Seismic testing - it's a process that involves blasting the seafloor with high powered airguns and measuring the echoes. It is also the first step towards offshore oil drilling, since the data allows scientists to identify rock formations that have the characteristics required to hold oil and gas.
So why are we giving you this science lesson? It's because, according to Oceana Belize, our own waters - currently protected by a 2017 ban on offshore drilling - may be in play again for oil exploration since the government may be looking to conduct seismic testing.
Today at a press conference, vice president Janelle Chanona sounded the alarm bells, explaining that the prime minister had revealed his plans for seismic testing to her over two months ago. And since then, it doesn't seem like he's had a change of heart.
Now, it's like 2012 all over again, with Oceana attempting to trigger a referendum with a petition. Courtney Menzies was at the conference today, and she has the details in this story.
Janelle Chanona, Vice President, Oceana Belize
"We've called this press conference because through a series of different conversations, documentations and otherwise, we have confirmed that the government of Belize is looking to begin seismic testing and as we have maintained our work in Belize, the only reason to conduct seismic testing is to proceed to offshore oil exploration."
If you were around for the 2012 "People's Referendum," you may have believed that the issue of offshore oil drilling was done. 30,000 Belizeans had spoken, and they did not believe that there should be any oil exploration or drilling in Belize's offshore. It was unofficial, but after a near election loss, the then Barrow Administration quickly effected a ban on offshore drilling.
But today, Oceana Belize is alerting the country that government may be looking to lift that ban. According to the vice president, Janelle Chanona, the prime minister had indicated his plans to her over two months ago, when they had a meeting on September 9th.
Janelle Chanona, Vice President, Oceana Belize
"We were there to talk about how we could strengthen the existing moratorium and have a conversation about how such a move would underscore Belize's ocean conservation leadership that we have been talking about globally, especially after the signing of the Blue Bond agreement. And it was during that conversation that he told us that he would like to proceed with seismic and at our urging that that be put to the Belizean people before any seismic work was done, I will say, we had an agreement to disagree at that point to the timing of when that conversation with the public would be held. And he promised to think about it but as of today, I haven't gotten any reversal of that thinking. I can tell you that based on our 2016 experience when we were in a very similar position insofar as I would say complete unawareness that there was interest in Belize doing seismic and being told after hours phone call from somebody who talked to somebody to say seismic ships were inbound to Belize, we're in the same situation. There is no piece of information that confirms when this is going to start but I will say that as a law abiding Belizean and as a dedicated patriot, if the prime minister of Belize tells me that he wants to do seismic, that has to carry the weight of his entire office. And so I take him at his word that this is what he wants to do."
And for a country like Belize, offshore oil drilling could have disastrous effects on the largest natural resource that generates the most income through the tourism industry.
And while Belize has been praised globally for both its move to sign the Blue Bond and its work to fight against climate change, Chanona pointed out the inconsistency in the Briceno Administration also approving seismic testing - but she added that it had been in their plans for a while.
Janelle Chanona, Vice President, Oceana Belize
"We can't fight climate change and then turn around in the other breath and say but we want to contribute to it by engaging in offshore oil development. The fact of the matter is that since becoming of the government's plans or preference, I've been told that as a part of the Blue Bond negotiation that it was put forward in the conservation list that the moratorium be made into a permanent ban and that that was a dealbreaker for the government. So it was from then, from those negotiations, that government was apparently not interested in strengthening the protections afforded under the moratorium. Our read of it and all the legal expertise we've had from that does not indicate that there's any support there for stopping or preventing offshore oil exploration. I will be honest with you and say that I am extremely disappointed but am not surprised. Yes I would have hoped that the 2012 results, via the people's referendum, would have been enough for any administration to think it best to go back to the people's of Belize before lifting the moratorium and taking on such a fundamental change but if it has to be that they consider that historical or there's a change, or they're banking on a change of heart from the Belizeans' side, then we're willing to invest make sure that that result is updated."
And that's why today Chanona also announced their plans for a petition that will hopefully trigger a referendum:
Janelle Chanona, Vice President, Oceana Belize
"We are therefore announcing today that we are launching a signature collection drive, we will be distributing petitions nationwide to registered Belizean voters and asking them to sign a petition that supports that a referendum mechanism will be enshrined into law that says before anything happens, insofar as exploration or exploitation or anything offshore oil related, that there should be a referendum and that those results should guide what happens next, nationally. We live in a democracy, I know we preach about participatory democracy but I do not think that participatory democracy is only every five years when we have a national election. I think the onus is on us as citizens to make sure that we are engaged throughout and that we are aware of what's happening and when we become aware of what's happening then we find out what we need to find out and come to an informed decision. The question that we will be putting to Belizeans is that we are asking for them to sign this petition because they want an official referendum on the topic of offshore oil. We're all over the country, we're very close to this issue for some time, we will be working every waking hour and within reason, approaching Belizeans, asking to get this petition in as soon as possible."
And that work started today, with Chanona signing the first petition sheet, followed by members of the media.
It's a long road to get to 10% of the population - the threshold needed to trigger the referendum - and Chanona is hoping to get a lot more than just the bare minimum. But she believes that Belizeans came out once to save the sea, and they will do it again.
And just before news time tonight, the government issued a statement on the press conference. Their release says, quote, "the Government of Belize hereby clarifies that it has not entered into any agreements for seismic studies nor for oil exploration in offshore areas.… In the meeting held on September 9, 2022, the Prime Minister, among other matters, did discuss the issue of seismic surveys and the existing moratorium with Oceana. In pursuance of his commitment to environmental and social principles, the Prime Minister reiterated the need to understand the extent of Belize's offshore non-renewable economic resources in order to have an informed strategy on their potential for leveraging, given the national direction towards decarbonization and nature-based economy. Furthermore, the government's commitment to allow the determination of such an important policy to be people-centered was restated by the Prime Minister." End quote.
The release ends by calling the statements made by Oceana "regrettable," especially, quote, "given its accessibility to this administration's offices at the highest level for open and transparent discourse to have a clear and unified approach to this issue and all matters of mutual and national interest." End quote.
