BELIZE CITY, Belize (AP) – Belize is considering new offshore drilling regulations that could open nearly the entire coast to exploration and exploitation, environmental groups have warned, calling it a threat to vital reefs, fisheries and tourism concerns.
The proposal recently made public by the Ministry of Energy would even allow drilling in the vicinity of the Great Blue Hole, a world-famous diving destination that can be seen from space and looks just like what its name suggests, the U.S.-based activist group Oceana said.
“They’ve declared open-season on almost 99 percent of Belize’s marine area,” Janelle Chanona, Oceana’s vice president for the Central American nation, said by phone from the capital, Belmopan. “That includes seven World Heritage sites, that includes marine protected areas … and it is unacceptable.”
The proposal is still in the draft stage. Government officials did not respond to requests for comment Thursday, but have said previously that they are considering possible modifications including feedback from groups like Oceana. Belize currently has a moratorium on offshore drilling.
Environmental experts say even a small oil spill could jeopardize the powdery-white-sand cays and turquoise waters that make tourism the Central American country’s leading source of foreign income, responsible for up to 25 percent of its GDP.