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This impromptu protest along the Hopkins Road began on Facebook, where alarm bells were sounded about development in a wetland area. Residents of the village immediately recognized the danger - cutting down the mangroves and filling up the land will only mean more flooding. So without any formal organization, the environmentally conscious villagers marched out to the area to try and stop the development.

Marley Nunez, Hopkins Resident
"I'll start with the end, the project must end. This development must end. It is a mangrove area, once it wasn't a mangrove area, but after so called development, it turned into a mangrove area so this project right here will cause the village flooding problems."

"The protest was not organized. Me and my right hand man who is always ready decided that we were going to come on site today and get some answers. We know we weren't going to find the owner of the property but the workers but I made it public and this is the result."

Courtney Menzies:
"They were working when you guys came out here?"

Marley Nunez, Hopkins Resident
"They were working."

Courtney Menzies:
"They stopped when you guys came?"

Marley Nunez, Hopkins Resident
"Yes they stopped when came out."

The project is located precisely where there is a designed foodway in the road to allow water from the river and the creek to flow freely to the sea. Initially, the villagers heard it was supposed to be an access road, then later they learnt it will be lots. But regardless, they say they can't understand how this project ever got off the ground.

Anne Martinez, Retired Teacher/Hopkins Resident
"I saw the post on social media and I decided I was going to come here all alone today. So I did my poster and I walked from my house all the way this way and some people saw me and joined me and we saw the other crowd coming. This is not right. I know that this is supposed to be a protected area and you cannot be cutting mangroves to your own discretion. There is a drain here, there was a reason for this sweet to be built here because the water was flowing this way and this way because when the Sittee River floods, it would flow this way into the sea. And when the fresh water creek floods, the water will flow this way so if they're going to close this channel here, what is going to happen?"

Norman Castillo, Head of Hopkins Fishermen Association
"We haven't gotten any information, only today I saw it on Facebook saying that it's a road they're building but I don't know road to where. But my take on this as head of the fishermen is that we don't disturb our wetland, we don't disturb our mangroves, we fight for these things here and as far as I'm concerned we have applied for a permit to just cut an entrance on the north part of Hopkins, we got finance to do the project but now we haven't gotten any permission from Environment or Forestry now here comes this one and we have applied over a month a change now here comes this one, the village is saying we don't want this."

Cheryl Nunez, Hopkins Resident
"I've been living in Hopkins over 15 years now and I've seen this area change from a savannah grassland to a wetland to a mangrove forest and I was also here when they paved the road and I was also involved in some of that, being part of the BTIA and the community, and so I understand why they built this swell here and so when I saw this I couldn't understand why they would first of all cut down the mangroves here and they say it's for lots for Belizeans but it doesn't make sense to put lots on a wetland."

"It doesn't make any sense and it doesn't make sense that there is permits for this because I don't understand why the government would be involved in creating the swell here and then give a permit for this, it doesn't make sense."

And the problem is more than just the potential flooding - one tour guide said that this development is wrecking the ecosystem.

Damion Nascario, Fly Fishing Guide
"This area is sort of a nursery, you notice every now and then you see little bubbles around here. Right here, there's a lot of little tarpons and snook growing up. So this development with the blockage of the water and all the murk, this development is going to change everything with the running of this water so we don't want these types of developments anymore. We're not against development, but we're against unsustainable development."

"We're not supposed to be coming in and damming the water and destroying the area more so let's stand up Hopkins, especially the young people, the tour guides, I'm not seeing you guys out there. I saw a lot of you guys were commenting and talking on Facebook but I'm not seeing you guys out here, you guys should come out here and fight for our future, for the future of our kids, protect the wildlife. We're moving away from fishing and farming and heading into tourism but tourism is also coming to destroy us."

But the residents say they're not to give up the fight against this development.

Marley Nunez, Hopkins Resident
"In Hopkins, it is an indigenous Garifuna community, and I've never heard them asking or consulting with us in regards to our rights as indigenous people."

"This project must stop, whatever needs to happen next, the project will stop. I know how far I can go, this project will stop."

Though they say this project was in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources, we are told that the Forest Department has issued a verbal cease and desist.

According to a post from the Hopkins Village Council, they explained that 60 lots in the area were distributed to villagers years ago, and these residents have been lobbying for access to their lots. They added that, quote, the area in question is not located in the wetlands. The wetlands are actually situated beyond the canal, and the area being worked on does not fall within these boundaries. Additionally, we are taking all necessary steps to ensure proper drainage in the area to prevent any future issues." End quote.

The villagers are hoping that the Department of Environment or the Area Rep, Roswell Ferguson, step in.