BELIZE SALUTES SAHARAWI PEOPLE ON INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY

Belize has much in common with the African nation formerly known as Western Sahara. Belize was not alone in 1975 when it began the lobbying effort at the UN to have the peoples’ right to self-determination and territorial integrity respected. The Polisario Front representing the people of Western Sahara were also there in similar circumstances. The colonial power, Spain, was about to abandon the territory, and was in cahoots with a neighbour that claimed it, Morocco.

The British were about to abandon Belize, and were willing to give Belizean land to a neighbour that claimed it, Guatemala. The representatives of the two peoples, Belizeans and Saharawi, supported each other to win their independence. Throughout our struggle at the UN, Morocco always supported Guatemala, and they never supported Belize.

The Belizeans, with massive support from most UN members, succeeded in getting their independence with their territory intact. The Saharawis were not so fortunate. In the dying days of the Franco dictatorship, Spain facilitated the annexation of the territory by Morocco and Mauritania. The Saharawi people resisted this occupation and on 27th February 1976 proclaimed the independence of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

However, the state of Morocco has held on by force and violence to about 80% of the territory. Thousands of Saharawis have been killed by the Moroccan occupation forces. The Polisario Front has continued to lead their people’s struggle to end the occupation and liberate their homeland from the harsh and murderous occupier.

Morocco commits serious violations against Saharawi human rights activists, especially targeting women. It kidnaps and tortures young people and subjects them to summary trials where sentences range from life imprisonment to twenty years in prison. The theft and exploitation of its extensive natural resources are done with the approval and complicity of some of the supposed defenders of international legality.

Belizeans feel for the suffering of the Saharawi people. They know that “there but for the grace of God go I”. In 1975, the Guatemalan army was poised to invade Belize, and the British Defence Ministry feared that once they took delivery of Israeli aircraft in 1976, Guatemala’s military capacity would be “formidable.” The UK approved reinforcements in November and the threat passed.

By 1977, however, Israel had helped to arm and train the Guatemalan army, and in July that army was ready to invade. The British military in Belize warned of “the risk of a severe military reverse at Guatemalan hands” and the Minister of Defence was clear: “if the Guatemalans do attack, the colony will have become indefensible.” The US pressured the British hard not to reinforce, but Prime Minister Callaghan told his Cabinet, “It’s not the President of the United States’ head on the block if something happens. It’s mine—and yours,” and ordered massive reinforcement.

Actually, it would have been Belizean heads that would fly, and until today parts of our country could still be occupied by Guatemalan forces. We are still fighting—but peacefully, at the ICJ—to compel Guatemala to respect our territory.

This is not a matter to take lightly. Our own existence depends on respect for our right to self determination and territorial integrity, our right to keep for ourselves the territory that the colonial power occupied. We won that right. So far, the Saharawi people have not and their youth continue to sacrifice their lives to win that right for their peoples. Their struggle is our struggle. The principles they fight for are the same that made us Belizeans free and keep us alive.

The Moroccans have stepped up their diplomatic action to get nations to withdraw support from the Saharawi people, and use all manner of all means such as drugs, bribery, blackmail and espionage to achieve this, as was recently revealed by bribery scandals at the top levels of the European Union’s Parliament. This was extensively documented in the international news. They steal phosphorous, an element used for fertiliser, from occupied Saharawi territory and are brass-faced enough to use it to entice poor nations to betray the very principles that gave them birth.

Belize established diplomatic relations with the SADR on 18th November 1986, and it continues to stand firm in support of the principles on which we depend on for dear life: self-determination, territorial integrity, and end to occupation. We cannot ever compromise these principles, nor can we pretend to be neutral when these principles are under attack. Bishop Desmond Tutu, champion of the South African struggles against Apartheid, said it well: “Those who turn a blind eye to injustice actually perpetuate injustice. If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

We salute the Saharawi people on the 47th anniversary of their declaration of independence, support them in their lawful struggle to end the occupation of their territory, and wish for them peace and prosperity in a liberated Saharawi Republic.

