| San Pedro Daily |  |
Friday,
January
22,
2010 Belize's Daily- 7 Days a Week |
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ISLAND
SUPERMARKET "Best Prices - Best Quality - Best Service" Phone: 501-226-2972 or 501-226-2973 islandsupermarket@gmail.com FREE DELIVERY IN TOWN |
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POLICE REPORT
POLICE
IN SAN PEDRO MAKE DRUG TRAFFICKING ARREST
On 18/1/10 at 2:30pm, police conducted a search on Allison BANNER a Dispatcher of San Pedro Town. The search of a suitcase BANNER had in his possession led to the discovery of 30.9 grams of cannabis, 210 grams of cocaine and 1,010 grams of crack cocaine. Police have since arrested and charged BANNER with one count of possession of controlled drugs and two counts of drug Trafficking. Police 142,000 Belizeans
Considered Poor
The Country Poverty Assessment will be
officially released
next week Tuesday but according to figures that have been leaked to
7News the portrait it paints is of a country sinking more deeply into
poverty. The survey was carried out in over two thousand households in
April of 2009. It follows up on the 2002 survey and it clearly
demonstrates that in the intervening 7 years, poverty has increased
sharply.
142,000 thousand Belizeans, 43% of the population, are considered poor, while 52,000 of those - 16% of the population is considered indigent, or very poor which means that they can’t afford the minimum food basket which is $5.50 per day. Then there is another category, the vulnerable, those who are able to afford daily expenditure just above the poverty line which is set at ten dollars. The vulnerable amounts to another 45,000 persons, 14% of the population. Add that to the 43% who are poor and you’ll have more than half the population either poor or vulnerable, meaning they are at risk of falling into poverty. 
A table cited in the draft report shows
that Belize has the
highest poverty rate in a sampling of Caribbean countries. In fact,
Belize’s poverty rate the report says is on par with Mexico. And
Belize’s rising poverty has affected every district, except Toledo.
Most worryingly, Corozal’s poverty and indigence have both doubled; in
fact its poverty level now approaches Toledo’s.
And what’s the cause of it? Well, the draft report concludes that it is due to a decline in the sugar cane sector and the fact that some areas were very badly affected by the 2008 floods. The report shows that there was a sharp decline overall in agriculture and the fishing industry declined an alarming 37%. Like we said this is just a small sampling of findings and more will be released when the report is launched on Tuesday. CH7 2 months after grounding; the Great
Escape
still lodged at the reef
 On November thirtieth another vessel was
added to the cadre
of foreign vessels that have navigated into the reef. The Great Escape
an eighty-five foot luxury yacht, like its predecessors the Westerhaven
and the Azteca, has crashed on Belize’s priceless barrier reef. All
accounts say that the yacht’s owner did not check in with any
authorities as is prescribed when they enter Belizean waters, and the
vessel appeared to be leaving when it ran smack into the reef.
Three
government arms, the Coastguard, the Fisheries Department, and the
Department of Environment have been working on the case. The
expensive
vessel has the best navigational instruments and the incident has the
appearance of human error. But why is it still lodged on the reef
tonight? A News Five crew of reporter Jose Sanchez and cameraman
Christopher Mangar joined the Fisheries Department as it examined the
Great Escape.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve was established in1996. It is the southernmost part of the Belize Barrier Reef World Heritage Site. Unlike the previous vessels that have come before, two months after running aground, a luxury yacht is still wreaking havoc on the corals. After the Coastguard received the distress call, the Manager of the reserve assisted in the rescue of the yacht passengers.  Dennis Garbutt, Manager Sapodilla
Cayes Marine Reserve
Myself with the Fisheries vessel and some of the Coast Guard members then came back out to assist the people because we had radio contact with them and were talking with them. They had two ladies on board. They were mostly older people and quite a bit of pets; cats and dogs and things like that. We were basically going back to take off a couple of the people who wanted to come off the boat and didn’t want to spend the night on it. They had Mr. Al, the captain of the boat at the time, the owner of the vessel; he reported that he has some heart problem so he would prefer to be ashore so we escorted them ashore. Probably about one-thirty the following day on the first of December, the Port Authority along with DOE came by along with two Coast Guard personnel and interviewed Mr. Al. We escorted him back to the ship where they did an inspection. The yacht which is registered in the British Virgin Islands is ironically named The Great Escape. The Marine Protected Areas Coordinator for the Fisheries Department was on site today to examine the damage done to the reef. Isais Majil, Marine Protected Areas Coordinator, Fisheries Department We have received reports that the damage area is about one hundred and sixty feet by thirty feet. We have not done a comprehensive assessment to point to which species of coral were damaged and what was the habitat that was in the area. We are here to actually conduct that assessment at this time. Jose Sanchez Okay, but your assessment cannot be completed until the vessel is moved. Is that correct? Isais Majil Yeah, to have a very comprehensive and full assessment we need