Aldo Perez, Alexander Edwards of Belize City.

Minister of Tourism, Investment and Culture, Hon. Mark Espat delivered the keynote address at this special occasion.

In addition to the ten tour guides, six Advance Marine Instructors will be certified as well. Another important part of this event was the official handing over of the newly developed "Advance Marine Tour Guide Training Program" from the Belize Tourism Industry Association to the Belize Tourism Training Unit (BTTU). On hand to accept the handing over was Director of Tourism Training, Dr. Vincent Palacio. This specialty course will compliment the diverse hospitality and tourism courses the Unit currently offers to the tourism industry.

In related news, the BTIA today presented a copy of the "Preparatory Course" for the National Tour Guide Training Program to the BTTU. The Preparatory Program was developed to help aspiring tour guides, who did not complete primary schools and those who left school over ten years or are not comfortable with the information at the level that it will be delivered, to make sure that they can cope with the rigor of the actual program when they enroll to take it.

For more information on the various courses and schedule of training, kindly contact the Belize Tourism Training Unit at telephone 227-1410 or email gina@belizetourismtraining.org.

CZMA/I & BTIA PARTNERS FOR JOINT TRAINING VENTURE

BTIA's Executive Director, Mr. Andrew Godoy, yesterday presented forty-three (43) tour guides with certificates of achievement after they particpated in a one-day environment awareness workshop organized by the Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute (CZMA/I) with support from the BTIA. The workshop entitle, "Conservation of Goff's Caye & Reef Habitat (ConGREH) Workshop", was held at the CZMA/I Training Room located on Princess Margaret Drive. Funding was provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The objective of the workshop was to increase the awareness of tour guides/tour operators using Goff's Caye about the ecology and the importance of conserving coral reef habitats. Participants covered information on Coral Reef Ecology, Reef Behavior/Etiquette, Utilizing Mooring Buoys and Proper Anchoring Techniques and Proper Use of Caye/Garbage Disposal. Instructor for the sessions was Ms. Luz Hunter.

WHALE SHARK PROPOSAL WITHDRAWN

BTIA members from southern Belize will be pleased to note that the proposal for the sale of the whale sharks to the Georgia Aquarium has been withdrawn. At a recent Board of Director's Meeting held in Belize City on January 22nd, 2004, the concerns of several members from Placencia were discussed at that meeting and the National Board is pleased that the proposals were withdrawn.

For more information on the proposal for the sale of the whale sharks to the Georgia Aquarium, contact Shalini Pech at Friends of Nature 523-3377.

PLACENCIA ANNOUNCES DATES FOR LOBSTER FEST 2004

Placencia BTIA would like to inform the general BTIA membership and industry stakeholders that Lobster Fest 2004 will be held from Friday, June 25 to Sunday, June 27, 2004. Additional information and updates about this spectacular event will be sent to you in the upcoming months.

“Anything is better than nothing”. That is the kind of irresponsible thinking that created the problem in the first place. Responsibly managing a resource starts with identifying the extent that resource can be used given the procedures that are in place to preserve the resource and then using the resource within those limitations along with creating continuing procedures to insure its future. I don’t consider that to be a “North American” way of doing things. I consider that to be the responsible way.

I would feel much better reading some news reports about how Belize is managing its tourist industry with growth mentioned in the same sentence as preservation instead of how many hundreds of thousands of more tourists the government predicts will visit Belize and how great that is.

Addressing a problem by training tour guides to carry garbage bags and putting porta potties on the island is not a substitute for responsible management. And, accepting that “anything is better than nothing” is the kind of shallow thinking that will insure a dim and limited future for Belize, its resources and its people. It is another example of greed at the expense of responsibility.

The barn door is already open and the horse is already out. Now, the barn is on fire and we have a small bucket brigade forming. Don't kick them in the knees. Wha wha wha, its easier to complain and criticize than to get involved in change. Oh, btw, that last comment was directed right at you Bywarren, in case I wasnt clear enough.

