The Definitive Agreement that Contreras signed has given way to a raging political, business and environmental debate about the merits and demerits of this project.
Those opposed to the project got a major boost on Friday when the country representative for the World Wildlife Fund says she does not support the project due to the environmental damage. The position of WWF locally had been in doubt because their global headquarters are working with Royal Caribbean - who is a partner in the Portico project.
Tonight we look more closely at the significance of her statement and the independent scientific information we have also compiled.
Environmental experts agree that Portico will destroy 388.7 hectares of tall, medium and dwarf mangrove ecosystems along the Belize District coastline.
And, on Friday, the WWF country representative Nadia Bood - who has spent her career as the foremost champion of mangrove preservation spoke out against it:
Nadia Bood, WWF Belize
"From the perspective of the World Wildlife Fund, we do not support any project that will lead to large scale impact on mangroves. We also have not endorsed any cruise port in Belize, including Port Magical."
"We have not supported the project. We have not endorsed the project. And that's all we can say,"
Experts say of the 55 hectares slated for destruction are endangered and critically important tall mangroves.
Nadia Bood, WWF Belize
"Yeah, we know that it could result in devastating impact on mangroves within the region. So it will lead to impact, significant loss of mangrove coverage. And that's of course a concern for us, because we are working to try and protect mangroves."
Experts say Portico's one project will be responsible for 11% of all the mangrove Belize lost over the 17 year period from 1990 to 2017..Over that period, the whole country of Belize lost around 207.5 hectares of mangrove per year. Portico's one project will clear 187 % of that in a single swoop.
Nadia Bood, WWF Belize
"It's forecasted around almost 1,000 acres, so it is a concern."
But is it a concern for WWF international? We see on their site where they are involved in Destination Planning for Royal Caribbean in Belize.
Bood distanced her office from that:
Nadia Bood, WWF Belize
"We do not, we are not involved in a consultancy. We also do not want to get caught up in any hidden agenda of the political parties or business interest groups."
Reporter
"But don't you feel like you'll inevitably be linked to Portico considering that you are partnered with Royal Caribbean and they re partners with Portico?"
Nadia Bood, WWF Belize
"I won't speak to that. That is an international partnerships with World Wildlife Fund and Royal Caribbean, around, you know, onboard sustainable practices."
It's a bold and clear declaration and now leaves the government in a quandary as to how it will justify this scale of mangrove destruction envisioned for Portico - which - up to now - had been touted as the best cruise project in terms of the least damaging environmental impact. That assessment is now seriously brought into question even internationally because Portico's footprint will wipe away 20% of Belize's mangrove commitments made under its 2020 Nationally Determined Contributions.
But while mangrove experts see a massacre, David Gegg sees an opportunity. In a release sent to us today, he says, quote, "The media reports that we are clearing 1000 acres of mangroves to accommodate the Port of Magical Belize development are misleading at best, and grossly inaccurate."
He explains that there are only 2 areas where mangroves will be cleared: the road and the de-watering site where the dredge spoils will be dumped. He concludes, quote, "Including the road and the dewatering site, some 220 acres of mangroves will be cleared."
But - and here's where it gets magical - Gegg adds, quote, "The entire area of the dewatering site (800 acres) plus 60% of the new land area known as the Peninsula (120 acres) will be planted out with mangroves and other tropical flora. (So) we will remove 220 acres and it will be replaced with 920 acres for a net gain of 700 acres." End quote.
To go over it again then, Gegg says the project will create 700 acres to be forested with mangroves.
One expert we contacted this evening told us, quote, "the planting of mangroves on dredge spoils sounds magical indeed!" He also notes that Gegg did not include in his overview the recreational area between the lagoon and the sea, where he plans to develop interpretational trails, tourist facilities, shops and roads. That's projected to be several hundred acres more of mangrove forests that have to be cleared.
