The National Protected Area System Act was supposed to go to the House of Representatives on Friday. But, APAMO, The Association Of Protected Areas Management Organizations has objected. They say they haven't been consulted sufficiently, and wrote a letter to the Prime Minister last week urging him to put the brakes on the legislation. Today they held a press conference to amplify their position:..
Jose Perez, Executive Director, APAMO
"We have two ministers, the issue in respect to the process that were being used, we feel like it wasn't meaningful consultation. We feel that after a workshop that was held at Radisson, we were expecting that the ministry would come back to the membership and primary stakeholders to validate exactly what was being taken to cabinet. That was not done. Secondly, after getting different critiques from the proposed legislative amendments, we have major concerns that includes also legal opinions. As co-managers, first of all even as we speak, we feel that there isn't that full support by the government side. Remember we are co-managers, we manage these protected areas in partnership. We feel that without having the details of how this proposed reform will happen, we feel that it will be a significant period of limbo - to say that we cannot afford to have management in our protected areas in a state of affairs like that. More directly, especially with those more established NGO's like for example, the Belize Audubon Society, who depend a lot on fees, we feel that they'll be directly affected. One of the proposed plans is to consolidate all of the funds from all these entities and put them into one pot."
Anthony Hislop, Chairman, APAMO
"The bill comes with good news for the conservation community, such as the attempt to legally allow the co- management agreement. Because at this point in times, the co-management agreement doesn't have any legal teeth, so to speak. But one of the biggest concerns with it is that too much power is being granted to the minister. I am not saying the present minister, but you know how politics work in his country. Because ministers change, the thought has come from the conservation community also, but governments change, minister's change and it is known to happen. One of the biggest concern for us in the co management agreement has been the concession where concession could be granted by the minister without even input from the co-managers. And that's our big concern, again the bill, an advisory committee has been set up. But without no power, no real authority, the minister still retains all the authority and powers to make decisions and that's a great concern for us."
Best information tells us that no final decision has been made on whether or not it will go ahead to the House on Friday.
