The Department of The Environment sent a team out to San Pedro Town today to check on an outlaw development and likely level charges against a heedless developer.
The illegal dredging operation was first detected on October 29th, 2019 by the Hol Chan Marine Reserve patrol in the marine reserve and was given an order to stop.
Initially, the developer complied but - then resumed operations again.
According to reports, "On November 6th, 2019 a cessation order was issued to a Mr. Steve Parish by the Mining Unit of the Ministry of Natural Resources"
But by mid December dredging resumed, this time with 2 dredges in operation. Dreding reportedly continued until the middle of this year and the development had expanded by building a seawall illegally inside the marine reserve.
The San Pedro Sun repost that the unauthorised dredging operations off the west coast of the island and within the Hol Chan Marine Reserve (HCMR) were halted on Friday, September 25th by an enforcement team consisting of the local police department, Fisheries Department and the reserve's management.
