Environmental Groups Reject Port of Magical Belize

There is a significant backlash on the Port of Magical Belize project by a group of environmental N.G.O.s.  The developer is David Gegg, who represents the Port of Magical Belize.  In 2017, Gegg signed a memorandum of understanding with the past administration to construct a docking facility along the south coast of the Sibun River.  In an interview that year, Gegg told News Five that the port would come at the cost of one hundred and fifty million U.S. dollars.  Back then, an environmental impact assessment was not done, but today the National Environmental Association Committee was scheduled to consider and discuss Gegg’s multi-million-dollar project.  However, a coalition of environmental N.G.O.s is saying no to the massive port project.  One of those organizations is OCEANA Belize, whose Vice President Janelle Chanona wrote to the C.E.O. in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, Doctor Kenrick Williams. Chanona informed Doctor Williams that OCEANA vehemently objects to the proposal to dump dredge spoils in the Caribbean Sea.  Chanona says that the scale of the proposed dredging is unprecedented in Belize, and based on documented international experience, the combined environmental impact will be far more significant than we can even fathom.

Janelle Chanona, VP, OCEANA Belize

“We also have to reconcile with the fact that Belize is unique and unique does not mean uncommon. Unique means only here, endemic to Belize and special to Belize and only Belize. The scale that has been proposed from these projects which cannot be viewed separately or in isolation it has to be viewed together is just incredible. It is unprecedented and looking what happenings internationally, we have sent a series of documents that looks at projects. For example what happened with the Miami port expansion, the combine environmental impact there is far greater than even the engineering core anticipating, they are still studying and trying to determine the fallout from all of that. They were dumped on mangroves and has caused a pitiful list of damage and destructions. We have to heed that warming that dredging, how it is typical been done for all these many years has caused and will continue to cause extensive coral mortality and critical habitat loss.”

Channel 5

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Oceana Belize
The proposed development of Port of Magical Belize is up for approval by the National Environmental Appraisal Committee (NEAC) on Feb 2nd, 2021, where the major environment concerns will be under discussion.

Here are some facts you should know about this project and how you can voice your concerns.

UNESCO's Waterloo Query

In other news about the Barrier Reef, the UNESCO World Heritage Center has written to the Government of Belize to inquire about the planned expansion of the Port of Belize, and the possible impacts it can have on the marine environment.

As we told you, the Ashcroft Alliance's Waterloo Investment Holdings Limited is planning to expand the lands owned by the Port to create a new cargo area and bulk cargo facilities. This new area would also include cruise terminal facilities. As part of this proposed development, there is a plan to dump 5 million cubic meters of dredged material into the Caribbean Sea.

In a letter dated February 23rd, 2021, Mechtild Rössler, the Director of the World Heritage Center, wrote to Ambassador Bassam Said Freiha, the Permanent Delegate of Belize to UNESCO. The letter was also copied to Dian Castillo Maheia, the CEO of the Ministry of Culture, and Beverly Wade, the Focal Point for World Heritage.

The letter says, quote, "The project entitled 'Cargo Extension and Construction of Cruise Terminal & Cruise Tourism Village of the Port of Belize' is reported to include the dumping of 5 million cubic meters of dredged material at sea in the immediate proximity of the World Heritage area, e.g. the South Water Caye Marine Reserve. The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for this project, which is available at the government website, does not seem to assess the possible impacts of the development on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property." End quote.

In her letter, the Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Center then goes on to ask the Belizean officials to provide comments on the status of the Environmental Impact Assessment regarding impacts on the World Heritage site.

Channel 7