On Tuesday in Havana, our Ambassador Lou-Anne Burns, the dean of CARICOM in Cuba, joined other regional deans, Cuban national heroes, and other officials in congratulating the Saharawi - who are also a founding member of the African Union - on their 47th anniversary at Africa House. A few days before, on the 23rd of February, the Government of Belize gave its agrément to the appointment of H.E Mr. Sidi Mohamd OMAR to be SADR Ambassador to Belize with residence in New York. At some later date Ambassador Omar will be invited to present his credentials in Belmopan. He will be heartily welcomed.

Cattle Industry

“Increasing productivity to meet export demand using sustainable interventions for higher profitability.”

A Reflection in Progress for the Belize Livestock Producers Association

44th Annual General Meeting’s Speech CEO for BPLA, M. Agr. Ing. Agr. William Usher 25/02/2023

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests (Ministers, CEOs, Leads of partner institutions), staff and member producers of this great livestock association. It is with great pleasure that I address you with this thought process that I wish you all to ponder on; as my goal as the new CEO of this organization is to work for you, our member owners, to attain greater productivity and profitability from the business you are engaged in as livestock producers.

Our theme for this year is

“Increasing productivity to meet export demand using sustainable interventions for higher profitability.”

Reflecting on this theme it is my desire that, the Belize Livestock Industry, which currently comprises of Beef and Dairy Cattle plus other small ruminants such as sheep and goats and pigs, should be obligated to increase its animal concentration per acre or say head of cattle per acre from 0.6 to between 3-5 heads of cattle per acre with the objective of allowing for sufficiently enough cattle to be able to have an economically viable meat processing facility for the “Green Meat” market to which Belize can be exporting to in the medium to long-term.

Within the current export market for animals on the huff and meat however, it must be understood that Belize cannot compete with the main world producers due to our high productive costs and in many instances our inferior quality meat; hence, Belize must be obligated to look into green measures for production that will allow for 1) Increase in productivity, 2) Increase in profitability, and 3) improvement of the environment in which our livestock is produced.

Pasture management, cattle rotation management, pasture soil bioremediation management and meat quality improvement through appropriate genetics built within our national livestock herd are all going to be part of the management strategy necessary for improvement in production, land/soil conservation and access to the green niche markets to which our livestock products should be destined. The allowance for sustainable pasture rotation management, can directly or indirectly enhance already proven green methods for livestock production management. That is, for reducing the extensive livestock production that currently exists in Belize to allow for the conversion of this to an intensive rotational or grazing management system. This intensive rotational grazing system will do several things: It will allow for us as a country, to determine or make a statement from NOW that our Livestock Industry will be Carbon Neutral or that our Livestock Industry will be doing what it needs to do to reduce an existing Negative Carbon Footprint.

How will this be done?

Well, we have already started! It will be done through 1) the adoption of rotational grazing system and 2) through what we also call silvo-pastoral systems; which is, a combination of trees and shrub planting that will improve or reduce the emission of greenhouse gases such as enteric methane through the consumption of these fodder within the digestive system of the animals. Both of these systems will allow for carbon sequestration through the increase growth of beneficial plants and shrubs within the livestock grazing system and through increase bioaccumulation of carbon within the soil by means of natural microbe hoarding or the sequestration of carbon. In this light, the use of beneficial microorganism is key along with the natural incorporation of organic material by the animals, YOUR LIVESTOCK, that are roaming efficiently through controlled management within that specific space where they reside, taking into consideration the impediments of climate change factors and the need for pasture regeneration.

Now, what can the government and the industry be called to do?

The government and the industry could call for the implementation of strategies that will allow for increasing the herd head count per acre. We, as an industry, need to move from 170,000 animals that we currently have in our national herd, to five times (5X) that number of animals within the same estimated 300,000 acres of land mass that exists in terms of the current productive space of cattle production at this time.

What the government will be doing essentially is to call for the development of “green bonds agreements” with its development partners.

How can we actually do this?

The cattle industry worldwide is considered to be the premier livestock industry that emits methane, a greenhouse gas, that causes major problem as it relates to global warming in the environment. We as an Industry has been seeing the effects of global warming as our pastures dry up due to lack of water and poor soil management or consumed by insects such as the froghoppers during these dry periods. We have seen the natural waters where our cattle use to drink becoming contaminated with harmful pathogens that causes our animals to be dying in many parts of the country….

