As we reported last night, Belize's World Heritage Sites are in Danger - and UNESCO has cautioned government that its has until February first, 2011 to adequately address the concerns or risk the likelihood of Belize's Barrier Reef system being stripped of its World Heritage Status.
The implications of this are enormous for conservation, tourism, and the entire country profile.
But when we spoke to the PM yesterday, he said that was the first he was hearing of it - which is kinda scary considering that there are only two months to go before the deadline - and December is usually a write-off.
We say "kinda scary" because it's not just a few things that UNESCO has taken issue with - there is an entire laundry list.
It includes private land holdings and petroleum concessions given out in the World Heritage area.
That has certainly caught the attention of the "The Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage" - an umbrella group with membership of 40 activist and conservation agencies who want a ban imposed on offshore drilling.
Chairman Geovannie Brackett says government must do the right thing and find a way to comply quickly with the UNESCO ultimatum.
Geovannie Brackett
"Clearly UNESCO is making very clear to the government that to continue in this route of issuing oil concessions in the World Heritage Site is incompatible with World Heritage status and we too at the coalition holds that same sentiments and we continue to call on government to take it seriously. If you read the document is not only goes beyond oil exploration, it's also talks about leases and sales of islands and what have you with within the World Heritage Site. It re-emphasizes our concerns of how could you have given out concessions within the barrier reef, it doesn't take a scientist to understand that with some sort of environmental consciousness that you just don't do that. I'm not trying to make it seem as its pure animosity that we want to create with the government but it is in a state of urgency. Yourself mentioned it, that you could call off the December, and February 1st is right here, we have until February 1st to get our act together. There is that great need right now for government to come to the table with all stakeholders, the NGOs and all the other stakeholders to start to create and to work on a plan and response to indicate to UNESCO that we are serious about meeting its requirement."
The UNESCO communiqué notes that there have been several satisfactory undertakings from Government including the cessation of all new land transactions in the world heritage area - but it wants a declaration that sale of lands in the area will stop permanently. It also wants government to "enact legislation to prohibit oil exploration within the Belize Barrier Reef system because it is a World Heritage Site."
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