At the end of May government gave permission to survey about 18 acres of Mapp Caye – which is within the Swallow Caye wildlife Sanctuary. It’s not a land grab – as the 6 acre plots are compensation to three individuals for island property they lost under the last government. But it is strictly against the law which established that sanctuary which say that the sanctuary comprises, “all that piece or parcel of land and water east of Belize City in the Belize District in including Swallow Caye and Mapps Cay....” So then where does that leave the Ministry of Natural Resources which gave permission to survey? For the pat two days, nowhere. They’ve not issued a statement as the CEO and the Minister were out of office. But the Minister came back today and his press officer told us that he convened a meeting with senior staff to discuss the situation.
A statement issued late this afternoon says that, quote: “it is regrettable that these surveys were not caught initially by internal checks; however, we would like to assure the public that these parcels have not been issued and would not have passed final approval for issuance.” And while it doesn’t say it in as many words, we take that to mean that the transaction has been cancelled. Government will now have to find other comparable property to compensate Sharon and Wayne Fraser and Rurico Alvarado.
And while the Ministry’s release assures that title would not have been issued – we aren’t so sure, and if it weren’t for someone in the ministry blowing the whistle, it’s arguable that the error could have gone undetected. But thankfully it didn’t, and the Ministry’s release duly acknowledges, “the media and the general public for their continued vigilance...” While ourselves shying away from faint praise, we note that there’s no pat on the back for the brave person in the ministry who leaked out the information. The release also notes that the Ministry has started an assessment of the integrity of all Protected Areas. It ought to be interesting as it is alleged that land transactions within protected areas have been numerous.
