One week ago in the Senate, Minister of Foreign Affairs Eamon Courtenay introduced a motion for accession to the Bogota pact. It would see Belize take Honduras to the ICJ to have the world court settle its long-standing claim to the Sapodilla Caye Range.
Many may have balked at the notion of yet another territorial dispute, especially because for most Belizeans the Sapodillas Cayes are so remote as to be almost an abstraction - few outside of the Southern districts have even heard of the place, much less visited.
Well, tonight we're taking you there. Twenty years after I first went there in October of 2002, during the Ramphal Reichler Proposals - Cherisse Halsall went back on Friday to see the startlingly beautiful but far-flung islets. Here's that story.
The Sapodilla Cayes, they're a range of islets in the Gulf of Honduras, that have proven to be quite strategic in Belize's defence.
This base on Hunting Caye was put here to enforce Belize's sovereignty over the Sapodillas
And if you'd hear the Coast Guard tell it's an excellent jumping-off point for launching operations to Corona Reef and beyond.
Elton Bennett, Rear Admiral, Coast Guard
"Very strategic indeed. The entire Sapodilla Caye Range has been an important part in the territorial integrity of Belize and the territorial demarcation of Belize over the years and the Belize Coast Guard has a forward operating base on one of the islands of the Sapodilla Cays. That is where we are formally deployed and our patrol demonstrates Belizean sovereignty we fly the national flag from there and the Belize Coast Guard conducts sovereignty operations at Hunting Caye, in particular, out at the Sapodilla Caye range and its geo-strategic importance and features a long our reef system because that system overlooks the gulf of Honduras in terms of Honduras and Guatemala, from there we can see the different merchant ships and the different recreational activities and the different fishing both illegal and otherwise inside the Gulf of Honduras so it offers a strategic advantage for law enforcement so that is why we are there."
We headed off to the Sapodillas from Punta Gorda where the founder of the Belize Territorial Volunteers Will Maheia told us that all southern sea routes lead to the Sapodillas.
Will Maheia, Founder, Belize Territorial Volunteers
"You can get to the Sapodilla Caye from Placencia or from Monkey River, Placencia and P.G, the Sapodilla Caye are strategically located at the same distance from PG to Sapodilla Cases, the same distance from Placencia to the Sapodilla Caye, same distance from Puerto Barrios to the Sapodilla Caye and same distance from Puerto Cortez to the Sapodilla Cayes. It's just about the same difference for all these communities."
Will Maheia, Founder, Belize Territorial Volunteers
"It's easy to get there, especially these days we have bigger boats and we have faster boats so it's not a, I mean you went this morning. I didn't think it was a terrible experience, right? It was relatively calm."
Cherisse Halsall:
"What is the cost for the average individual?"
Will Maheia, Founder, Belize Territorial Volunteers
"Well, that's the cost it's like today it cost us easily $600 because fuel is so expensive and that is one of the reasons why we'd like to see fuel prices come down because if the fuel prices are lower more people could afford to go, more tourists can afford to go but even the tour operators they can't run trips out there because it's too expensive. The fuel is just killing everybody."
But fuel prices aren't stopping fishers, either foreign or domestic, from taking up residence here.
STANDUP
"Seal Caye in the Sapodilla Range was once an American-founded fishing lodge but in the years since it's been abandoned, it's Guatemalan fishers who have taken up residence here."
Elton Bennett, Rear Admiral, Coast Guard
"When it comes to illegal fishing, there are times quite often we would get Honduran fisherfolk inside Belizean waters and we would detain arrest and bring them in for prosecution. We would seize those assets and the Honduran consulate in Belize would facilitate those individuals to get back to Honduras so this good communication and good working relationship that we've always enjoyed with the Hondurans in that area."
And while the Sapodillas are strategic they are also a nature reserve, some of the most pristine environments Belize has to offer.
STANDUP
"Here on Nicolas Caye, where the tourists come for the white sandy beaches and bone fishing we're right in the middle of the Sapodilla Caye Range over there, that's hunting Caye. That's where Guatemalan and Honduran day trippers get stamped in by immigration. Many of them are more likely to enjoy these island paradises than someone from Belize City will ever be."
Indeed we found some of them on Hunting Caye, bikini-clad, speaker pumping and seemingly ready to have a good time. We tried to get comments from them about whether they were enjoying the island but they declined.
And back on Nicolas Caye we spoke to caretaker Mitchell "Gadget" Pratt he was taking up that post for the next 21 days, a peaceful, isolated existence that sees him tasked with guarding the island against seaweed and squatters. We asked him what he thinks of the Honduran claim.
Mitchell Pratt, Caretaker, Nicholas Caye Marine Reserve
"I see that you just have to know our boundaries mean and respect our boundaries that's the way how I see it, yeah."
Cherisse Halsall;
"How often do you see Guatemalans and Hondurans passing here?"
Mitchell Pratt, Caretaker, Nicholas Caye Marine Reserve
"Well, depends on the condition of the weather but it's usually on the weekends, yeah?"
Cherisse Halsall:
"And what do they come out here to do?"
Mitchell Pratt, Caretaker, Nicholas Caye Marine Reserve
"Just have fun, party, camp, and enjoy the water."
From there we headed off to the very curious Conch shell house at Tom Owens Caye. We asked the tiny island's leaseholder for her thoughts on the Honduran claim but she says she'd much prefer for her island paradise to remain part of Belize.
Dona Scafe, Holds Island Lease
"I have lived here for 25 years in Belize so I am almost a Belizean and I don't speak Spanish. I am in Belize mainly because 1st they speak English and second they have the same laws, English laws that I am used to in the U.S. and so I have been to Honduras. I went over there and built habitat houses before we came here and I've been to Guatemala, never been to Guatemala that I haven't been scammed."
"I don't speak Spanish so they take advantage of me so I am very happy in Belize and I plan to be here until I'm dead."
And while she has a choice, for many Belizeans questions of sovereignty are questions tied to our very identity. It's an identity we voted to preserve back in 2012 when the country voted to submit Guatemala's claim to the ICJ for final settlement.
We thank Will Maheia of the Territorial Volunteers for collaborating with us on that story.
Honduras claimed the Sapodillas in its 1982 constitution - and that claim still stands.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not indicated if it will embark on any education campaign to educate Belizeans about the issues at stake in this dispute with Honduras.
And how do regular folks in the south feel about the Sapodillas? In our final segment tonight - we'll sample street opinion in PG.
