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Tuesday, October 27,
2009 Belize's Daily- 7 Days a Week |
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7 countries attend Mesoamerican
conservation congress
The official opening ceremonies for the
thirteenth annual
Mesoamerican Society for Biology and Conservation Congress took place
today at the Biltmore Plaza Hotel. Delegations from the seven member
countries convened in the River Hall room of the hotel to celebrate the
start of what will create a network between the countries to strengthen
conservation and preservation of natural resources. Duane Moody was at
the opening and has this report.
Duane Moody, Reporting For the first time in thirteen years, the congress is being held in Belize. Students, professors and scientists from across the region gathered for a full week of activities in conservation and development of natural resources. Dr. Elma Kay, President, MSBC Belize Chapter “We have professionals—scientists and researchers—who are working in biodiversity, conservations, protected areas management, climate change. Right now, Dr. Jaime Awe is giving a presentation on his work linking archaeology to climate change issues. We also have a big student contingent. This is one of the few regional congresses that actually facilitate student participation and so some of the students in the different universities in the region, including the University of Belize, are able to present the work that they have been doing in any area related to biology and conservation. We really wanna highlight climate change issues and how those impact people environment, biodiversity. As we experience impacts of climate change, for example different biological species or different animals and plants may experience changes and it has implications as to what we may still have or may not have. Of course the reef is a very important issue when it comes to climate change. We can have several impacts on the reef. We can have coral bleaching, and to people increased intensity and frequency of storms. So climate change is a cross cutting issue that we wanna highlight.” The University of Belize offers theoretical lessons in environmental biology and conservation and will now move towards a more practical approach to the science. Dr. Elma Kay “The university wants to embark on research that helps decision makers to provide information for them so that we can actually say we are managing protected areas, we are conserving these areas and we can track our progress and see if we are doing what is the best for conserving those natural resources.” Dr. Santos Mahung, President, University of Belize “You, the participants of this congress, who work in science, focus your efforts to not only obtain answers, but offer potential solutions or mitigation measures to these threats.” To welcome them warmly to Belize, presentations were provided by Tanya Carter and Madeleine Guerra performed a dancing monologue entitled “Three Hundred and Fifty Steps to Reduce Climate Change”. Duane Moody, reporting for News Five. The members of the Mesoamerican society for biology and conservation are from Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Guatemala.CH5 Court dismisses G.O.B.’s
appeal against landowners 
This afternoon Justices; Elliott Mottley,
Dennis Morrison and Boyd
Carey of the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by the Government of
Belize against businessman Barry Bowen and the Landowners Association.
G.O.B. had appealed a landmark ruling by the Chief Justice, Dr Abdulai
Conteh given earlier this year in which the C.J. ruled that the
government’s proposal to amend a section of the constitution would take
away landowners’ rights to access the courts if government seizes land
and therefore the proposed Bill was unconstitutional. The government
challenged that ruling, but during that period when the arguments
started and when it resumed today, the House of Representatives amended
the Bill. But the arguments before the Appeals court today were on the
law as it stood before the amendment. The Justices concluded today that
in this particular case, the CJ’s ruling stands on academic grounds.
News Five spoke earlier with attorney for the Belize Land Owners
Association, Anthony Sylvestre, who explained the technical process.
