Belize's coastal resources are among the country's richest assets but who's there to protect them? Earlier this year the one agency that had that job, the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute was facing closure as funding had dried up. But the solution is now at hand, as the Coastal Zone authority will get money through a new tax and the good news is that you won't have to pay it.
An agreement signed today will affix a U.S. $10 entry fee for visitors travelling to Goff's Caye. Today the agreement was finalized with the signing of documents and 7NEWS was there.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
The signing of today's management contract for Goff's Caye between the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute breathes new life into the CZMI which for the past few months has been in a state of transition as its long term funding sustainability has been in jeopardy. Today signing means that finally, the institute has a steady source of income.
Hugh O'Brien,
"This signing today has completed most of the mechanisms for the financing arrangements for not only the Coastal Zone Institute but also general coastal management issues. The institute will carry on its functions in research and development and this landmark signing agreement today is primarily for the institute to have a source of revenues which in this specific case will be collected and transferred to the authority. And based on the submission of budgets and proposals, the authority will then look at approving the budget for the institute."
Today's step is innovative as it takes existing resources and re-deploys them to become revenue and protection mechanisms at a time when government and in particular both Ministers of Natural Resources Hon. Johnny Briceno and Minister of Fisheries Hon. Servulo Baeza admit that resources are lacking.
Hon. Johnny Briceno, Minister of Natural Resources
"Government does not have the resources. We do not have the financial resources and we do not have the necessary hands to be all over this country. That is why we feel that we need to continue to encourage more people to join us in this quest to manage sustainably our natural resources."
Hon. Servulo Baeza, Minister of Fisheries
"Financial sustainability is a challenging but important issue especially after reflecting on the present level of development of the tourism and fishing industries. While the Government of Belize was not supportive of every single revenue measure proposed, very important measures were put in place to ensure that the management of the marine protected areas and activities of the authority and institute could be sustained in a more rational way as it is unfair to have the average taxpaying Belizean bear the cost of maintaining our marine protected areas."
Those entry fees mean U.S. $10 for every foreign visitor landing on Goff's Caye which translates to a million or more Belize dollars. The money will be used to re-invest into the protection of Goff's Caye and in the operations of CZMI.
Hugh O'Brien,
"500 visitors per day is already too much so we have to kind of balance out visitation and revenue generation with the sustainable use of the reef at Goff's Caye. The Minister of Natural Resources mentioned today that he is prepared as the Minister responsible, working along with the Minister responsible for Fisheries, to work on assigning management of the wider area around Goff's Caye to cover English Caye and the water bodies surrounding those areas. That will be give an additional revenue base and it will also be able to allow the institute to put in place management systems."
Leandra Rickets,
"It is a U.S. $10 user fee for non-Belizeans only and that money is going to be invested back into the management of Goff's Caye and its surrounding areas and the remainder also invested into overall integrated coastal zone management strategies which fall under the mandate of the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute. So certainly for us managing Goff's Caye is important not only because of conserving the habitats of Goff's Caye and ensuring its existence in future generations but also in supporting long term integrated coastal zone management of Belize."
More than that it means that the work of the CZMI will continue and for Rickets this is good news at least when it comes to the protection of the coastal zone areas of Belize.
Leandra Rickets,
"It's a big achievement in having as you said some idea that we are implementing some user fee and some system of sustainability for integrated Coastal Zone Management in Belize and the functions of what Coastal Zone Management and Institute actually does. So for it is happy occasion but there is a lot of work ahead."
Before collection of fees begin the CZMI will first put in place garbage disposal system, docking facilities, toilet facilities and other infrastructural development on the island.