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The Sarstoon Island Eco Challenge is planned for this Saturday.  As we’ve told you – the event is for a canoe and kayaking race from Barranco around the Sarstoon island and back.  Now, the BDF warns that the Wil Maheia and the Belize Territorial Volunteers are tempting fate and inviting a confrontation with the Guatemalans.  Wil Maheia came by our studio today to say they are simply exercising their rights as Belizeans:…

Wil Maheia - Sarstoon Island Eco Challenge
"Well I think it's a good opportunity to show the patriotism of Belizeans and the eco part of it. As you know 3 rivers empty into area the Moho, the Timash and the Sarstoon; so from an ecological perspective that area is very fragile and hence of the reasons why we as the territorial volunteers feel it is a very important area to highlight based on the exploitations that have been taking place in there."

"I must say though within the last month I've been to the area no less than 6 times and everytime I've been there the BDF and coast guards have been on patrol and they have been on patrol and I haven't seen illegal fishing taken place."

Daniel Ortiz
"What will happen when you all enter or when the contestants enter the mouth of the Sarstoon, circle the Sarstoon Island?"

Wil Maheia - Sarstoon Island Eco Challenge
"The idea is to circle the Sarstoon Island. There is no doubt in our mind that the Sarstoon Island belongs to us, to Belize as part of the 8867 square miles. We are going to the island, they island is for Belize; we are not going to cross into Guatemala we know where the borderline is at, there is no room for error."

"If the Guatemalans try to stop us once again they would have invaded Belize and infringe in our right to pass throughout this 8867 square miles which is illegal."

Daniel Ortiz
"So then sir is this just an eco-challenge, a canoe race, a kayak race or is it to make a patriotic point?"

Wil Maheia - Sarstoon Island Eco Challenge
"It is to make a patriotic point; it is an eco-challenge to highlight the fragility of our environment. As you would know some of the tallest mangroves in the region is in that area. So those are the points we want to make and that's why we call it an eco-challenge but at the same time we have to show that Belize own all this 8867 square miles."

The boats leave from the Barranco Pier on Saturday.