For two weeks now we've been reporting on the situation at Silk Caye - where scores of ordinary residents and business owners from the communities along the Placencia Peninsula pooled their resources and people power to make a dramatic restoration to the fast eroding south Silk Caye. But, in their zeal to save the sinking Caye - they ran multiple environmental red lights.
A release from the Fisheries Department on the weekend asked all parties involved to, quote "cease and desist from any unauthorized activities and allow this matter to be resolved jointly."
The ministry today called the community leaders from Seine Bight, Placencia, and Monkey River to a meeting at the Fisheries Department in Belize City. We were there when it finished and saw all smiles:
Eworth Garbutt, Tour guide
"I think the Belizean people smile today and for sure I must applaud CEO Kennedy from the Blue Economy and Minister of the Blue Economy. Everybody is here for one thing, to make Belize better, not just for me, but for us and everybody and togetherness we go well further. The room was full of all positive energy. Really it's a bless day for Belize."
Ilsa Villanueva, Chairlady, Placencia
"It was a really awesome meeting, I feel good. It's one of the meeting I've ever done with government in all my 12 years that came out with a result as quick as possible that will keep all of us happy and we are joyful, its awesome (smiling)"
Jose Aleman, Chairman, Seine Bight
"Very good meeting. Like Mr. Garbutt said you could see the smiles on our faces. I was glad to be a part of this initiative to support the motion of the people on Placencia Peninsula to an extension, the coastal communities; Hopkins and Monkey River as well. We are very much impress and happy that the government is in support of the development and the livelihood of our local fishermen and tour guides."
Leonardo, Castro, Chairman, Monkey River
"We got what we wanted, we want Belize to continue develop and want more stuff like this to happen. One of the main things I was happy about in the meeting today is that they mentioned Monkey River and erosion in Monkey River and its one thing they want to look after and I applaud the effort."
Eworth Garbutt, Tour guide
"Today is unprecedented day where you combine science with common sense and when you put either one first, you get common science or science that is common. They gave myself the time to explain what we have done, which was I think fair and balance instead of just criticizing a sand bag operation and the government did the right motion. We are going to continue Silk Caye, so I am appealing to the general public and to the world this will be so environmentally sound, that we are going to make an unprecedented finish and it's going to be done in 2 weeks in our projection."
Jules Vasquez
"The release from the government was saying this is a protected area, you need an environmental impact assessment, you need to go through all the procedures, but what you are saying right now is that the community-lead effort and the common-sense science that you all have been using has been upheld by the CEO in this meeting?"
Eworth Garbutt, Tour guide
"Oh, definitely. And not loosely, because we have done our homework. We have done consultant, so to go further did a task force which I am a part of and come Monday they are going down there, do a site visit and the following weekend will go ahead with the supervision at their presence. We will combine the two and this is a done deal."
Ilsa Villanueva, Chairlady, Placencia
"Within the next 3 weeks Eworth will continue the work he and the other members have been doing and then develop a long-term plan, because it's not just a fix for now, but it's a fix for the future and yes you alluded to the EIA permits, they are going to help with that, they are going to make it easier for us. So, all of it is not on us, but they are going to help us."
Jose Aleman, Chairman, Seine Bight
"So, I can assure you that an environmental clearance will be retrieve, likewise the technical experts will be out there to assist us to ensure that this project is done in a sound and environmentally manner that it does not harm any flora and fauna to that extent."
Leonardo, Castro, Chairman, Monkey River
"Instead of stopping the effort, they continue with the effort at Silk Caye and this is something we've been wanting for such a long time in Monkey River. I mean I like how they move fast to fix. They are doing a short-term project to fix it and then a long-term project so we could have Silk Caye for a very long time and that is what we want in Monkey River - that's all we've been asking for years."
Jules Vasquez
"For a minute there Eworth, you were an outlaw, you were a man who had charges waiting on you, which I know is not how you have lived your life, but you've gone from an outlaw to a trailblazer, if I am to understand the outcome of this meeting."
Eworth Garbutt, Tour guide
"I don't know if they should use that word "Eworth", because is Eworth is just a skeleton side of giants. These people have come out, I mean, ladies with the longest, prettiest nails, children who are in maybe standard 2 - they are the champions, not Eworth. I only spark something that was so ready to fire up. It's a great thing to be a Belizean."
And while the effort's leader Eworth Garbutt has been vindicated - the road ahead may not be as simple as one would hope. The technicians have to get involved - but they must now join the community's effort and not the other way around. We spoke to the Minister about science versus appeasement:
Hon. Andre Perez, Minister of the Blue Economy
"It's not only about government, its more than that. It has to be collaborative effort and it's called for the direct involvement of the people of this country, the community and ofcourse all the other partners are involved as well, the NGO's and all the different organizations. So putting all of these together, but making clear that it is the ministry of blue economy that leads and in there we have all the expertise that we can offer and we are not here to be pointing fingers, accusing what they have done wrong - we are not that bad mom that want to go and spank her kids, because they want to go and behave bad. We need to fix things and that is what we sat down and had a very fruitful discussion where everybody had an input and that basically what we came out with. It's a win win for all."
"Basically, two things came out here; 1) is that we have to have remedial action taken to alleviate the problem. We agree also that to fix or whatever we need to do to restore Silk Caye, it cannot be done overnight, it cannot be done over a weekend and we while we appreciate the nobel gesture of the community, there are ways and methods of how to do it. Like how someone said, the surgery on the island has already been done, so we can't leave it open, so we are going to do something together - we have some plans already for this week. We have the assortment team going there this week, so we are on the ground already and I think that is a win-win situation, but the most important thing is that I started off the meeting by saying we have a common ground. Common ground means that to make clear that the Blue Economy is not against what they are doing. We are supporting it and the gesture and the efforts that the community is doing must be recognized."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you all putting science or political appeasement first?"
Hon. Andre Perez, Minister of the Blue Economy
"First of all, there is no political appeasement, we are applying science."
Reporter
"What Mr. Eworth and his team are doing, will that change based on what you guys believe is the best thing to put in place?"
Hon. Andre Perez
"It will continue, but with the guidance and the technical advice of our ministry and also taking into consideration the department of the environment in the ministry of sustainable development, so we are all putting it together, so when we move forward is because we are doing compliance."
Jules Vasquez
"There is the irresistible social logic that when the community stands up, politicians have to find a way to listen."
Hon. Andre Perez
"There wasn't a kneejerk reaction. What we did there was weeks of planning to see how we can deal with this, so by the time we sat down we had answered most of the questions that were coming. We were ready. So, it's working along. We are not looking at communities making noise and run to them, it is about getting them involved."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you concern that precedent is being set that other communities which are facing this kind of erosion will say, hear what while they are right, we have to go out there and fight to preserve our community."
Hon. Andre Perez
"No, we made that clear. As I said our country are governed by laws and our community that we met with accepted that - that they did some wrong and that is going to send a message out there that we will not accept that."
Garbutt says they plan to have a ceremony commemorating the community effort at Silk Caye in 10 days.
