In the past 6 weeks - we've all heard so much about Portico and the Definitive Agreement - in the news, in the House of Representatives and in the commercial breaks. But throughout all this noise, one thing we have not heard a peep from is the conservation community.
And why is that? They talked out in one collective voice against Strake Bank and Waterloo - as they were right to do? But why not Portico? In a piece that IS part editorial, part reporting, Jules Vasquez explores why that might be:
This is what you get when you plan to dump 7.5 million cubic yards of dredged material near to the shore - an unprecedented alliance of NGO's in one concerted voice of condemnation. They sent this letter to the Prime Minister in November of 2020 - to urge him to resist the Waterloo project. And, this concerted coalition - all these logo's may have just pulled it off. The developer claims he was treated unfairly and dismissed unjustifiably.
Or when they didn't want a causeway at Stake Bank - this was the joint press release put out in 2021. It's still not clear if that causeway will be built.
The point is - when the conversation groups are out to shut down a project - they use public pressure tactics to do so - and they're effective - and society is better for having these watchdogs and these vigilance.
But, they've put out no such release against Portico - despite its known environmental hazards: dredging 8.5 million cubic yards, and creating an artificial peninsula adjacent to a manatee zone and a turtle nesting area.
So why is there no release like this - with the entire cluster of logos - allied against Portico?
Well, information to 7News is that Portico may have hit the BINGO. And we're not talking about the game - we're talking about BIG INTERNATIONAL NGO's. Reliable reports tell us that the World Wildlife Fund is the one who led the environmental investigation - referenced in this letter from Royal Caribbean to Shyne Barrow.
It says, "...we have invested considerable resources to conduct an in-depth analysis of each project...The review was done in collaboration with a globally recognized infrastructure advisory firm specializing in the planning, environmental impact assessment, and design of facilities that shape and serve global coastlines."
So, is this the blue chip certification that has muted all the environmental groups and stopped them from putting out a collective statement as they did on other projects?
That noticeable silence may also have something to do with this manatee plan for Portico - which was prepared by Wildtracks, an NGO owned by Paul Walker - a fixture in the environmental establishment in Belize.
We stress that the World Wildlife Fund has not been officially named as having any involvement in the Portico project - and our information pointing to their involvement is solely from multiple reliable sources. Developer David Gegg would only tell us that he cannot confirm any such information.
WWF is funding multiple conservation projects in Belize through grants and is also in an ongoing project with the Briceno administration to raise 100 million or more for marine conservation. It's called Project Finance for Permanence.
