Placencia, Belize News, Year 2000

Monday, November 20, 2000

Restaurants and Bars. Just opened - Tipsy Tuna (Placencia Village's only 3-story building) and Bella Beach, Placencia Village's only Italian restaurant (and very good, we hear - may have to try it tonight). Both places are next door to each other, just south of Sea Spray, Ranguana Lodge and Julia and Lawrence's Guesthouse.

Road. In pretty good shape, believe it or not. (Would we lie?)

Thursday, November 17, 2000

Airfares: Maya-Island Air has announced a price increase of approximately 15% (we hear it's 26% in Corozal). Fares between Placencia and Belize City are as follows:

International/Placencia: $147 USD roundtrip; $73.50 USD one-way
Municipal/Placencia: $112 USD roundtrip; $62 USD one-way (Note, the Municipal fares may be incorrect because roundtrip fares are usually double the one-way fare. These fares were given to us by a Maya-Island representative in San Pedro - they were not part of the press release announcing the fare increases.)

Tropic Air has not yet released its new fares. However, Brian Yearwood, the Tropic Air Station Manager in Placencia, tells us that he understands that Tropic fares will increase only by 10%.

Wednesday, November 15, 2000

Road: Drying up quickly. Also, Minister of Public Works and "Sort of" Area Representative, Henry Canton, reported at a meeting in Placencia last week that the Placencia road from the dock to Village Inn would be paved within the next 8 months. (Canton is the "Sort of" Area Representative because of an odd split - the Peninsula is in the Stann Creek District (Canton is the Area Rep. for western Stann Creek) for judicial and government purposes. However, it is in the Toledo District for electoral purposes. The result has been that Placencia really has no representation. Canton has been acting like the Area Representative for Placencia lately, though.)

Resorts and Hotels: An ad in the paper this past week solicited employees for the "Blancaneux Turtle Inn." Guess that means the new ownership is official. Denys Barrow's new 4-unit guesthouse on the sidewalk just south of Omar's is now slated for completion by January 1.

Costs. Several recent gasoline price increases, plus rising food costs resulting from Hurricane Keith, have led to price increases in the local tourism industry - primrily for tours. Land tour prices have increased by about $5 USD per person, while fishing rates have increased about $25 - $30 USD per boat. Not all lodging facilities have increased rates, but many have, so make sure to double check rates before booking. Tropic Air and Maya-Island Air fares are also going up in December, but we're not sure by how much yet.

Tuesday, November 7, 2000

Resorts: Singing Sands has a new marketing manager, Ron DeCrane. Email is rdecrane@penton.com.

Friday, November 3, 2000

Restaurants/Bars.

Dockside Bar in Placencia Village is under the new management of Glenn Eiley (Placencia Village Council chairman) and Phil O'Clereigh of Maya Beach (Phil's wife, Margaret O'Clereigh, is the comptroller for Fyffe Produce, the major exporters of bananas in the area. Phil and Glenn are renovating Dockside and will have satellite TV for sporting events, plus deli sandwiches. This month's schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays - European World Cup Soccer; Saturdays - English Premier Soccer; and Nov. 11th - Lewis fight. The traditional ring toss tournament will still be on Sundays. Winners of the ring toss receive a bottle of rum (which we locals insist be consumed at the bar - and NOT taken home).

Wood for building is again available (it all went to San Pedro and Caye Caulker after Hurricane Keith). Therefore, Jake's Purple Space Monkey Internet Cafe is proceeding with expansion plans and will be adding 4 new email stations. They also plan to add dinner service.

Fishing.

	November starts the dry season, so snook and juvenile tarpon action should be picking up at Monkey River.
	The mutton snapper action off the docks and beaches is slowing down (average catch was around 24 per day - Kevin caught 42 one day last week - could have caught more but he ran out of bait).
	Try throwing in a line from the beach in December, January and February - reasonable chance of catching juvenile tarpon and and some good-sized snook in the early morning and late evening - use a light spininng rod (10-20# test) with small Mirrolures, spoons, lead head jigs with soft plastic bodies and live bait (try buying some conch or lobster head meat from the Placencia Village Co-op at the dock). Especially good is the sandy point just north of the Placencia Village dock. If you have some spinning gear, bring it even if you just plan to primarily snorkel - the cayes are good for fishing directly from shore (except from Laughing Bird - fishing is not allowed there and only catch and release from the Silk Cayes). (Kevin says its against the laws of fishing to have a rod and not bring it with you.)
	Seeing quite a few tarpon around right now out at the cayes. December and January should be especially good for big tarpon down in Deep River and Punta Ycacos area (80-200 pounds).
	For flyfishing anglers who just want a little fun on a 5-6 weight, yellowtail snappers and jacks should provide some nice action through the winter months.
	Trolling for large black groupers should be very good after the full moon in November, December and January. Bottom fishing for Strawberry Groupers (and occasionally Nassau Grouper and big yellowtail snapper) will also be good in January and February. Let us know ahead of time if you want to take home fish fillets so that we can get you a permit to export your fish (25 pounds or less). Also, make sure to bring a cooler.

