AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye An Island dog bites back.....

well at least it isn't lunch. Read all about it at Nurse Melly\'s Secret Life

Poor puppy. I hope the owners will take better care, and keep him safe. The dummies who feed the crocs should have their butts bitten by a croc. Maybe they would see the danger in it once and for all. Is anything being done to catch them? They need to be fined heavily, and the tourists who encourage it should also be fined.

I don't know that fining the children who take tourists out to see the crocs is necessarily the best idea. Perhaps some fencing in the area, certainly a few well-placed signs would help.
I eagerly accepted some island kids' invitation to watch on my first visit a couple of years ago, had no clue it was a bad idea. A little education goes a long way.

These are not childen, but young men acting as guides...some licensed, some not. there's no money to fence the crocs off from the people. they are everywhere. The signs that were placed by the water plant disappeared in a few days.
Here's some education:
http://www.sanpedrosun.net/06-412.html

Jesse, perhaps we have a different understanding of what constitutes "child" or perhaps we have had different experiences. The time I went two years ago the person feeding the crocs was 16 years old. I know because I spent a good amount of time talking to him. Where I come from that's a child. When I was there a few weeks ago I was invited several times to watch the "crocodile show" by children that appeared to be no more than 7 or 8 years of age.
I do understand that fencing the area off might not be feasible, it does seem that some more permanent signs should be possible.
I read the fine article in the San Pedro Sun, however it was of absolutely no assistance to me a couple of years ago and I suspect it's not going to be of much assistance to future tourists either.
Another idea might be to post information in the hotel lobbies. But if you think one article in the local newspaper is going to do the trick, well, perhaps you should give it a bit more thought.

Actually the issue has been given a lot of coverage lately on the TV news stations, several times in both local newspapers, this message board and in the mainland papers as well. Not until some fines are imposed will those who feed the Croc's get the message, if it's minors then their parents should be the ones fined.

As far as signs go we can't even manage to keep the street signs from going missing in the downtown area.

The whole water treatment plant would make a great wildlife refuge if only the government would allow it and someone could pony up the bucks for trails and fences. That area is full of birds and wildlife that you just don't see in other areas of the island and would make an easy to access, money making educational tourist attraction.

I bet the 7-8 year olds were just recruiting for their older brothers.
In Belize, a 16 year old is not considered a child.

Simon, just my thoughts, but it seems to me the kind of coverage you are talking about probably reaches the locals and a few of the tourists, but not the majority. Seems to me issuing fines addresses the "supply" side of things, but without much hope of having any real effect. These kids are working for money in the first place. How many of them, or their parents, could actually pay a $1,000 fine if imposed? I would think the problem would diminish greatly if the "demand" side of the equation was addressed. That means educating tourists and I don't see that the methods you've listed are going to be very effective in doing that.

Interesting, Uncle Buck. Are you saying that in Belize the age of majority is 16, entitling a 16-year-old all the privileges, rights and responsibilities of an adult?

No, im saying that many 16 year olds are parents, support their family, or just live as adults. Which is probably different from where you come. Its a cultural difference, and is obvious to anyone that lives here.