Thursday, March 28, 2024
Tag:

Valentine Rosado

San Pedro’s coast smothered by Sargassum; stakeholders ask town authorities to do more

Island residents are growing concerned about the massive influx of Sargassum beaching on the coast of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. In some areas, thick blankets of the well-known brown seaweed are over a hundred feet from the shore. Some stakeholders see the vast amount of algae as a threat to the tourism industry and are urging the respective authorities to address the issue. The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) has responded by hiring more people to remove Sargassum from the most affected areas, like the beaches in the downtown area.

Beach restoration project at Boca del Rio not affected by Hurricane Lisa

It has been over a week since Hurricane Lisa devastated sections of Belize City and surrounding areas. San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, and Caye Caulker were some of the places spared by the Category 1 storm. Besides torrential rains and wind, the hurricane put the Boca del Rio beach nourishment project to the test. The project is to tackle the erosion problem that is fast eating away at San Pedro beaches. According to the latest update from the beach reclamation program team, the beach was not phased by the torrential elements.

SPTC initiates demonstration project to restore severely eroded beaches

The time to start saving the beaches in downtown San Pedro is now. On Thursday, October 20th, the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) began a beach restoration demonstration project at a section in Boca del Rio. The area in front of the San Pedro High School has severely eroded, and access to this short stretch of beach will remain closed to vehicular traffic. The public is asked to respect the signage erected.

SPTC prepares to restore eroded beaches in downtown San Pedro

To address the alarming rate beaches are eroding in San Pedro Town, the town council has partnered with local professionals and has worked on a plan to rescue over a mile of beach starting from the Boca del Rio beach park. The project will immediately tackle a section of the beach around the San Pedro High School (SPHS) area, which has eroded faster than anticipated. This area will serve as a demonstration site for the large-scale, long-term project to rescue the beach strip.

Team of scientists suggests nature-based solutions for San Pedro’s shoreline erosion; SPTC hosts scoping mission

The island of Ambergris Caye has experienced significant development over the years with minimal input from the science and engineering community, particularly concerning coastal infrastructure. The negative impacts of climate change can be seen in the continuous erosion that is taking a toll on the beaches of Belize’s prime tourism destination.  A recent visit by a group of scientists indicated that many of the efforts to protect the shoreline are instead causing more harm and aggravating the erosion issue. As a result, local stakeholders discussed nature-based solutions, including Mayor Gualberto ‘Wally’ Nuñez, intending to look at the entire shoreline and address the problems for the benefit of the island community.

Conservation Highlight – Fragments of Hope returns to access San Pedro’s thriving coral nurseries

“Lisa Carne is no stranger to San Pedro. The coral nurseries are growing with amazing success,” Valentine Rosado writes in Conservation Highlight — San Pedro Sun

Improper raw sewage disposal threatens Ambergris Caye’s natural environment and the Meso-American Barrier Reef

The continued growth, however, has put heavy pressure on the local marine ecosystem and natural resources, and one of the main issues unknown to some residents is the improper disposal of sewage waste. With a limited sewage collection treatment system, the environment and waterways around the island continue to be exposed to contamination.

Heredia and Environmentalist weigh-in on the mangrove clearing south of San Pedro Town

Many island residents are concerned about the clearing of mangroves that is happening south of San Pedro Town as it plays a negative impact on the environment and the tourism industry.