If you are refering to your comments about criticizing and complaining being directed at me, I plan on continuing doing that when I see things that need to be addressed. Lack of doing so and accepting the status quo leads to just that, accepting less than what is needed. Do not be so condesending to think that those that complain are not involved. If there are enough barns that catch on fire, sooner or later someone comes along who tries to figure out why the fires are starting and not just how to get the horses out of the barns and put the fires out. Some people think that preventing fires is just as important as putting them out. Of course some call that complaining and not being involved. Wha, wha, wha (whatever that means} must be bucket brigade lingo.

Enlighten us Bywarren on how you are involved, other than complaining.

So Silkpainter, I see you are one of those that subscribes to the theory "if you don't like the message, shoot the messanger". I am quite satisfied with the "involvement" that I have engaged in over my 35 years in Belize and do not feel that my contributions over that time is of issue. When I see what I feel is a detrement to Belize, the cruise ship issue in this case, I do not consider voicing my opposition to that as just complaining. You are like some on this board that attack or try and discredit others when you do not agree with their positions. I stand by what I wrote and will let others read my words and form their own opinions. And, I am very pleased to be living in Belize, enjoying my retirement and not "involved" with business and relying on attracting more tourists to Belize so that I can make some money. I will leave that to the messanger shooters. :p

Well, I woke up this morning thinking I should take Silkpainters advice and get "involved". My first thought was to use my diving skills and former military training and put some underwater demolition charges on the cruise ships. Then I had my first cup of coffee and decided that might be too much "involvement". I had my second cup of coffee and decided that to enjoy my life and well deserved retirement in Belize I would limit my "involvement" to voicing my oposition, just complaining as Silkpainter calls it, to what I consider to be detremental to Belize. I had my third cup of coffe and am trying to decide whether to go diving or fishing today knowing that Belize will be well taken care of with Silkpainter being "involved", doing her silk painting. :p

I Support Bywarren -I have not yet had a cup of coffee.

Just have another beer Pedro, then take a nap. All is well.

Peter, I don't remember seeing you turn away any internet cafe customers if they came from the dreaded cruise ship. Your hand was right there accepting money, no matter what, cha ching. Besides, this didn't concern you, so please butt out.
Since we have not been formally introduced, although, I've spotted you on the street in San Pedro. I live a very different life than you Bywarren. I'm quite a bit younger, my retirement happened at a pretty early age in comparison to yours. You may even have socks as old as me. I too am "retired", yet I did it at the age of 40, moving to Belize 3 years ago, after a career in electronic publishing. When I first moved to Belize I lived in San Pedro, but moved over to Caye Caulker in November of 2001 to open a business with one of my (grown up) daughters, she has since returned to the U.S. to pursue other interests. Caye Caulker can't be compared to San Pedro in many ways, its still controlled by the same spanish families that settled here many many years. There is very little, if any prime beachfront property available. Most of the building projects going on are from the local families developing their property. I don't know how long its been since you've been here, and I'm very sure that you've never been into my store to introduce yourself (I'm SURE I would remember that) But if you had, you would see that its not all about me, its about promoting Belizean artists and artists living and working in Belize. I am involved in my community working as an executive board member of the Caye Caulker Business Assosciation, and am on the national marketing committee of the BTIA. I do not take any of the insults you hurl my way personally. I did not get to this place in my life by allowing myself to be shouted down by bullies. If anything, I am optomistic and hopeful for the future of Belize and am working towards sustainable tourism.
In meeting after meeting, both with the BTIA, the Caye Caulker Business Association and our Village Council meetings, we are all concerned about the same things. You are concerned about the same issues and I. If you think you love Belize more than Said Musa or any Belizean, think again. I thought long and hard before I answered you back, in the first message, I've watched you try to squash any dissenting opinion. I do not work for you, I'll say it one more time, and you can choose to insult me, call me stupid, try to make me feel bad, shout me down, try to suppress me, you can bark at me all you want, but it comes down to.... all I hear is your complaining. You are obviously intelligent (you need to work on the mean spirited thing though) all of those keystrokes you send out there in cyberspace, whingeing and whining to potential tourists, could be redirected towards something useful, without too much additional effort. Steve Schulte, president of Tropic Air, is also the president of the BTIA, lives in San Pedro. Its easier to complain though, cursing the darkenss. The cruise ships are not going away, that is a fact. Studies have already been done to determine how many visitors Belize can sustain, a cap was put on cruise ship passengers and Belize has started turning away requests for more ships and passengers, it has reached its limit, according to the minister of tourism, Honourable Mark Espat. This information was given to us, industry stakeholders, at the recent opening of the new Caye Caulker Water Taxi Pier. Yes, I am an industry stakeholder, and I have made an investment in Belize, both in time and money. As a business community we are dealing with the reality of additional people coming here, and are trying to make the best of the situation, and to provide them, even if only for a short period of time, a nice experience in Belize, in the hope that they will choose to come back and book a room for a week, eat at our restaurants and spend money. When I see very low occupancy in hotels most of the year in San Pedro, which is seemingly overbuilt, you all could use more vacationers, and the fastest source of business could be cruise converts. Cruise ships didn't just pop up here yesterday, they have been coming to Belize and San Pedro for at least 3 years. I recently had a conversation with the head of the tourism police in Belize City, who made an interesting comment... If it wasnt for the cuise ship people, the economy of Belize City would be in rough shape.
I'll answer one more question, before you ask it, no... I don't make money from the cruise ship people, its pretty rare that they buy art, but the artists work is being exposed to many more people than before, buyers or not. We as a business community give out lots of information about Caye Caulker, and encourage them to come back on vacation. We have only been receiving cruise ship day trippers since late September, and when they come, there are never over 100 people on any given day. I'll let you know next season whether any have come back, right now they are not our core customers, but they could be next year.

