| Cayo Rosario, A Way Forward With Oversight |
| Fri, April 4, 2025 |
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Tonight there's mixed public messaging on the controversial Cayo Rosario development off San Pedro.
First the Department of the Environment put out a release saying it held a meeting with all key regulatory government agencies to discuss the Project and the concerns raised by the public.
They put out a rare joint statement saying, quote,
"The Cayo Rosario Project went through the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process where all the relevant technical and social issues of the project and the site where it is located were taken into consideration by the National Environmental Appraisal Committee (NEAC). At the end of the process, the NEAC recommended that Environmental Clearance be granted with strict conditions to reduce the possible negative environmental and social issues....The joint team is aware that the public is concerned about the project and the possible negative impacts it could have on the nearby environment..."end quote.
They say several steps will be taken to improve governments' monitoring of the development, including an inter-agency site visit to comprehensively assess the project's progress. It also says the public is encouraged to participate in monitoring the project.
But the Belize Flats Fishers Association is not impressed.
They say the release, quote, "continues to confirm the lack of transparency from key government agencies….despite conceding a lack of communication and consultation with stakeholders and beneficiaries of this protected area, the community's public outcries are being dismissed as "emotional."
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