ALL as a consequence of climate change due to global warming. Indirectly, we are beginning to see greater movement of predating animals such as the jaguars and coyotes now becoming increasingly interested in the affairs of our domestic livestock. Is this a matter of continual deforestation and environmental encroachment within their natural habitat or is it simply a matter of poor management of our livestock system? I will leave that question open but we must find a way to manage these problems.

What should the government do now?

It can call for improving the carbon footprint within the livestock industry. By doing such, we will enable ourselves to bring green financing through the use of green technologies for rotational grazing and the use of agro-silvo pastoral systems and in addressing the predation problems we are now seeing within our Livestock Industry. Acquiring green financing at affordable terms will then be possible for the myriad number of small and large producers as the end game is to improve what we currently have to allow for increase in productivity, which means increase in profitability within the productive space we are using while conserving the land and improving upon our current negative carbon footprint. Increasing our productive capacity per acre on the current land space and adopting green productive technology systems will allow for Belize Livestock and meats to be exported within that green market space being proposed. This will allow for anyone to be producing sustainably while greening and improving the value of our livestock industry and the products that come from it.

In conclusion, that is the concept that we have; knowing that today, our Belize Livestock Producers Association’s vision is to be the leading advocate for developing a green livestock industry in Belize, hence, the premier organization responsible for the greening of the Belize Livestock Industry. We can only do this with both the Government of Belize and the Industry declaring… that is, declaring, that this Industry will go Carbon Neutral either now or in the very near future and to start off with a declaration that says something like this, “the Belize Livestock Industry by 2027 will be instituting measures to reduce its negative carbon foot print by ‘X’ tons of carbon per annum and within the next 10 to 15 years thereof will be a net carbon producer”.

We need that declaration and we need that declaration to be binding in time but even without it being so, we need that declaration for a time we are signing agreements with entities like the NGOs such as the Nature Conservancy, with entities like the International Development Banks such as the IDB’s and World Bank or International Financial Institutions (IFI’s) such as the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) and the-like throughout this world where we will be able to gather those financing to on-lend to our members within the BLPA and otherwise within Belize.

Ladies and Gentlemen, cattle producers and government, it is time we as a Livestock Industry truly start positioning ourselves to access the green meat market. To this end, we must work together as a country and as an Industry in making this happen. One voice is all we need.

Thank you!

Public Notice

Lodgment of an EIA Report and Public Consultation For Cockroach Caye Ltd.

For the construction of a Private Residence at Cockroach Caye – Turneffe Atoll

The General Public is hereby informed that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for a Private Residence to be located on Cockroach Caye – Turneffe Atoll, within the Belize District was submitted to the Department of the Environment (DOE) by Cockroach Caye Ltd. The EIA report will be reviewed by the National Environmental Appraisal Committee (NEAC) before a final decision is taken by the DOE.

The General Public is therefore advised that the EIA will be available for public review from February 28th to March 14th, 2023. The public is invited to submit their comments in writing before March 19th, 2023 to the DOE at the DOE address of 7552, Hummingbird Highway, Belmopan or to email envirodept@environment.gov.bz or eiaunit@environment.gov.bz, or by link: https://forms.gle/9niygtTNsWvGPSau5

The EIA-Report and its annexes can be reviewed, free of charge, Mondays to Fridays, during the normal working hours of (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM) at the Leo Bradley Library (BZ City), Port Loyola Library (BZ City), the Caye Caulker Library, and the San Pedro Library. The EIA report and its annexes are also accessible on the DOE’s website at the following link: https://doe.gov.bz/environmental-clearance/

Kindly be informed that a hybrid public consultation for the EIA will be held on March 23rd, 2023, commencing at 6:30 pm at Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel. An online link will be provided near the date (March 23rd, 2023)of the Public Consultation.

The public is invited to participate in-person or virtually to this public consultation to express their concerns and/or provide comments/input to the DOE regarding this proposed project activity.