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Tonight opens the "Reef Summit" at the Bliss with a "World Premier" Film / documentary which features a few familiar faces ....

Please come out 7pm - 9m pm latest...

Then on Saturday there's an aerial art event on Sgts Caye... boat leaves brown sugar at 9:30 am .. it will be posed all over int'l media so be a peep in the human art.... We really need divers: I have Mike Singh confirmed.., hoping Ian, Kendra and Victor and other divers will agree to help form the world's first underwater human sculpture..... See flyer below and http://www.reefsummit.org for more info

Email us if you are willing to 'dive" lie on the sand (2 feet deep) for about an half hour to an hour....

Darryl Hannah is participating for any star gazers.....

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HEALTHY REEFS INITIATIVE KICKS OFF TODAY

November 11, 2010

Tonight CAVU and Healthy Reefs Initiative will be holding the premiere of a film entitled "Someday is Now!" CAVU is a US public charity organization based in San Jose Costa Rica and works throughout Central America promoting the protection of critical ecosystems since its formation six years ago. CAVU has also worked in Belize. President of CAVU, David Smith, who is also a pilot, has been coming to the country for over twenty years tracking Jaguars, Tapirs and doing Manatee surveys among other projects. The organization works closely with local partners such as Healthy Reefs for Healthy People and OCEANA, who have assisted in Smith's latest film. The production is a focus on Belize's Barrier Reef, which Smith says the organization considers one of the most important ecosystems in the world. He adds that he began his project by first consulting with Belizeans.

David Smith; President of CAVU

"Someday is now! And its story line came out of a round table meeting we had here at the beginning of January this year. We invited community leaders, local MGO leaders, political figures, and scientist to a round table across the street the Radisson, we had an all day meeting and we asked Belizeans... given the nature of what we do, CAVU has produced 13 of these films in 6 countries in the last 5 or 6 years. Given the nature of what we do, how we can be most helpful? What single message? Because in a film it's hard to do multiple messages and do it affectively. What would be the most important thing this film might do? Without exception, the people in the room that day, all Belizeans said a coastal zone management plan; we need a coastal zone management plan. So, this was ours coming in saying this is what we are going to do a film on."

The film is thirty eight minutes forty-eight seconds long and according to Smith the message it portrays comes solely from Belizeans.

David Smith

"We went one end of the country to the other along the coast, interviewed people in this film there is not one single word of narration, it is all Belizeans speaking to the issue of what they want. Fisher folk, big business, government officials, tell us about why we need a coastal zone plan, what are the problems and so on... so this Belizeans speaking to the need of a coastal zone plan. We heard repeatedly that we've been trying for years to do this... oh some day we will get a plan, someday we will get a plan.... and that's where the title of this comes from. There is no time to put off, someday is now! It allows us to celebrate the reef and all the wonderful things about the reef then look at the few of the problems and then look at how we might make things and it is tailored to as I said the communities." 

The film premiers tonight, but according to Smith they plan to take the film across the country.

David Smith 

"If people in Placencia, Punta Gorda, or Ambergris can't come tonight we are coming to you. We are starting in January we are starting in Punta Gorda and with education facilitators. We are moving from one end of the country to the other from Punta Gorda to Sarteneja to going into the schools working with the Ministry of Education. Showing this in the schools, having debate going to community halls, we are starting at one end of the country to the other to try and build a ground swell of Belizean people demanding of their politicians we need a coastal zone plan. We are going in a rolling wave campaign, I invite the public to join us... please come the admission is free we have wonderful live music from Lloyd Augustine and the Garifuna collective, we have the presence of some Hollywood star and I think it will be a life time achievement award for doctor Robert Trench who is from Belize. I think it will be a terrific evening and we encourage one and all to come out."

Renowned marine scientist Doctor Robert Trench will be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from Healthy Reefs for Healthy People.

LOVEFM


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Marty Offline OP
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Experts Discuss The State Of The Reef

For the past two weeks on 7news - we've been telling you about the condition of the marine environment in our reef beat series.

Similarly, every 2 years, organizations working on marine conservation projects come together to take stock of the work that has been done throughout the period.

Today a one day symposium was held at the Radisson Fort George Conference room to discuss and launch their 2010 report card for the Mesoamerican Reef.

Seven News spoke with Imani Fairweather, Director of the Oak Foundation in Belize - she told us what the day's agenda was about.

