The Lodge at Chaa Creek Applauds the Recent UNESCO Decision on Belize’s Barrier Reef
SAN IGNACIO, Belize (PRWEB) June 05, 2018 -- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation recently released a draft decision that Belize’s Barrier Reef be taken off a list of World Heritage sites under threat in a move The Lodge at Chaa Creek says reflects Belize’s national commitment towards environmental sustainability.
Brion Young, an environmentalist with Chaa Creek’s onsite Belize Natural History Centre, said the decision showed what could be accomplished when local environmentalists and global organisations worked together.
“Both Belize and Australia have been working diligently to maintain their great barrier reefs’ World Heritage status, and this recent decision by UNESCO is a win not just for Belize, but for the long term health of one of the world’s most important maritime ecosystems,” Mr Young said.
The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, or BBRRS, was placed on the World Heritage in Danger List in 2009 after concerns were raised about tourism development in sensitive mangrove areas and the Belize government’s decision to grant licences for oil exploration along the reef.
The BBRRS is the second largest reef in the world after Australia’s, is the largest in the northern hemisphere, and contains some of the planet’s biggest atolls. It was granted World Heritage Site status in 1996.
After the reef was placed on the danger list, local environmentalists, international ocean conservation groups such as Oceana, and the Belize government began working with UNESCO and other agencies to address and rectify the areas of concern UNESCO had identified.
In 2016 the Belize government adopted its first Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan – a blueprint that UNESCO called “one of the most forward-thinking ocean management plans in the world,” and in December 2017, the Belize government announced a permanent ban for oil exploration in Belizean waters.
After these and other measures were adopted, UNESCO released, in May 2018, a draft decision to remove Belize’s reef from the danger list. The draft is now set for formal ratification at the organisation’s 42nd meeting to be held in in Bahrain June 2018.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature applauded the decision. After pointing out that the list serves as a mechanism to draw attention to World Heritage sites that are under threat so that necessary action can be taken, the IUCN recommended that Belize’s reef be taken off it “following an unprecedented decision by the Belize Government to ban all offshore oil and gas activities in its marine territories and to protect the reserve’s mangroves from over development”
Peter Shadie, the IUCN’s Senior Advisor on World Heritage said, “The farsightedness of Belize’s decisive action to protect one of the planet’s finest coral reefs is an inspiration for the World Heritage Convention and a great boost for global conservation.
“It shows that when commitment is there, the danger list can be put to good use to help reduce threats and secure stronger outcomes for conservation and people,” Mr Shadie said.
Mr Young said Chaa Creek, one of the region’s most vocal proponents of sustainable tourism, has introduced thousands of travelers to the Belize Barrier Reef over the years through tours, expeditions and all-inclusive Belize vacation packages with partner resorts on the reef.
Chaa Creek recently formed a luxury travel group, Unique Hotels of Belize, with resorts on Ambergris Caye and the southern Belize coast, increasing the popular Belize jungle lodge’s association with “that endlessly fascinating part of the country that means so much to all of us.
“The Belize Barrier Reef is a Belizean icon that’s as important to our national identity as it is to our economy and tourism industry. It was heartening to see how many Belizeans took part in referendums and other activities to safeguard this natural wonder.
“Now that we’ve met this challenge, the next step is continual monitoring to ensure the long term health and viability of the reef and the thousands of species it’s home to.
“For Belizeans, it truly is a labour of love,” Mr Young said.
The Lodge at Chaa Creek is a multi-award winning eco resort set within a 400-acre private nature reserve along the banks of the Macal River in Belize. It was recognised by National Geographic with first place honours at the 2017 World Legacy Awards held in Berlin.
ENDS
Mark Langan, The Lodge at Chaa Creek, http://www.chaacreek.com, +1 +612 6685 3683, [email protected]
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