The Belize Tourism Industry Association has issued a strong statement calling for, quote, "an immediate moratorium on all mining and dredging activities within the Placencia Lagoon and Ambergris Caye."
This follows a joint statement on Tuesday from 14 conservation groups calling for the government to immediately suspend all approval processes for extraction work in environmentally sensitive and protected areas.
Well, the BTIA says it is, quote, "taking a firm and unequivocal position regarding the increasing environmental concerns surrounding ongoing mining, dredging, coastal alteration, and mangrove degradation activities impacting (those areas).
The association calls for "effective enforcement and monitoring of environmental laws and policies, comprehensive environmental review, meaningful stakeholder consultation, and a clear assessment of cumulative environmental impacts."
They note that "Recent developments and public concerns in Placencia and Ambergris Caye have highlighted growing frustration among residents, tourism operators, environmental advocates, and community stakeholders over the pace and scale of environmentally sensitive activities in these fragile ecosystems." Government has not issued any repose to this week's strong statements from both conservation and overnight tourism interests.
