Earlier this week, Chief Engineer, Evondale Moody indicated that a portion of a budget has been allocated for the replacement of the BelCan Bridge but the remaining portion has to still be identified to replace the bridge that needs replacement. Moody also told us about major work on the Philip Goldson and the George Price Highways that are set to enter new phases in the coming weeks. He said that the work on a stretch on the Philip Goldson Highway should get started by September, while the work on the George Price Highway will begin sooner, perhaps in a couple of months.
Evondale Moody
Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, MIDH
“We have the Philip Goldson Highway project from mile 8 to mile 24.5. That project, we have awarded a contract to the consultants for them to do the design review for that project, and we expect to commence the procurement of contractors for that project within another three months. So we’re expecting to have a contractor on the ground for the upgrading of the Phillip Goldson Highway from mile 8 to 24, I would say, by September of this year. We are also looking at the George Price Highway, which the Belcan Bridge is a part of, because it’s, five sections. However, we have obtained financing from Caribbean Development Bank for Section 3 of the George Price Highway, which is from Belize City to Hattieville. And so we expect that we could commence the procurement process for that, maybe within the next quarter as well. So we should commence those works on the George Price Highway very soon.”
The Tuna Transparency Pledge is an initiative led by the Nature Conservancy that is seeking to achieve one hundred percent on-the-water monitoring by 2027. Belize joined the Federated States of Micronesia, Walmart, Albertson companies, and Thai Union as one of the first signatories of the pledge. The endeavor was launched to combat unstainable and illegal practices in tuna fisheries by uniting key players across the seafood supply chain. We spoke with the Deputy Director of Belize High Seas Fisheries Unit, Robert Robinson, who explained the process in more detail.
Robert Robinson
Robert Robinson, Deputy Director, Belize High Seas Fisheries Unit
“The pledge seeks to achieve one hundred percent underwater monitoring by all the signatories and by 2027. And what this will do, all the signatories who will be at different levels in the supply chain will ensure that their tuna, is either coming from a source that is under covered by underwater monitoring or the governments will ensure that all vessels operating under their jurisdiction are covered by underwater monitoring. And by underwater monitoring, that means. either human observer or electronic monitoring means.”
Britney Gordon
“And how does that benefit to the production and acquisition of tuna?”
Robert Robinson
“Well, people across the world have been increasingly concerned about where their food is coming from specifically seafood. And what this helps to do is to bring full transparency to the tuna supply chain. So that consumers are comfortable and confident that their seafood was sustainably caught. There is a large black market where illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is concerned. And this industry represents somewhere around sixty billion dollars per year. Recent estimates indicate this figure. And what this pledge will, will help to do as more people sign on to it, it will bring full transparency to the tuna fishing industry and will help to eradicate IUU fishing. So it will be a big win for sustainability and for good stewardship for, for world’s marine resources.”
The launch of this initiative coincides with Belize’s mission to implement an electronic monitoring program that its distant water industrial fishing fleet by 2026. This program is intended to enhance Belize’s monitoring, control, and surveillance framework and improve the effectiveness of its human observation program. Robinson explained.
Robert Robinson, Deputy Director, Belize High Seas Fisheries Unit
“IUU is illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and that really covers the full gamut of illegal activities because there are some activities that are not necessarily, that are not necessarily regulated and this also falls under the scope of IUU fishing. So, if something is regulated and unregulated, If a fisherman would intentionally contravene that regulation, that is illegal fishing. If you catch something and you don’t report it, that would constitute unreported fishing. And if there is no regulation concerning particular fishery and they engage in it, then that would constitute unregulated fishing. So two years ago, the Belize High Seas Fisheries Unit undertook an exercise to determine how it could enhance its monitoring, control and surveillance framework. And we already have in place a vessel monitoring system that tracks the vessels, wherever they are in the world via satellite-based means. We have a human observer program, which covers a large percentage of the fleet. And we have a discharge inspection program, which allows us to know what the vessels are discharged after, um, their fishing expedition. And together with that, you also submit catch reports, which is basically the fisherman’s love book to declare his catches. No we found that by true introduction of electronic monitoring, it would really close a loophole that exists within our MCS framework. And we will have almost real time monitoring of our vessels while they’re engaged in fishing operations. And we will be able to take immediate action. For any noncompliance events that we detect through the electronic monitoring means.”
Belize’s fisheries stocks, particularly the lobster population, could be in a critical state within a few years, says an advisor with the Belize Federation of Fishers. The spokesman told News that there is data that suggests that if steps are not taken from now to reverse the overfishing of this marine product. Today, the Federation took part in a workshop held by the Earth Journalism Network, which looked at marine stocks, and problems that the marine industry faces because of overfishing, illegal fishing and related practices. George Myvett is a voluntary advisor with the federation. He paints a grim picture of how Belize’s lobster industry could decline if we do not put measures in place to give the lobster population to reproduce.
