Clearing Mangroves for Public Good

Athletes and everyday folks who use the Marion Jones Sporting Complex for training or exercise have had to share space with crocodiles and navigate through overgrown mangroves. But that might change soon. Cyclist Colville Murillo has been raising the alarm for weeks, urging for the mangroves to be trimmed for public safety. He’s reported sightings of crocodiles, snakes, and raccoons emerging from the dense vegetation. However, clearing the mangroves isn’t a simple task. Tonight, there’s good news for Murillo and everyone else. The Forestry Department has given the green light to alter the mangroves. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the full report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Every day, you can spot people of all ages making their laps, whether on foot or bike, at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex. However, a growing safety concern has emerged recently. The tall mangroves have created a blind spot along the track, making an area that was once visible from anywhere in the stadium now barely noticeable even from the highest bleachers. Here’s what one evening runner had to say about it.

 

Voice of: Concerned Citizen

“The outside track I work with, it is ok, except after the bush, those mangroves is too high for me. When it gets dark I don’t want to do anymore exercise and I want to stay out and do more exercise after hours.”

 

Paul Lopez

“What is the concern for you, safety?”

 

Voice of: Concerned Citizen

“Yes, safety. I have heard about, crocodiles and snakes and racoon and I am afraid of those.”

 

This young athlete shared similar sentiments.

 

Liliana Stein, Concerned Citizen

“So far since I come back the bush needs to cut, because the bush never this tall and like you have one two holes in the track that needs to be fixed.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Do you feel safe at night with the bush so high?”

 

Liliana Stein

“No, I don’t. I don’t stay out here this late. But I am here because of my sister.”

 

Cyclist Colville Murillo shares these concerns. For weeks, he’s been navigating the bureaucratic maze to get the necessary approval to trim the mangroves and make the track safer. He’s also eager to revive cycling events at the stadium. However, since mangroves are protected in Belize, it’s not as simple as just bringing in landscaping equipment to clear the area.

 

Colville Murillo, Cyclist

“One evening I came out and I saw a racoon, a huge racoon and a huge snake. Then I realized the mangrove on this side is way too high then the people in the bleachers couldn’t see me. If anything should happen, not only to me, but anybody that is walking around you might have a problem, or anybody could be hiding in the bush to attack a female. So that was one of my main concerns to try and get the place clean up and see if we could have more sports in the stadium than on the streets.”

 

When we caught up with Murillo in late January, he shared his frustrations. He had approached the National Sports Council but hit a dead end. Undeterred, he turned to the Belize Cycling Federation, which pledged to fund the initiative. The Belize Central Prison even agreed to provide the labor. However, clearing mangroves isn’t straightforward, it requires approval from the Forest Department. So, we reached out to Wilber Sabido, the Chief Forest Officer, for more information.

 

Wilber Sabido, Chief Forest Officer

“It is a requirement by law for anyone who is interested in altering mangroves, which is essentially cutting down mangroves in layman speak, or to trim mangroves which is essentially cutting the branches off any of the three mangroves species, the red, black and white. Once the applicant is successful and receives their permit, they can go ahead with either the alteration or the trimming.”

 

News Five confirmed that an application was submitted to the department following Murillo’s persistent outcry for something to be done. And today, Sabido gave us good news.

 

Wilber Sabido

“What I am seeing is that there are patched of mangroves all along the interior track and they want to do trimming and altering of the mangroves for aesthetics and safety. I know there was an incident with crocodiles seen in the area because of the condition of the area. We did our inspection and found that there was an incident with crocodiles being seen in the area because of the condition of the area. We did our inspections and found that there are patches of mangroves and we asked for the administrator to submit and application and based on the recommendation form our site assessment. We decided it is something we can proceed with so that it serves in this instance for public good.”

 

Sabido also mentioned that there are plans to relocate the crocodiles currently residing on the grounds. However, he pointed out that the stadium’s fence needs an upgrade to prevent these reptiles from getting in again.

 

Murillo

“It is either one or the other. Where there are reptiles or things like that we got to separate ourselves, because you could never tell when something is going to happen, or outburst is going to happen. The main factor is you can’t see if there is something happening on the other side. You cant tell what is happening.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez