As Earth Day 2025 approaches, the Belize Audubon Society is inviting the public to become “Greening Across Belize Ambassadors” by participating in a nationwide tree-planting campaign. The initiative, aimed at promoting environmental awareness and action, offers Belizeans a chance to pick up a free mahogany tree to plant in their communities.
The tree giveaway begins today, and will continue while supplies last. Participants can collect their trees from two key locations:
Guanacaste National Park, or
Belize Audubon Society’s office in Belize City, located at #16 Taiwan Street, across from Memorial Park.
By encouraging citizens to plant native trees like mahogany, BAS hopes to support reforestation efforts, reduce carbon emissions, and beautify the nation.
Participants are also encouraged to scan the QR code or visit https://bit.ly/4i86tnu to log the location where they plant their tree. This will help the Belize Audubon Society track the impact of the campaign and monitor the growth and health of the trees over time.
At least 98 people were killed and 160 injured early Tuesday when the roof of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo collapsed during a merengue concert attended by politicians and athletes.
Rescue crews continued searching for survivors nearly 12 hours after the collapse, using drills, wood planks, and hand tools to sift through the rubble. Authorities focused on three areas inside the one-story building where faint sounds were reportedly heard.
Among the victims was Nelsy Cruz, governor of Montecristi and sister of MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz. She called the president shortly after the collapse, saying she was trapped. Officials later confirmed she died at the hospital, AP reported.
The Belizean government held a crucial follow-up consultation on Tuesday to assess the impact of President Trump’s 10% reciprocal tariff policy on the country.
A release says that the meeting built upon last week’s discussions at the Central Bank and brought together a wide range of businesses, from small enterprises to major exporters, alongside key industry associations.
The meeting was led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Culture and Immigration, Francis Fonseca, and Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Marconi Leal. The session addressed the challenges posed by the tariff on Belize’s export sectors. Participants expressed concerns over rising costs, disrupted trade, and competitive pressure, particularly due to shipping uncertainties.
While businesses showed a willingness to explore diversification strategies, they stressed the need for government support to lower domestic business costs.The issues will be taken to Cabinet. The government says it will engage with U.S. authorities to seek clarifications and possible exemptions.
In just an hour, the community will come together for a public meeting. The hot topic? The proposed development of Cayo Rosario, which plans to introduce overwater structures right within the cherished Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Last week, key environmental agencies gave the green light to the Cayo Rosario project, sparking objections from several tourism-related groups in San Pedro. The project was initially approved in 2018 after meeting various environmental requirements, and its Environmental Compliance Plan was updated in 2020. At their recent meeting, the Department of the Environment and other regulatory agencies assured that the project would be closely monitored to ensure compliance with environmental standards. However, concerned groups argue that the project is already violating environmental laws protecting the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, where Cayo Rosario is located. News Five’s Marion Ali has more on this story.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Welcome to Cayo Rosario, a six-acre island located west of San Pedro Town, about six miles away, and just a couple of miles across the sea from the newly developed Secret Beach. This privately owned island is at the center of a controversial development proposal to build forty rooms over the sea, which involves driving piles into the seabed to support the structures and piers. This interference with the marine environment is what has islanders up in arms. Roberto Canul, chairman of the San Pedro Tour Operators Association, shares their concerns.
Roberto Canul
Roberto Canul, Chairman, San Pedro Tour Operators Association
“They are building right now a demo building. That means that they are going to show these demo buildings to future buyers. So that means that they’re here to cash in. They’re going to sell these buildings. There’s 40 of them that will go up for sale. And where are they positioned? Where are they being built over the waters. If you need to fill your land, fine, you need to fill your land. But how will you fill your land? Will you fill your land by destroying the ecosystem around it for your benefit? I believe that no. I believe that if you need to develop your land, you need to do it in a way that is not affecting the livelihood of other people, especially the local people in the community.”
Today, we took a boat trip around Cayo Rosario and saw some concerning developments. On the left side of the island, heavy duty equipment was in the sea, with about twenty piles driven into the seabed. Further left, there was a strip of sand bordered by cement blocks. On the right side, a concrete structure was under construction over the sea, about two hundred feet from the island, supported by piles and connected to a pier. This pier in the seabed is what has tour operators and fishermen from nearby San Pedro upset. The former Director of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Miguel Alamilla, is backing their concerns.
Miguel Alamilla
Miguel Alamilla, Former Director, Hol Chan Marine Reserve
“I think we need to scrutinize those environmental impact assessments in greater detail. You know, those researchers are maybe not questionable, but they’re not doing in-depth research that would actually give us proper information about those sites, not only onsite biological research, but social research, local knowledge, traditional knowledge that is here. It’s present and it’s valuable. We worked very hard from 2011 and onwards to extend the marine reserve to include all those areas. So it was a lot of hard work and when it was established in 2015, the reserve was extended. We thought, well, it was a big win for us for conservation, and we thought that, okay, everything was nice and beautiful, safe for conservation. But as you can see today, there are some gaps in the legislation, I believe that is allowing this to proceed.”
Minister of Blue Economy and Area Representative for Belize Rural South, Andre Perez, declined our interview request today. Instead, he pointed us to his appearance on Reef Radio and TV this morning. During the show, Perez emphasized that the Cayo Rosario project would require close monitoring and expressed his belief that the island should never have been sold in the first place.
Andre Perez
Andre Perez, Area Representative, Belize Rural South
“Yes, the issue of Cayo Rosario in the very beginning should have never occurred, but it did. And it changed hands, sold. So a lot of people made money before it got to us, from the previous government back then in the P.U.P. days, if you want to call it, that’s when it was sold for land compensation. And then the next government continued when it could have stopped it and said, listen, if you are going to sell this to another person, you must inform who whoever is buying, you must tell them about the requirements. The not only requirements, but the risk that entails buying an island in terms of being on a marine reserve.”
