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Two weeks ago we told you about the visit of UNESCO’s Marc Patry who was here because of trouble at one of Belize’s world heritage sites – the South Water Caye Marine Reserve – where one of the islands is being dredged for resort development. Patry participated in a mission to the caye that’s causing the disturbance – Fisherman’s Caye and reef expert Melanie McField went along with her camera. Here’s what she captured.

Jules Vasquez Reporting,
The fact finding team including representatives of Fisheries and Forestry Departments and led by UNESCO Programme Specialist Marc Patry, went to Fisherman’s Caye which is a mangrove overwash caye that used to look like this from abovein 2003, but now as the team found; the area has been dredged and filled.

Marc Patry, UNESCO Programme Specialist
“Trying to maintain the credibility of the World Heritage List. If we tell people this is world heritage and they come and they see this, ‘this is world heritage’?”

And below the surface, it gets no better. Algae and silt build-up from the dredging smother the roots of mangroves, and the waters surrounding the small island are cloudy and murky, not even light filters through, where once very recently it was surrounded by clean clear water.

Matter of fact, it looked something like this on the nearby Tunicat Cove, where carnival coloured sponges are thriving on the roots of red mangroves. It looks like some rare wonder of the world, a dance of light, colour and form....the school of fish darting by are a reminder that recently a new species of fish was found in similar mangrove formations.

And what’s the difference between the vibrant Tunicat and the dreary Fisherman’s Caye? It’s simple: Tunicat Cove has not been dredged or otherwise disturbed.

And while a World Heritage Site may be choking on silt, according to this website for a development called Yum Balisi, it’s all for a higher developmental purpose. The website shows that a resort spread over 42 acres and located in a World Heritage Site will be built on an island that is shaped just like Fisherman’s Caye, but is identified in the literature as Cat Caye – which is another island in the Pelican Caye’s World Heritage Site. Confusing, but UNESCO isn’t too puzzled. On the island, Patry lamented the lack of vigilance in government’s monitoring agencies:

Marc Patry,
“Fisheries are telling me they have jurisdiction over what happens on these islands so there could be nuclear testing here and you couldn’t say anything.”

Watchman,
“We report it but to the other authorities responsible. We can’t come and stop any activity from occurring.”

But that explanation won’t do and UNESCO has sent a letter to the Minister of Natural Resources, Gaspar Vega complaining about, quote “massive removal of mangrove forests over approximately 60% of the island” and concludes, “the ongoing development of these mangrove islands is cause for concern.” He closes by, quote “strongly urging authorities to refrain from approving any new developments within the world heritage property.”

While there is a threat that Belize’s world heritage status could be red-flagged, when the World Heritage Committee meets in June, it is expected that a number of firm recommendations will be made.