Belize News Post learned today that the super-yacht (super polluting cash cows) marina in Placencia Belize has defeated the voice of the people in Belize’s courts. The marina now is cleared to finish nearly completed construction with the full loving embrace of a debt burdened Government of Belize. What we don’t know is how all the concerns of the people of Placencia where addressed if at all. Saddening news for anyone concerned with the long term viability of Belize’s pristine natural resources. It’s obvious to any tour guide in Belize that having even more cruise ship tourists trample to death every site they visit is short sighted. The tourists will by there very masses ruin the beauty they came to see. The count down has begun.
The article goes on to attack Mary Toy as “self-proclaimed environmentalist”.
The Placencia is pleased to announce that the Supreme Court of Belize dismissed the frivolous claims against The Placencia Marina made by the Peninsula Citizens for Sustainable Development’s self proclaimed environmentalist leader Mary Toy. All claims and challenges were soundly rejected by the Judge as totally baseless and Peninsula Citizens for Sustainable Development and Toy were ordered to pay all legal fees and costs.
“It was clear to all parties involved that Peninsula Citizens for Sustainable Development and Toy’s claims were designed to stop development merely for the sake of stopping development and for her own personal motives,” said Marco Caruso, Principal, The Placencia. “We’re optimistic that a significant infrastructure development for the country of Belize such as The Placencia Marina has a clear path to success. This ruling is validation that collaboration between the private and public sectors will not be deterred by baseless, selfishly motivated claims of a select few.”
“Baseless” Claims:
- Tourist sites will be over run
- Sewage treatment facilities don’t exist or can’t cope with the masses
- Ships will pollute the sea, the reef with oil, gas, exhaust, sewage and ballast water dumped at sea
- Overnight tourism business will be killed by floating mega hotels
- The mangrove will be cleared (starting with the 4000 acres)
- Property prices will gentrify the area forcing locals out
I guess that makes Belize News Post environmentalist too, but we just like to think of ourselves as people who can see beyond tomorrow. Maybe it’s because we were going to San Pedro when it was a quiet fishing village, and now we can’t stand the traffic, and the grime, and the crime. Or maybe it’s because we have seen the result of super-yacht marinas in Mexico. Puerto Vallarta’s fate will be Placencia’s soon enough. Next up is an “international airport” which is sure to include underpaid Belizeans pedaling tours of “turn-key” condo’s which come with a free tequila farm tour.
Heart broken.
-Belize News Post
Read the full post from about the super-yacht marina in Placencia Belize from the Brendenton Herald
you spelled quiet wroong
Thanks for reading so carefully J, we made the correction!
Well we got cruise ships in the city and we don’t have any of those problems that is claimed; but to make sure make the citizens the watchdogs and make sure that that residents benefit and not some international corporation.
Thanks for commenting Eliceo. Unfortunately, we have to disagree with you on this. Belize City is famous for fighting over who gets to make money on the cruise ship tourists, the terminal literally has been fought over. In past years trash was burning in the streets because the city could not get it’s act together. Sites like Cave’s Branch do get more traffic than is sustainable under current regulations: what was once a nice path through the jungle is now often a muddy trek because it’s over trodden. There was also a recent debate about whether Belizean water taxi companies could comply with cruise regulations in terms of the size of their boats so international companies were brought in. All of these issues CAN BE resolved, but until solutions are prioritized instead of “big eye” greed we will be on the side fighting cruise ships and mega-yachts in Placencia. We are talking about MILLIONS of tourists visiting Belize and they should but they should visit but on Belize’s terms not Princess, or Disney or any other mega corporation.
Please tell us if you think we are wrong on this. In the end what matters most here is that we have a involved and informed community that can choose what they want.