Even after reading your bio and your attempt to justify the cruise business, I am still opposed to it. I have seen a tour guide bring 40 people to Hol Chan and sit on his ass smoking a cigarete while the people stomp all over the reef. I believe that the Belize tourist industry has grown and prosperd from the overnight tourist. The ones that rent a room, eat in restaurants, visit the evening entertainment spots and hire a tour guide that takes a handfull of tourist snorkling and gets in the water with them showing them how to enjoy that resource without destroying it. I believe that is the direction that tourism in Belize should go. I disagree with those of you who feel that the cruise business is good for Belize and I will continue to voice that. If I think your ideas are dumb and stupid I will say so. If you take that as a personal insult, so be it. If you do not want someone to take issue with your opinions, then don't voice them. If people re-read the posts, I think it is clear that I am discussing the issues and you are the one getting personal. And now, what the hell does the age of my socks have to do with anything and at what age did I retire, since you seem to know all about me?

Anyway, Steve Schulte and I are off to dive now. We won't be back walking the streets of San Pedro for a few days. FYI, not that it matters, Steve and I grew up together. He first came to Belize with me. And I can assure you, his views on the cruise business are very similar to mine as is the treasurer of BTIA who we are now staying with.

PS: telling Pedro to "butt out" is another example of attacking people personally on this forum and he did not even address your comments. Just because some of us differ with you does not meen they have to "butt out".

I am not picking a side here, but do have a question.

Why did the Hol Chan Reserve Ranger allow a snorkel guide to sit on the boat, while his large group of snorklers are stepping on our coral?

That Chloe is an excellent question that demonstrates more of the problems with the cruise business and how Belize is not prepared for it.

Thanks By, my first thoughts always ask why the check points already in place, are not enforced.

I can't help myself here. If I were a Ranger collecting the five dollars per snorkeler, I would whisper in that Licensed Guide's ear, get your arse off that boat and monitor your group.

Chloe: that is excellent thinking and using your logic. The problem, the way I "complain" about it, is that the ranger does not see the fee going to benifit him or his country. It is just like the $5 tax that is charged for each passenger that docks in Belize City. One dollar goes to the government and $4 goes to a special few. I might be viewed by some as sceptical and a complainer, but just follow the money and see where it leads.

It is interesting to me to see how some people characterize me as being a complainer, mean spirited, etc when I passionatly express views that are different form theirs. So be it. :rolleyes:

Please read what I write and form your opinions based on my words and not how old my socks are.

Are you still wearing socks ?

I think I have expressed my views on this subject enough for people to understand my position. When the conversation deteriorates to talk about my socks and when I retired and who should butt out, it is time to try and be a bigger person, figurativly speaking, and move on. So I am going to the general chat area and ask Pedro a question on a heavier note. I know some of you will have a fullfilling day. By, By