And while the reef needs fish, Belize needs mangroves. That's why Placencia residents were concerned after they found that part of the Placencia Caye had been deforested and dredged for development. You heard Monique Vernon say yesterday that no consultations were done, and that while there are reports that the developers do have their permits, she doesn't know who they are.
But the owner of Placencia Caye, Henry Young, says that he's as much of an environmental enthusiast as the next person, and he's been trying to get the island to become a reserve for years. He told us via telephone that he has sold 1/3 of the island for development and plans to keep the other 2/3 full of mangroves. He wanted to assure the Placencia residents that the island wouldn't be destroyed the way they feared.
Henry Young - Owner, Placencia Caye
"It's going over 6 years that I tried to get the government to bring it under reservation and I have gotten no progress at all and in that process they raised by tax from 800 dollars to 3,900. I refuse to sell any of the property or anymore. I tried to explain to the government they should not tax mangrove, they should only tax it when somebody wants to sell. The properties I've gotten I'm in the process now of trying to get it into a trust to make sure that it's preserved. So I only wanted this to be known so that people in Placencia understand that I am totally in agreement that the caye should reserve the mangrove alright."
And while Young couldn't remember who that particular plot of land was sold to, he says he is sure that they have the necessary permits from DOE.