Imani Fairweather, Director of the Oak Foundation in Belize
"Every 2 years the people working on marine conservation initiative try to get together and asses the work that has been done and to pretty much share the report card, look at the report card to see what health of the reef is after all the paddling and activities and the work that we have been doing, at the end of the day you need to know how effective it has been and what exactly is the status of the reef. The agenda is one mostly scientific, scientist who are in the field doing the monitoring and the research, they are showing the finding so their research on a report card. There is also a number of other interesting initiatives that are being shared; one this morning was on leadership - what we are doing to build leadership from marine conservation, there is another interesting initiative that spoke about the work of the university of Belize in spearheading national research and environmental issues and helping to fulfill the university's mandate for supporting national development. This afternoon you will also hear from scientist working on climate issues and what is ocean acidification doing to coral reef, so issues that are somewhat beyond our control. Most of our efforts we do here are really efforts to make sure that we have a resilient reef but even in the face of that there are those issues beyond us and perhaps the steps that we can take on a global level to bring awareness to the issues and the plight of our resources. I think it's important for people working on the field to get together and share and reflect and re-strategize and from that stand point it's extremely important. It's also important to hear from others, where you are falling short and how you can be more effective and so it's always useful to have new people in the room and not necessarily speak to the converted and so from that stand point I think it's extremely important, its one step in all that we do, it's not the be all and the end all but it's an important step to reflect on your work."

Tomorrow, the group will be taking a field trip to Sargeant's and Goff's Cayes for what's called an Aerial Art event where a huge group will make a human formation which will be aerially photographed - and we'll show you how that comes out on Monday�

Channel 7


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Mesoamerican Reef 2010 report; Coral reefs in danger

Coral reefs are in danger; that is the weighty message coming out of a reef summit which is ongoing in Belize City. In fact according to the 2010 report card of the Mesoamerican Reef, released today, an alarming percentage of the reef is not in good shape. The summit precedes the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Canc�n, Mexico, from twenty-ninth November to tenth December 2010 where the hope is that the global community will reach agreement on global warming. News Fives' Delahnie Bain reports on the summit.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

Belize still holds bragging rights for having the longest living barrier reef in the world. But our reef is in danger. Marine biologists are tackling the most pressing issues in the three day Reef Summit 2010.

Dr. Melanie McField, Director, Healthy Reefs for Healthy People

"We started last night at the Bliss with the launch of this film called Someday is now. It calls to action voices of Belizean people talking about their coastal resources and the need for planning. So that is a campaign that will be launched in January. Tomorrow's event is this aerial art event using humans on Sergeant's Caye to spell out a message to the world. It's going to be broadcast on the international media and it will be presented and this Conference of Parties."

Agencies from across the region were represented at a symposium held today to discuss the Mesoamerican Reef, which spans from the northern end of Mexico, along the Caribbean coasts of Belize and Guatemala, to northern Honduras.

Melanie Mcfield

Dr. Melanie Mcfield

"Today we're talking about the status of the reef. I'll be launching the report card shortly. We have presentations from people from around the region talking about a variety of different projects, kind of just giving an update of a lot of the conservation actions that are going on. So we're thinking national and regional, beginning to look to the global because we're also looking at some of the impacts of global climate change on the reef. We're doing many good management measures throughout the region, trying to improve the situation. We recognize the reef is in trouble. We have done a number of steps that are applaudable-we want to give credit to the countries for doing these things. At the same time we need to make a call to the global community who's meeting in two weeks in Cancun for the big Conference of Parties Climate Change summit and they need to step up to the plate and come up with a real treaty that will help protect from climate change because the oceans are gonna go quickly, reefs are going to be the first."

But according to Dr. Melanie McField, the 2008 to 2010 report card on the status of the reef is mostly bad news.

Dr. Melanie McField

"From 2008 to 2010, the changes that we've seen are vast majority declines. One of the most stunning things is the amount of reef that's now in critical condition; it's about thirty percent whereas the last report card it was about six percent. So that block of the red zone, there’s another forty percent now that was found to be in poor condition so that's a block of seventy percent that's in the bad category. That's really bad news. The good news we have one percent very good, last time we didn't have any. And we have about the same amount-we have eight percent now in good condition."

McField says protected areas and legislation to protect rare fish species have helped keep parts of the reef that in good condition. Delahnie Bain for News Five.


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People form the phrase "THE END?" on an island at the barrier reef off the coast of Belize City to urge global leaders to take strong action for the environment at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Cancun.

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A Message From Sergeant's Caye To The World

It was called an aerial art event as 250 people gathered on Sergeant's Caye on Saturday to send a message to the world about conservation.

And when we say "send a message" we mean it in the literal sense - as they gathered under the merciless midday sun for one and a half hours to create a human formation that spelt out the word "harmony."

Dr. Melanie McField was an organizer and a face in the crowd. She told us more.

Jules Vasquez
"Explain what happened on Saturday morning?"

Dr. Melanie McField, Organizer
"On Saturday morning we did the final day of this reef summit and what it was, was an aerial art event. We had about 250 people that we shuttled out to Sergeant's Caye, what's left of Sergeant's Caye, just a tiny piece of sand surrounded by the beautiful turquoise waters and the coral reef and we spelt out the word "harmony" and next to the Caye in the water we had people standing and formed out the shape of a spiral. This idea is that we need to�the spiral is like a symbol of transformation and of change and we need to change the way we interact with the earth and to become more harmonious, like our energy sources and our waste and everything. So this is part of the message that Belize is sending to the COP UN Climate Change meeting that's being held in Cancun in about 3 weeks and so we are sending this image, one of harmony and our goal that what we aim to achieve is a new type of interaction with the earth and the way that we do things in a more sustainable manner and if we don't achieve that, what we also did, we unraveled the spiral and then we formed the words 'The End?' with a question mark. So if we don't change some fundamental aspect of the way that we run the planet, the business as usual scenarios in the climate change IPPC reports, business as usual will see the end of coral reefs by the end of this century, if we stick to that path, so that's the message we are sending to the COP, is it going to be the end? Here is this beautiful ecosystem, you can see it all around the 250 people that spell out the words 'the end?' and it largely depends on what happens at these global meetings and what kind of conventions and treaties can be signed to give incentives to switch our energy to more sustainable sources."

