The Belize Tourism Industry Association and the Belize Hotel association has received a quarter million dollars in grant funding under the Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future's (Belize Fund) Emergency Sargassum Relief Initiative. The funding will be shared among coastal communities who are struggling with the costs of cleaning up the sargassum swamped beaches and coastlines. Jomarie Lanza was at the signing ceremony this morning:
The Belize Fund has activated its grant machinery to address the growing sargassum issue that has been declared as a national emergency. They have partnered with the Ministries of Blue Economy and Tourism to provide support and relief through 2 grants that will aid in the clean up of sargassum along 5 coastal areas
Leandro Cho-Ricketts, Executive Director, Belize Fund
"So these grants are developed in partnership and in collaboration with the ministry of tourism and the ministry of the blue economy through the sargassum task force as there are some members here too. And under this task force a national sargassum relief program has been developed and this program focuses on alleviating the sargassum efforts, relief efforts countrywide, supporting that. Those efforts focus on 5 municipalities, San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia, Hopkins and Seine bight and so the support going to the 2 grantees will complement the support that the government is providing to these 5 municipalities."
The grants total $250,000 Belize dollars with $125,000 being disbursed equitably to the Belize Tourism Industry Association and the Belize Hotel Association who will work with over a 100 tourism businesses to clean up these areas over a three month period.
Linette Canto, Executive Director, Belize Tourism Industry Association
"We personally did not approach the Belize Fund for this specific funding this intuitive arose from the sargassum task force, ministry of tourism, ministry of Blue economy and we were just happy that a step was being taken in the right direction because we do recognize that this is a problem that is escalating, unprecedented amounts of sargassum coming in, BTIA and BHA does have overlapping membership but membership has nothing to do with the support that will be provided. You don't have to be a member of any of the two organizations to be able to get the support. The criteria is that you need to be along the coastline, you need to be a business, an enterprise that is already trying to fight the sargassum situation. So we have a list of criteria that we are looking at and we are going to be opening the application process as soon as this event has concluded and people will be able to go online, view the flyer and see what the criteria is. We already have the application forms as part of the flyer so if you believe that you would be qualifying for the grant then you can go ahead and start applying."
The president of the BHA says that once the application period is open they will select applicants with the best approach to clean up the sargassum within these municipalities.
Reynaldo Malik, President, Belize Hotel Association
"In terms of the equitable distribution as you put it, I more rephrase that as making sure that everybody gets a shot at accessing these funds. What you see here are two private sector organizations, membership organizations that are both agitating for the same thing at the same time. But you also have as with most membership organizations limited resources in our respective secretariats so what you see here is combination if you want to call it that, an all star team is being assembled where the resources of both organizations are being brought to bear on the situation on hand."
A release says, "BTIA and BHA will work through a transparent vetting and redistribution process to ensure that the funds reach those in greatest need. Those who meet the criteria are encouraged to apply once the application process is officially opened."