Anthony Sylvestre Jr., Attorney, Belize Landowners Assn. “The government had presented its case in the June session of the Court of Appeal. When we resumed this morning, the government introduced to the court the fact that in October the House of Representatives had done an amendment to the Sixth Constitutional Amendment Bill. What they had don was in that bill they basically had further amended clause two, which is the subject of this appeal. So the Court is saying…” Marion Ali “It was amended to say what?” Anthony Sylvestre Jr. “Well, they are now saying that landowners have the right to royalty, that they have that right. That right is safe because the previous amendment was not clear. But the issues of this appeal goes further than just simply right to royalty; it’s more access the court for the purposes of determining compensation and other things. So it’s not simply with respect to right to royalty. What happened thereafter is that the court went on to ask Ms Lois Young, who is the attorney for the government, look, since you’ve now amended this bill, effectively then there is no right need for us appeal because there is nothing for us to consider because the subject of this appeal was a previous bill. So now that a new bill has been passed, which basically amends the law under consideration by the court, the court does not make academic judgments. The initial bill was unconstitutional and it sought to deprive landowners not only right to royalty but simply and access and it still does.” Marion Ali “Even in its amended form?” Anthony Sylvestre Jr. “Even in its amended form it still does. The way the amendment to the Constitution was put was not clear whether a land owner would be able to access the court, and so if they can’t access the court what would happen then is that the land owner will then have to deal with the government department, which usually involves, that is the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Finance. At the end of the day, a landowner may determine in his mind that look, my land values more than this. And he only has, the way the law was originally set, the Ministries to deal with, and so by having this matter brought be to court, the court will reinforce that important notion of democracy; that if he is unsatisfied with what is being offered to him then he can come to the court. At the end of the day that’s what this whole matter is about.” Representing Bowen were attorneys Eamon Courtenay and Magali Marin. Attorney Lois Young Barrow represented G.O.B.CH5 New Ambassador of El Salvador
to
Belize
The Ambassador of El Salvador to Belize, His
Excellency Julio Milton
Parado Dominguez this morning presented his letters of credence to the
Governor General of Belize, Sir Colville Young at the Belize House in
Belmopan.
The new Ambassador who now succeeds the past Ambassador H.E. Jose Sergio Mena expressed his appreciation on behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of El Salvador and he pledged to continue fostering the already cordial relationship between both countries. The Ambassador also presented a copy of his letters of credence to the Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister in their Belmopan offices.GOB BELIZEAN WRITER AWARDED WITH
DOCTOR OF LETTERS DEGREE Belizean author Zee Edgell has been
conferred with an honorary Doctor
of Letters degree from the University of the West Indies. Edgell, who
authored the well known novel Beka Lamb was the featured speaker on
Sunday at the commencement exercises for graduates of the University of
the West Indies' Cave Hill, St Augustine and Mona campuses. Professor
Edgell encouraged the graduates to seek to fulfill the various roles
they have been called to accomplish. In her brief feature address, she
told the over 220 graduates attending the morning ceremony that they
could also rekindle in the hearts of all those present the passionate
belief that each person "has a necessary and particular task to
accomplish which could help lessen our vulnerability and further secure
our sovereignty, wherever we are and in whatever work we are
engaged".
Professor Edgell went on to tell the graduates that many people were still in cages of illiteracy, ill health, poverty and debt, countries were left vulnerable. "This undermines the Independence we struggled so hard to achieve, she said. Quoting from author Barbara Kingslover, professor Edgell told the graduates: quote: "the very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. The most you can do is live inside that hope," end of quote. LOVE FM LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Below
please find an invitation for the Ambergris Caye community,
particularly stakeholders of the tourism industry including tour
guides, tour operators, hoteliers, chamber of commerce, real estate
agents etc, to attend a discussion on developing a Responsible Tourism
Policy for Belize.
This initiative is being led by the Association of Protected Areas Management Organization (APAMO) with the support of the Ministry of Tourism. This initiative is in response to the recommendations made in the Action Plan for the Inclusion of Biodiversity Conservation in Belizeâ's Tourism Policy which was a gap analysis done last year and accepted and endorsed by the Hon. Manuel Heredia, Minister of Tourism, in October 2008. The process to develop Belize's Responsible Tourism Policy and the action plan to promote such a policy is intended to be a participatory one whereby we meet with as many of the stakeholders within the industry for their input in the development of the policy. Â We would greatly appreciate if you could assist us with getting the word out by forwarding this invitation to any and all stakeholders that you think may be interested in attending the discussion TODAY, Tuesday, October 27th at 5p.m. at the Sunbreeze Hotel.
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  www.grandcaribe.com debbiewade@gmail.com
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© SAN PEDRO DAILY, PO Box 45, San Pedro Town, Belize. Inquiries to editor@sanpedrodaily.com |
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