George Myvett
George Myvett, Voluntary Advisor, Belize Federation of Fishers
“In Belize, depending on who and when you speak to them, there are over four thousand commercial fishers. One of the issues with this is that Belize has what is referred to as an open-access fishery, meaning there is no limit to the amount of fishers in the industry. One of the recent policy changes that has happened…could crash in as little as three years.”
Sam Schramski is a Special Projects Editor with Earth Journalism Network, which engages journalists around the world to engage in environmental and climate journalism. The organization held a workshop for journalists this week to discuss data journalism as it pertains to fisheries data and related topics. He appeared on Open Your Eyes on Thursday and explained what it is they engage journalists on.
Sam Schramski, Special Projects Editor
“In order to do good environmental and climate journalism, you have to humanize your stories, even in a data story that seems very unhuman because it’s numbers and charts, etc., always ground your data stories and any environmental story you do in the human context. That’s how you hit home to your viewers, your listeners, your readers, your audience that the issues are important to them. These are existential issues: climate, bio-diversity, fisheries issues – I would say that even if you live in Belize City and you’re a professional and you don’t even go to the sea, you’re connected to your fisheries, right, in terms of whether you eat them, whether you have a relative who’s involved in fisheries sector. The economy of Belize as a whole is deeply connected to fisheries in many ways. So these are issues that, at their base are basically connective of humanity, so I think that’s the way that we really try to engage these environmental themes, these climate themes is by focusing on the human angle and the human sensibility.”
Climate Tracker is offering journalists from across the Caribbean region including Belize an opportunity to be a part of a journalism fellowship. The fellowship revolves around climate justice and aims to empower and assist committed climate journalists across the Caribbean in effectively covering climate justice issues. Successful applicants will receive one-on-one mentoring, a stipend for each story produced and international exposure. We spoke to the Regional Coordinator for Climate Tracker, Dizzanne Billy.
Dizzanne Billy
Dizzanne Billy, Regional Coordinator, Climate Tracker “What we do at Climate Tracker is create opportunities for training, for publishing, for young climate journalists who need that opportunity. Because what we’ve noticed is that although the global south is, you know, largely affected by climate impacts, young journalists in the regions of these countries don’t. Or the countries of these regions don’t have the opportunities to publish, uh, because of different constraints. So what we try to do is create that space for young climate journalists or aspiring climate journalists to get training in what climate change means for their region and also pair them with media houses and NGOs that will enable them to publish the stories that need to be told.”
“It’s a fellowship that started two years ago, and it was the brainchild of Climate Tracker and Open Society Foundations, our amazing partner, and what it does is we are a community is create an opportunity for young reporters in the Caribbean to tell climate justice stories. So climate justice, when you think of climate justice, you’re thinking of representing marginalized groups, groups that often go reported groups that don’t often get their voices told or their stories told. And so what we’ve done is create this opportunity where journalists in the Caribbean can go through a. Couple months of learning about different aspects of climate justice, whether it refers to what climate justice is on a whole, then also how the legal framework of climate justice for the region, how it reflects in gender justice, how it reflects in climate financing, how it reflects in energy justice, and all these different ways that climate justice is so pervasive across society. So that they can understand the pervasiveness of climate justice, how it impacts different areas of the region, and therefore be able to go in and tell the stories that need to be told. That’s what the fellowship is all about.”
A member of the Belize Coast Guard was murdered last night near his home on Consuelo Street in Belize City. Twenty-six-year-old Charles James was shot around eight p.m. in Saint Martin’s area which falls under the state of emergency that was issued last month. When police arrived on the scene, a shootout between police and a suspect ensued. Before we go to that shootout, we first report on the murder. News Five’s Britney Gordon has the story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Twenty-six-year-old Charles James was murdered in cold blood just a few steps away from his home in the Saint Martin’s area of Belize City. James was a member of the Belize Coast for four years and held the rank of seamen in the force. His death came as a blow to his community, who remembered Charles fondly. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams said that upon arrival, a shootout ensued in pursuit of the assailants, resulting in the injury of seventeen-year-old, Jamal Jones
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Last night around eight p.m., police received information of shots fired on Consuelo Street in the Saint Martin’s De Porres area. Upon arrival, police observed a male person, who was later identified as a member of the Police Coast Guard, suffering from gunshot injuries. He was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police, in responding to the incident, encountered two men who were fleeing the crime scene at the particular moment. They first encountered a police officer who was off duty, in plain clothes. And upon the police officer saying to them, police, they turned the weapon at the police but did not fire. But the police fired at them. Fearing for his life, he did fire at them.”
