Is There Anything More Important to Our Island? Hands Across the Sand Belize

Yesterday, at noon, Oceana – the worldwide organization whose goal it is to protect our world’s oceans – put out a call for a very very peaceful protest.  Join hands, by the sea and say NO to OFFSHORE drilling.

This wasn’t just in Belize – it was worldwide – but for us, it couldn’t be at a more important time.

Just this month, there have been global headlines like this one, in the UK Guardian:  Belize plan to allow offshore drilling threatens Great Blue Hole, say critics.   The document/study/proposal (in draft stage) issued by the Belize Minister of Energy opens up 99% of Belize’s waters to exploration and even suggests that oil rigs could act as artificial reefs.

Aye dios mio.

Current snorkeling situation in Belize – Ambergris Caye’s famous Hol Chan Marine Reserve.

Is this what our future holds?

Remember:  Tourism is the NUMBER ONE foreign exchange earner in Belize.

At noon and for the next 15 minutes, a group of about 100 people…or maybe more joined hands in front of San Pedro High School.

China, a woman born and raised in San Pedro, was standing next to me.  She said:  Look at all this sargasso on the beach…people complain.  But this is from nature.  We can clean this up, we can use it as fill or fertilizer.

But what if this was oil?  Coating our reef and killing our wildlife?

That we can’t clean up.

See our reef out there?  RIGHT THERE.

I hope EVERYONE makes it known that this is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IN BELIZE.  For more information, check out Oceana Belize and SAY NO TO OFFSHORE DRILLING IN EVERY WAY YOU KNOW HOW.

This old Hol Chan Marine Reserve hat that my friend and tour guide Daniel gave to me 8 years ago says it all:  Our Reef, Our Livelihood