Ten years ago the conservationist community issued the Lamanai Declaration. It railed against logging concessions, lobster farming, a dolphin park and other emerging environmental troubles. It had a crushing effect on the then Esquivel administration, generating public outcry about the sullied environmental record of an already unpopular government, and with a bit of artful politicking, made the point that the UDP had put cash before conservation.
Well that was 1997, and ten years later we now have Lamanai two. Without putting too fine a point on it, we'd surmise that though the hot-button issues have changed, the situation is about the same for an incumbent government battered by a string of environmental outrages. Except this time, the stakes seem slightly higher, as the conservationists have been brought together not by a Dolphin Park or farmed lobster, but by the Cabinet endorsed plan to sell off piece of a World Heritage Site.
So in that spirit that blocked Bacalar Chico, today conservationists and concerned friends gathered in - where else? - the Lamanai room - at the Radisson to issue the Lamanai Declaration II. But would the sequel, be as punchy as part one? Well a very full house gathered this afternoon at the Radisson to hear.
Melanie McField, Healthy Reefs Initiative
"Taking one step back from the big picture and kind of analyzing how did we get here to this point of finally standing up and saying enough is enough and I think that was the Bacalar Chico issue. The idea that we could find but we could actually get to the point that our government would sell off a piece of a national park and World Heritage Site. That was kind of the final straw that we all, it was a catalyst. I think we should thank them for it because it brought us all together."
Edilberto Romero, Chairman - APAMO
"Lamanai II is saying that the country has been gradually moving away from what is sustainable development, what is good environmental practices."
Mike Heusner, Belize Hotel Association
"The Lamanai Room Declaration II calls for the government to act in addressing the issues of designation and de-reservation of protected areas, unsustainable coastal development, unsustainable tourism, lack of strategic development planning, and protection of territorial integrity of Belize."
Edilberto Romero,
"The protected areas are facing threats from development: unsustainable agriculture, unsustainable tourism development, dredging, de-reservation, and now petroleum exploration, and development without any consideration to the importance and management of protected areas."
Melanie McField,
"What we're really talking about in the end is the future of the country, it's nothing short of that. It is a crossroad that Belize is facing right now to say, 'okay which path are we taking.' We can't just go in all directions at once. We are making decisions everyday that are leading us down one path."
In total the 2007 declaration makes ten points. It was signed by dozens of attendees and representatives at today's event. The prequel in 1997 focused on four issues. It was signed by 30 organizations and citizens.