According to Williams, after investigating, Jones was determined to be one of two suspects involved in the shooting and was subsequently detained.
Chester Williams
“They continued fleeing and little after that, they encountered another police officer who was on duty and was dressed in BDU. And this police officer came face to face with the two alleged gunmen. And they fired shots at the police. The police returned fire and the two men continued to run. I can say the police officer’s uniform had bullet holes from the shooting, but thankfully he was not injured. Moments later, the police got information of a person who was seen bleeding at a particular location, and police responded where they found one Jalen Jones, who was suffering from a gunshot injury to the foot. And seemingly he had already gotten someone to assist him in tying the wound to stop the bleeding. police took custody of Jones and from all indications he was dressed in the same clothing that one of the two alleged gunmen were dressed in. And police also followed the blood trail from where the officers had fired shots at the gunman. And the blood trail led to where he was found. So, we are sure that he was one of those persons who is involved in the murder and was also one of those who shot at the police.”
James was the nephew of the late Winston “Tanga” James, a figure known for his gang affiliations. However, Williams maintained that this incident was not gang-related, and was instead, driven by a dispute over a romantic partner.
Reporter
“Do you believe mister James was targeted because of his family relations or because of the neighborhood he lives in or that he may be perceived? We know in the Peace Cup he may have been perceived to be affiliated with the BLC gang. Is that why he was targeted?”
Chester Williams
“We believe that it has to do with a woman.”
Britney Gordon
“And the mother, in her live, she claims that her son couldn’t have been the one because they are friends. So you believe that this dispute happened between associates?”
Chester Williams
“You know, you wonder, people they get killed and every time the mothers don’t come, they don’t know their son. You wonder who they do it, they must be me and Jules, right? Because, I don’t know, and that is, that is one of our problem. When we have mothers who are condoning, look at how quick this mother last night was in trying to find an excuse for her son. It’s just so sad but, again, who would know best where you are? Your friend, right? So, yeah.”
According to Williams, the murder weapon has still not been located at this time.
Chester Williams
“Yes, we do have overwhelming evidence to support the fact that he was one of the persons who went to the house and shot him.”
Reporter
“But no weapon at this time?”
Chester Williams
“We are going back to the area, we have been made to understand where the weapon had been dropped in the canal and so we’ll be going back to the era with some equipment to see if we can retrieve it.”
At the top of the news we told you about the shootout between police and the suspect in the Charles James murder. That suspect is a minor who was shot by police officers and taken to Racoon Street Police Station. His family rushed to the station, pleading that he be taken to the hospital for emergency care. Today, the family further detailed the incident as they saw it and explain that they are ready to take legal action if necessary. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Jaylon Jones’ mother Sherilee Barrow recounted the night her son was shot. She says that moments before, Jones had been eating food with her before leaving the house. Not long after, she saw her son running through the street but was unable to ask where he was going. After that, things escalated, and Barrow received information that her son had been shot somewhere nearby.
Sherilee Barrow
Sherilee Barrow, Mother of Shooting Victim
“My son mih come in a few minutes ago come eat some macaroni out of the pot with bread. So I tell he noh eat out all of the macaroni and thing. So he come outside, lock the door. My daughter ney come hail me, bring something for me. And they gone, I continue laid down in the bed there. And after that, I hear some gunshot gone off. And when I hear the gunshot gone off, I jump up. I frighten out of the lee doze weh I mi de ina because I always have to worry about my lee bwai ney. Because to me, they da wah target to the police, you know. And I always have to de pon my guards. I deh soh dih pray fi ney lee bwai every night not knowing it would happen close to home. And anyway, my son, I hear somebody come in the yard, so I pop my back blinds. And I pop my black blinds. I hear the person the run gwen soh, so when I look, I see dah my son, I sih halla fi ah, Jaylon, Jaylon, Jaylon but ih noh look back. He mi have on the same clothes he had on from all day, he mi tell me he need fi wash. H e neva had no clean clothes, a white shirt and a black pants da dat he mi have on. Continue run, but I noh tek it like that. So I gone inside gone tend to the baby because I dih do wa lee babysitting for my niece. And after that, when I look one of his friends come and after that I she Cory you noh see Jaylon because I just mishalla fih ah and ih run through the yard yah and ih noh stop. Da weh I did tell Cory and Cory seh miss Sher I just left Jaylon and Jaylon gone up the street. She ih di come back right now, ih gwen fi something. And I tell ah I just left Jaylon di eat some macaroni. He she miss Sher, I noh know, I noh know and he gone and after wa lee while, he come back. Cory come halla fii me and she miss Sherilee, da Jaylon ney shot and Jaylon look like he collapse over in the yard ova deh soh. Police deh round ah and ney no wah move ah. Miss Sherilee come emk ney move your son.That weh he di tell me right.”