Posters and videos will be created and circulated to environment conferences worldwide�

Channel 7


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Belize Reef Summit 2010 'Someday is NOW!'

The Reef Summit 2010, under the theme "Someday is Now! Save our Reef, Demand a Plan", held its grand opening ceremony on Thursday November 11th at the Bliss Performing Arts Center. The summit was a three day event, culminating in a picnic at Goff's Key.

The opening ceremony was well attended, boasting the participation of Lady Kim Simplis-Barrow, first lady of Belize, Actress/Activist, Ms. Daryl Hannah; Aerial Art Work expert, John Quigley; Director of Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative, Ms. Melanie McField, Phd.; Mexican delegates, other distinguished guests; as well as members of the media.

Words of welcome were given by Mr. David S. Smith, Founder/President at CAVU (Clear Altitude Vision Unlimited). Mr. Smith had been visiting the country of Belize for over 25 years conducting various surveys and flying at low levels over the entire country of Belize, working on conservation projects. He commented on the many wonders of Belize; its spectacular Mayan Ruins, lush jungle, caves, waterfalls and rivers, warm and welcoming people and the central focus the Belize Barrier Reef, the country's crown jewel.

During the opening ceremony, Dr. Robert Tench, Marine Biologist was awarded the Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was presented by Lady Kim Simplis - Barrow. This was followed by a musical interlude by Lloyd Auguistine and the Garifuna Collective; leading up to the premiere screening of "Someday is Now".

The second day was a day of information dissemination and education. Dr. Leandra Cho-Ricketts, Environmental Research Institute, University of Belize started the presentations with a presentation on up coming research activities and marine research gaps. Ms. Maria Euge�a Arreola, of the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature gave a very stimulating presentation on the Mesoamerican Reef Leadership Program.

Mrs. Julianne Stockbridge, Oceana along with her Reef Management Actions Panel, gave highlights of key management actions across the region; key successes from the region - blue ribbon management issues in report card and gaps/areas for improvement. Dr. Melanie McField presented the Report Card for the Mesoamerican Reef: an evaluation of Ecosystem Health 2010.

Using data collected by various sources from past years, a booklet was created depicting the changes in reef health, shifting baselines and reef health, increasing threats to the reef health, tracking coastal development and climate changes and how all these factors impact the reef. Not only did this report card point out problem areas, visibly improved areas, but it also gives suggestions on how we can better manage our reefs to maintain it as a jewel for generations to come.

Current issues such as; Ocean Acidification and Global Climate Change effects on reefs, Coral Bleaching and the Sea of Plastic Debris were also discussed. Ms. Nadia Bood of the World Wildlife Fund gave a very informative presentation on Belize's Perspective on Global Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Strategies. Actress and Activist, Ms. Daryl Hannah gave a brief presentation on her activist work with the reef conservation projects among other projects. All presentations focused on the present state of the Mesoamerican Reefs, problems currently facing and on suggestions on ways of conservation.

The summit ended on Saturday November 13th, 2010.as hundreds of Belizeans as well as international supporters converged on Sergeant's Key. It was a day full of fun and sun. Divers and snorkelers alike came together. Sporting bright colored shirts; red, blue, green, purple and burgundy were among the colors worn on Saturday. Boats left the shore in Belize City at 9:00am sharp en route to Sergeant's Caye. At the Caye, over 300 participants converged on a very small piece of land mass surrounded by about 2 ft of water.

Standing hand in hand or sitting close to each other, participants used their bodies to create messages that would be photographed from a helicopter. A human spiral and banner were created; calling for humanity to be in harmony with our natural world. The action was part of the launch of the Harmony Initiative, a partnership between the film "Harmony" narrated by Prince Charles, and the Global Campaign for Climate Action.

Caye Caulker Ocean Academy participated in this world class event by seeing the participation of over 25 students. Caye Caulker Roman Catholic School was also represented as some 8 students from the RC school participated as well. In total, approximately 45 individuals from Caye Caulker took part In the Aerial Art Work presentation. The day ended with a picnic to at Goff's Caye. According to Science Teacher from the Caye Caulker Ocean Academy, Ms. Sarah Reque�a, "this was a wonderful chance for the children to get out and be a part of this event. It is something that will remain in their memories for a lifetime. And looking at the pictures, the students are very excited and hyped that they were able to be part of that."

San Pedro Sun



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