vessel to be removed so that we can actually pinpoint what was underneath and what is being crushed, the different species that actually are there. If that does not happen, what we can do is to do some assessments on both sides of the vessel and extrapolate to see that well, we kinda picture that what is on the side is the same habitat underneath the vessel. But while the vessel continues to pummel the reef as it is hit by outgoing waves, fuel has leaked into the most protected part of the reserve called Conservation Zone One. Isais Majil A very, very pristine area and that’s why it’s given that category of protection. In this area we do not allow any type of extraction, meaning that the fishermen cannot use it. We only allow snorkeling and diving with strict guidelines. Jose Sanchez Whose responsibility is it to see that the vessel is removed being that the owner is not here?  Isais Majil
The first call comes for the vessel’s removal and safeguard is from Port Authority. When it comes to the biological assessment then the Department of Environment jumps in and the Fisheries Department also does the biological assessments. Everybody knows there is a decline in coral reef in the region. Belize is no exception so we need to protect what we have and every day we need to protect it more and more. Jose Sanchez The Fisheries Department can levy charges but you prefer to have the DOE put the charges why is that? Isais Majil The Fisheries ACT, which we use to create the marine reserves at its creation in 1977, the penalties are very low. So for damage on a marine reserve the most we could charge would be up to a thousand dollars. DOE, having revised their act and having more power to put higher penalties, we work with them so that these penalties can go as high as possible and at the same time we are working that these fines come back to try and restructure the and replenish the areas that are damaged. But there is a great escape in the story as the owner of the vessel Albert Barcroft was allowed to leave the country without any charges against him. According to Martin Alegria, Chief Environmental Officer for the D.O.E., they let him go because of his failing health. Via Phone: Martin Alegria, Chief Environmental Officer, D.O.E. Apparently on the way to Placencia when we were bringing them in, the captain suffered some form of heart problem that became complicated. We didn’t’ want to have a situation on our hands and after he explained to the team that he needed and was scheduled for some heart surgery and stuff like that and he did appear bad. So we did this using our own discretion. We had worked with him and conversed with him on the situation and told him that we were thinking of having him go to Guatemala where he would have attended to the situation before he gets more complicated here and as soon as we have the time to go and remove the boat and do the assessment we would be touching base with him in order for him or his insurance to address the damage caused to the barrier reef. Dennis Garbutt I personally didn’t witness any heart attack. However, when they took off on the thirtieth of November, they were supposed to take them to Belize City for charges. That would have been the entire crew and everybody that was involved in this incident were basically taken to Belize City for that. However, on the way Mr. Al had a heart attack or a heart condition and they had to take him into Placencia where he received some basic treatment. Barcroft is gone but the Department of the Environment is still in contact with his insurance company. A first attempt to remove the vessel by a local contractor has failed. All stakeholders involved agree that it is the world heritage site that needs a great escape from the careless onslaught by foreign vessels. Jose Sanchez The debris from the wreckage is now reaching islands such as Regget Caye. It highlights the importance for the Department of Environment to act quickly. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez. The Department of the Environment’s assessment is almost complete, but whether or not Albert Barcroft will be located that’s another matter. CH5 NOTICES
&
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Holy
Cross Anglican School invites the community to join with students and
staff at the Family Worship Service this Sunday, January 24th. The
service will be held at San Pedro High School and will start at 2pm.
The Rev. David Copley, Director of Mission Personnel with the US
Episcopal Church, will be the guest preacher. Students in the newly
formed Holy Cross choir will lead the singing. For additional
information contact the school office at 226-3456.
Support Holy Cross Anglican School in San Pedro www.holycrossbelize.org Neighbourhood
Watch
Meet and Greet
All Welcome! Alta Mar
Neighbourhood
Watch would like to invite all residents to a Meet
&
Greet at El Divino Martini Bar at
Banana Beach Resort on Tuesday the 26th
of January at 7:00pm. This is a casual get together so that
neighbours can get to know one another and look towards building up
our neighbourhood network to improve the quality of life and security
for everyone in the area. Alta Mar Neighbourhood
Watch starts at the southern wall of The Mansions, runs south to
Escalante Subdivision and West to The Pink Motel/Hideaway Bar. If
you live in this area, please come along and bring your neighbours.
This will be a fun evening and everyone is welcome. For more information contact Alta Mar Neighbourhood Watch on 226 4366.
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© SAN PEDRO DAILY, PO Box 45, San Pedro Town, Belize. Inquiries to editor@sanpedrodaily.com |
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