News Five spoke with a representative from the Cayo Rosario project who wished to remain anonymous. While they declined an interview, they mentioned that Cayo Rosario was purchased before that section was declared part of the marine reserve, which was expanded in 2015. Tonight, concerned tourism groups are holding a public meeting in San Pedro to discuss the project. Marion Ali for News Five.
As San Pedro residents gear up for tonight’s 7 p.m. public meeting on the controversial Cayo Rosario development, Mayor Wally Nunez has just returned from Clearwater, Florida. There, he’s been in talks with officials to establish a sister-city partnership focused on marine conservation. Earlier today, News Five caught up with Clearwater resident and attorney Greg Crist, who shared more details about this exciting collaboration.
Greg Crist
Greg Crist, Attorney-at-law
“This was something that my partner, Michael Estephan, came up with. He was actually searching for a sister-city relationship with San Pedro and he reached out to me because of the unique proximity of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium building a facility in Gales Point. And so, the connection between the city of Clearwater and San Pedro had a unique connection through the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Mayor Wally’s visit was really quite historic, in terms of being more than a symbolic gesture. This is truly a step towards an international relationship that’s gonna be rooted in marine conservation, cultural exchange and sustainable ecotourism.”
Isani Cayetano
“What other features of this partnership do we, as Belizeans, look forward to from Clearwater?”
Greg Crist
“Well there’s gonna be significant opportunities in blue economy jobs. Mayor Wally’s project right now is completing phase one which is initiating the sister-city relationship with the city of Clearwater. He came to Clearwater, this is his second visit, by the way, his first visit was a workshop to begin developing regional ties. That’s stakeholders and collaborators within the business realm that would support the relationship, working on cultural exchange educational opportunities, exchanges with business opportunities and some best practices towards coastal conservation, and that’s a very significant element for Mayor Wally right now. With manatees, dolphins and sea turtles and the ecosystems that those critical marine species need to survive. We have a very unique biosystem in San Pedro and it’s important that Clearwater Marine Aquarium and San Pedro develop an international marine center to study this Mesoamerican Reef and more importantly the species that call it home.”
In December 2024, construction began on the Belize Marine Rescue and Educational Center in Gales Point Village, located at Southern Lagoon. This center will be open to the public, providing a unique opportunity to see the efforts to protect Belize’s precious marine wildlife up close. Greg Crist, along with the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, has played a key role in making this initiative a reality.
Greg Crist
Greg Crist, Attorney-at-law
“There has been a groundbreaking facility, that project is a fully funded facility. That hospital will go forward, it will be built and it will be a critical environment for not only manatees but perhaps other species. What we’re talking about in San Pedro is a support component that will work very, very closely in hand. Belize is going to be a world-class center for marine science, and this is what [Mayor] Nunez has been focused on in his visits here at Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Florida.”
According to the Belize District Station Officer Gladstone Bucknor, Sunday’s fire on Hunter’s Lane in Belize City was an abandoned building that squatters were using to stay in. He told reporters today, “The first building appears to be abandoned, but it’s under investigation. We believe squatters were staying there.”
Bucknor stated that the fire department was alerted at around 2:30 in the afternoon, and three fire trucks responded to the scene.
The fire damaged a neighbouring apartment building. Bucknor said the blaze severely damaged the ground floor of a nearby apartment, home to two families. “The first floor was completely destroyed, and the ground floor received significant heat and water damage,” Bucknor added.
A nearby resident, Joan Lightburn, told News 5, “The house was abandoned over there. It was right opposite us. And as I say, we just – I just felt the heat.”
Bucknor added that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports is facing questions over the effectiveness of the Department of Youth Services (DYS) and whether it is meeting the needs of young people. Minister of State Devin Daly revealed that there is a budget of $7.5 million shared between youth and sports. Of that figure, $7 million is spent on staff salaries, leaving only $500,000 to “really bring programmatic work and also to upkeep our facilities, utilities and all those stuff.”
Daly said this morning on Open Your Eyes that the department employs about 120 people. He explained that there have been ongoing staff displacements, with vacant positions leading to additional strain on existing staff. “Whenever a staff member is moved or transferred and the position is not filled, it displaces the staff below them,” he said.
Daly said that he has been meeting with directors alongside Minister Anthony Mahler to review the department’s work. “We have been canvassing and finding out what is the data to support the work that you have been doing and having them assess themselves. Do you think this is working? Do you think this is touching the 14-29 age group?”
According to Daly, there is a need for changes but reassured that they were not aiming to displace staff. “Changes will come, but we are not here to displace anybody who is here doing their work,” said Daly.
A species of wolf that vanished around 12,500 years ago has been brought back to life as the” “world’s first successfully de-extincted animal,” according to Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based biotech company.
Scientists at Colossal Biosciences successfully created three dire wolf pups by manipulating the genes of grey wolves using ancient DNA, cloning, and gene-editing technologies.
Ben Lamm, Colossal’s CEO, called this “a massive milestone.” According to CNN, the pups are currently housed on a secure 2,000-acre site, where they are being monitored.
The dire wolf, a formidable predator that once roamed North America, is closely related to the modern grey wolf.
Colossal’s team used DNA extracted from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull to recreate the animal’s genome. The result is a hybrid species that resembles the extinct dire wolf, with distinct features such as a wider head and thicker fur, according to CNN.
While some experts question whether the pups can truly be considered dire wolves, Colossal remains focused on the broader implications for de-extinction and conservation efforts.
The technology used could eventually aid in saving endangered species by enhancing genetic diversity.
