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Daniel Ortiz reporting
Looking at Blackadore Caye from it's coast line, a fly over of its land mass, or from its malformed beaches, you might be tempted to view it as just another island paradise waiting to be developed into a pricey tourist getaway.

But, the biologists hired by the intended developers of the Blackadore Caye project say that it's a location under ecological pressures, both man-made, and by nature.

Dr. Dionne Miranda - Chamberlain Consulting/Blackadore PR
"We want you to understand Blackadore Caye and what it was like. Over a 100 years ago, this island was used for coconut harvesting, it had wild boar on the island, it actually had one of the only fresh water sources and we are going to take you to see that shortly. This island has been pillaged and ravaged by people coming here."

Juan Rovalo - Biologist
"Eighty Percent of the coverage of the island is the grass that have been taking over the land. The land is being taken over by the grass through erosion of the fertile soil that is produced by the coastal literal forest. When you lose that soil into the water, then the grass can grow another feet forward. Also when you lose the coastal line, as you can see the erosion on this side, then the coastal literal forest start to get shorter and shorter and eventually die back. When that happens, the only vegetation that can grow on this hyper saline soil is the hyper saline grass."

Dr. Dionne Miranda - Chamberlain Consulting/Blackadore PR
"Erosion is happening at a very fast rate and if you look around where Blackadore is, our biologists feel that all that area was the actual island. It's now only that narrow black strip. You are on an island which can no longer exist if we do not start doing something and making some changes immediately."

Juan Rovalo - Biologist
"So instead of having a diverse thriving caye, we're having an ecologically hammered and sick caye."

Dr. Dionne Miranda - Chamberlain Consulting/Blackadore PR
"When the island's bought it was 107 acres it has cut down almost 7 acres since then over the past couple years."

So, what's their plan to fix the decades long damage?

Dr. Dionne Miranda - Chamberlain Consulting/Blackadore PR
"We are seeking to restore this island."

Juan Rovalo - Biologist
"The ecological functions that shaped Blackadore are no longer here anymore."

Dr. Dionne Miranda - Chamberlain Consulting/Blackadore PR
"We cannot restore it to 10 or 15 years ago, we have to restore it to over 200 years ago."

Valentine Rosado - Biologist
"Throughout the consultations there has been criticisms like why introduce mangroves if there has never been mangroves at Blackadore Caye? But the biological data does confirm that even if it was 100-500 years ago there has been mangroves as they were an important part of the evolution of this island. So what we're going to be doing with the mangroves structures is that we are going to be reintroducing them back into the ecosystem. They are also going to form, if you are familiar with the root system of the mangrove, this intense network of roots that serve as nurseries for the fish but at the same time if you have the juvenile fish it will attract the larger fish that will stay around the area. We are integrating them with the rocks that is in line with the "ramas" that the fishermen used to use because the mangroves take 3-5 years for them to begin having that function. It really depends on the conditions, it could take more but in the short term by integrating them with these rock structures we will ensure that on the short term they're going to begin to attract fish. So that's one aspect of the mangrove."

Dr. Dionne Miranda - Chamberlain Consulting/Blackadore PR
"This is our 20 year vision, its not going to be immediate. We've taken over a hundred years to destroy it, we're not going to fix it in 5 days or 20 days or a year. It will take 20 or more years."

And according to the technicians and consultants, this press tour, which is allowing us to take you on a walkthrough of the island, is by no means an attempt at a positive PR Campaign. For them, this just a familiarization trip to show the public that they heard and listened to the views given at the January Public Consultations.

Dr. Dionne Miranda - Chamberlain Consulting/Blackadore PR
"At the end of the day you are here prior to our addendum of our EIA being submitted so that we can include areas of importance that you as journalists have heard of and learned within the Belizean environments as you have heard of this project as well."

A major gripe for the conservative-minded attendees at the January consultation was that the developers were considering building over the water. The concern was that this would have been destructive to the fragile ecosystems which make up a part of Blackadore Caye's coast. That idea has since has been scrapped completely.

Dr. Dionne Miranda - Chamberlain Consulting/Blackadore PR
"So the project summary from when you were at the last consultation it has changed considerably. We have taken out that outrigger completely that people were against in the original consultation. So the welcome centre has now been removed to the other area that I mentioned and that entire outrigger has been dismantled. The hotel size has shrunk considerably because all of it is going to be on the land. So it's going to be a small hotel, a village centre, private estates, club house, wellness centre, the ecologists centre is there because we believe the need to preserve the history and the ecology. Everything that was brought up in the consultation we have considered, we've listened and we've made changes. This is one of the first time that an investor in this country is an unprecedented event where people actually listen, who actually hold consultations and actually speak and want to hear what it is that need to be different. We want to certify by international green associations abroad. Every step of the way we'll be audited, we will be checked, you will know and we will keep you informed so that you know that we are following the rules and we are going to be here for perpetuity. The investment that is going in this island is not for 5-10 years. People are worried that another developer may come and take it over, the developer that takes it over will not want to live under these strict conditions with these high costs of running. So at the end of the day this is going to be our legacy, this will be here for the rest of the world to see as the best practice."

You heard in the story, back in January, there was a big public consultation hosted by the Department of the Environment, the kind that is required by law for any major private development. Conservation minded San Pedranos were very critical of the first draft of the Environmental studies, which were outlined by the professionals hired by the developers.

And just who are these developers? Well, in April of last year, no less than the New York Times said that Di Caprio bought the island and that he was developing it along with Paul Scialla, a New York City based developer.

Today, though, they downplayed the whole Di-Caprio angle - and no one would confirm if he is indeed the owner of the project. It seems though that Di Caprio has since tried to put some distance between himself and the project because of the polarizing effect of having a Hollywood megastar involved. Of course, he did give the New York times a very forthcoming interview about the project in 2015. There is another public consultation which will take place in a few weeks from now.