Monthly Archives: June, 2020

San Pedro Town was one of the municipalities to receive humanitarian relief from the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Belize on Friday, June 26th, in the Capital City of Belmopan. Mayor Daniel Guerrero, along with the other Mayors from across the country, were on hand to receive the relief presented to the Belize Mayor’s Association, which included medical materials totalling $350, 000BZ.

To those Belizeans that participated in well-meaning social media campaigns to signal their acknowledgment of systemic racism; and the others that wear t-shirts emblazoned with “BLACK LIVES MATTER”; and to all who were swollen with pride when discovering that a Belizean was among a group of artists that painted a now-famous mural in Minneapolis to honor George Floyd and other black Americans killed by police officers: when you say “Black Lives Matter,” do you mean just the straight, heterosexual black lives?

A modified celebration of the island's patron Saint San Pedro featured a large boat procession, the annual blessing of the boats, and masses.

The Xsite crew, along with a group of volunteers & donors, continue to brighten and beautify spaces throughout San Pedro Town during the downtime.

Efforts in Belize to tackle the issue of human trafficking have not satisfied the U.S. State Department, as its Trafficking in Persons Report ranked the Jewel for the second consecutive as a Tier Two country. The report was released on Thursday, June 25th, and lists over 40 other countries around the region ranking the same as Belize.

The Belize Fisheries Department hereby informs all fishers and the public that in accordance with Statutory Instrument No. 67 of 2009 under the Fisheries Act Chapter 210 Revised Edition 2003 of the Subsidiary Laws of Belize, the Sea Cucumber fishery will be declared closed effective July 1, 2020.

The recently introduced protocols and guidelines for the accommodation sector by the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) apparently caught some tourism stakeholders by surprise. The new measures designed to better operate during the COVID-19 pandemic focuses on health and safety protocols, and according to BTB, involved consultations before approval. However, the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) indicated that individual members might have been consulted, but they, as an association was not.

The lobster season officially opened on June 15th, but a few days before this date, some fishermen were caught with out of season products (lobster and conch) within the Hol Chan Marine Reserve (HCMR). This was the result of increased enforcement efforts by HCMR between June 13th and 15th, leading to the successful prosecution of eight fishermen. They were charged and fined for possession of lobster during the closed season, possession of conch during the closed season, possession of undersized lobster, possession of lobster with spawn, possession of soft shell lobster, possession of lobster with berries removed, fishing within a conservation zone, engaging in spearfishing within the Reserve and fishing without a valid fishing license. The total amount in fines amounted to $13,180 BZ, and one fisherman of Guatemalan nationality was remanded while the others met bail.