Barrow said that she arrived at the scene as quickly as possible and found her son bleeding from a gunshot wound. Jones was taken into police custody shortly after.
Sherilee Barrow
“And I put on my clothes, jump and I got through there and I run through deh soh. And the whole neighborhood, dih rail up because they have inna the yard, and a whole amount of police circled around ah and they don’t want to move ah, right? And so I dih fight through ney, dih referee through ney, like dih bustle through ney, hustling and bustling between me and my daughter, the fight through fi get to he. And after that I halla fi ah and dat da howe he finally hear me. And he she m ma ma ney shot me ma. And after that I said please help my son. Please go to the hospital. Please go to the hospital. Officer seh I wa ker ah right now.That’s what he said. I wa ker ah right now. That’s what he said, And after that I said unu please help me but all ah ney just stand up and watch me. So after that I get weh from ney, and I pop round ney. And after that I gone hold my son in my hand and ask my son who hurt him. My son she ma when that happen, I noh know weh happen.. Ih she everybodt start to run and I end up get shot. I don’t know who shot me. Dah weh he dih tell me. Right? So when that done happen, all the police come and fight he fah me and they pick up and put he in the truck back.”
Barrow explained that she, her daughter and son-in-law followed the police to the station. She claims that upon arrival she was met with opposition from the police. She said that they pleaded for officers to take her son to the hospital for medical attention. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, however, said that would go against protocol.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“As you know, there is a standing protocol that we, um, Do not transport injured persons to the hospital. The police only transport the dead Injured persons are to be transported by the ambulance and so the police officers had took the young man to the Mahogany station Awaiting the ambulance to arrive so the ambulance could have transported him to the hospital For me, I personally would not want for the police to have escorted him For the main fact that he is the same one who had shot at the police Secondly, it was the same police officers that he had shot at who had him in custody. So to avoid any speculations, I would have preferred the ambulance to take him. I saw a live last night where, um, persons were going off and saying that the police had the man in the vehicle to bleed to death. Let me say the man’s injuries were, were, was not life threatening. The bleeding had stopped because they had tied it up with something and, uh, the police were just waiting for the ambulance to come and take him. Seeing that the ambulance took too long, the police eventually took him to the hospital. But again, persons were flustered because they were not allowed to go near the police vehicle. And that could be for the simple fact that when you have a person who is, um, accused of killing another, um, in the same area, you wouldn’t want to have any anybody approach the vehicle that he would be in because what if it would have been associated with the person, person that he had killed who would have want them to come and just kill him in the police vehicle. So police had to make sure that the accused was safe while in their care at that particular moment.”
Barrow maintains that her son was not the type to associate with gang members, nor did he have any conflict with his neighbors. She said that she was unaware that a second person had been detained for the murder and firmly believes her son is not familiar with any of the parties involved.
Britney Gordon
“Was there any conflict that your son was involved at anyone in the area recently?”
Sherilee Barrow
“No ma’am, and if my son be doing anything or involved in anything, I’ll be the first one to know everything cuz he always come confide in me. One thing my kids say, I raised him in a type of way they don’t hide nothing from me ma’am My son don’t have no conflict with nobody or nothing like that”
Brother-in-law of the victim, Joseph Camp stated that the family is prepared to take legal action against the department if necessary. He claims that the department is discriminating against his family members and alleges that both he and his mother-in-law were assaulted and pepper sprayed the night of the incident.
Joseph Camp
Joseph Camp, Brother-in-law of Shooting Victim
“So, we filed a, uh, a professional standards report this morning with the police department. We do intend to hire lawyers to prosecute every legal remedy that you are afforded. I do have my legal team in the United States aware of this, the U. S. Embassy as well, um, and I intend to seek every legal recourse for myself, my in laws, and my brother in law. Uh, reviewing what I spoke with the detectives this morning, they do not have any physical evidence connecting my brother-in-law to the shooting of What they have is speculation and they have a profiling of my brother in law, which I believe is very disturbing and very disgusting.”
With these recent incidents in southside Belize City, Police Commissioner Chester Williams says that the state of emergency needs to be extended for a longer period and expanded to the PIV gang area. He says that officers have been arresting men in that area believed to be gang members since Wednesday night.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police “There are gang members who are involved in this matter. The suspects are from the PIV gang area. And you will know that when the SOE began, I had said that even though Martins, was a part of the proclamation we would not go after marathons, but as they were behaving. This has now changed that picture, and so certainly, we will have to deal with those persons from the PIV and they have to form part of the SOE. Again, I am pushing, to see if we can have the SOE extended for the simple fact that we believe that some of these young men have still not really gotten the message, and we need more time to be able to properly investigate those persons who are under the SOE. The one month period would not, would not suffice. So, I’m seeking to see if we can get it extended for another month.”
