Tonight, the World Wildlife Fund is fighting to regain its local credibility after a 7News story exposed them in mid-July.
That's when we showed you how Royal Caribbean Cruise Line - which is a partner in the Portico project - boasts on its website that it partnered with the World Wildlife Fund to make a destination assessment in Belize City. Well, today a statement from WWF Mesoamerica says they're not a part of that. The statement says, quote, "WWF is concerned about the potential environmental and social impact of the development of new ports and does not support the clearing of large-scale mangrove forests at any potential site. WWF does not play any role in approving the development of Port Magical, or any port in Belize." End quote..."
As we have told you - experts estimate that the Portico zone of influence will destroy 337 hectares of mangroves - what would be a virtual mangrove massacre. The developer says it will only be 20 acres.
The WWF statement says, quote, "Poorly designed infrastructure can cause significant harm to biodiversity, the natural coastal environment, our climate, and local communities. The potential for destruction of mangrove forests and disruption of the free movement of species should be addressed and avoided. We urge the Government of Belize to exercise caution with strong due process and input from the environmental community."
