from Visions Inspired by the People

The issuing of residential lots over the past 20 years in the wetlands of Ambergris Caye and using garbage to fill these lots and build the streets, has created extremely toxic conditions which are polluting the marine and mangrove system. Dr. Marisa Tellez, UCLA PhD Biology; Crocodilian Parasitologist; NSF Postdoc Fellow at UCSB, who has conducted scientific study on the islands' environment since 2008 found that "young crocs have no teeth and are bloated and do NOT have a healthy diversity of parasites. The fish either have NO parasites or FULL of parasites and have white spleens and livers, covered with cysts. This is a major red flag that they are being exposed to heavy metals and arsenic".


On the "Good Morning San Pedro" TV Show today, January 28th, Dr. Tellez via skype stated that," if we continue at this rate, the island is on the tipping point of a major environmental crisis. The state of the environment has a direct implication on the Tourism and Fishing Industry. Its contamination poses a major threat to the health and well-being of residents and visitors."


The San Pedro VIP Team calls on the San Pedro Town Board to immediately cease from dumping of garbage for filling of streets. We call on Department of Environment to urgently investigate this matter which scientist predict will cause the economic and environmental collapse of Ambergris Caye. We further call on all residents and developers to be more conscious of the environment and to properly dispose of all garbage at the designated dumpsite.

The VIP launched their "Save San Pedro, Embrace the Change" campaign with the Environment as their priority issue.



Mounting garbage in Altamar continues to upset residents

Residents living in the Altamar area directly behind the Ambergris Stadium continue to be upset over garbage that have been piling up in their neighborhood. Not only is it a distasteful sight that residents have been subjected to, but the stench of decaying garbage and stagnant water is becoming even more unbearable. It is something that has been reported in The San Pedro Sun on more than one occasion, but authorities are moving at snails pace to address the issue, with little effect.

The area has now become an unofficial dumping site, inconveniencing resident in the Altamar neighborhood. Household generated garbage, old mattresses, discarded stoves, refrigerators, televisions and washing machines are just a bit of the items scattered along the side of the street.

The San Pedro Sun has attempted multiple times to speak to Mayor Daniel Guerrero on this matter but our requests have not been honored.

Click here to read the rest of the article and see more photos in the San Pedro Sun