Roads. What can we say? Rain is letting up, so hopefully the muck will dry out soon. Unfortunately, that may mean some whopper potholes. We saw a grader up in the Maya Beach area on Monday, but the roads were still very wet, so don't know whether Monday's grading will do much good.

Resorts, Hotels and Guesthouses.

	Luba Hati just re-opened for the season.
	In December, Denys Barrow will open a new 4-unit guesthouse just south of Omar's on the sidewalk in Placencia Village. (Denys is the Belize City lawyer who just obtained an injunction to prevent BTL from shutting down Net2Phone and Dialpad access via the Internet.) Each unit will be fully furnished, with air conditioning, 2 bedrooms, full kitchen and bath, living room, veranda, private balcony off each bedroom, cable television and phone. Each unit will rent for $100 USD per night, double occupancy.
	Verly and Mike (of Placencia Grocery in Placencia Village) are nearing completion of 2 new two-bedroom apartments on the Placencia Lagoon. Each apartment is fully furnished, with two bedrooms, full kitchen and bath, living area, large veranda. Rent is $500 USD per month, or $350 USD per week.
	Sandi Johnson (former bartender extraordinaire at Lagoon Saloon) is now heading up office operations at Nautical Inn.
	Rum Point Inn has new managers, John White and Nicola Smith from Australia (no, Corol and George haven't left, just slowing down a little).

Snorkeling, Diving and Monkey River Tours.

	Calbert Gardiner of Nite Wind Guide Service at the Placencia dock has just purchased a new 26' boat with twin 115 hp Yamaha engines, sound system, and comfortable ride for up to 22 people. Offering trips to the cayes and Monkey River.
	Nautical Inn is finishing up construction of a new dive boat, the Happy Banana. 35-foot with twin 200 hp Yamaha engines, should be up and running by Nov. 25, 2000 - should be fast and comfortable.

Civic. Local Village Council elections for Placencia Village and Seine Bight have been postponed until March. Work is proceeding on the renovation of the Placencia Village school (which will also double as a hurricane shelter).

Thursday, October 19, 2000

Transportation. Z-Line has changed its route schedule . . . again!

Placencia to Dangriga: 5 am, 6 am and 9:30 am daily (no longer an afternoon bus).

Dangriga to Placencia: 12:15 pm, 3 pm and 6 pm. daily.

Restaurants/Bars. The Lagoon Saloon sale fell through, so Mike and Bonnie are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Road. Continuing rain has made the road awful, terrible, rotten, ugly and inhospitable - - fly!

Friday, October 13, 2000

Resorts. Well, for once, the rumor mill seems to have come up with some accurate information! Francis Ford Coppola's people from Blancaneux Lodge are here and up to their eyeballs in renovations of Turtle Inn (next to Kitty's Place). This should be interesting . . . and could be good for Placencia Village, since it will give us a luxury lodging facility close to the Village. Wonder if they'll have a big opening night party? The Bahia Laguna Beach Resort (Seine Bight Village) is for lease. Seven rooms, restaurant, pool, owner's loft, caretakers dwelling, 288' prime beach. No information on lease rate.

Road Conditions. The Peninsula road isn't that much worse than it ever is - still potholes, ruts, etc. However, some roads up north and west are in poor condition or actually underwater as rains continue (a stationary cold front over the Yucatan is bringing all the rain). If you're coming to Placencia within the next couple of weeks, we'd suggest flying. Unfortunately, the road conditions are making it a little difficult to get supplies into Placencia just now. So if you're visiting, don't expect a lot of fancy food (as if you would, anyway).

Halloween. Big Halloween Bash at Pickled Parrot. Get your costumes ready! The Pickled Parrot is having a Costume Halloween Party on Saturday, October 28th at 9pm. Lots of prizes for costumes, games and the first Halloween Trick or Drink walkabout in the village! Donations for the Hurricane Keith Relief will be accepted to help out our friends in Caye Calker. For more information, call 23230.

Monday, October 9, 2000

New Resident. A belated welcome to our newest resident, Zeke John Arnold (8.5 pounds, 21.5"), born on September 23, 2000 to parents Maija Lee Priebe and Allen Glenford Arnold. Zeke's already stirring things up and keeping Maija and Allen from getting too bored this fall. Congratulations, Maija and Allen - - and hang in there - it'll only be 20 more years or so!

Weather. Rain almost every night. Clearing up nicely by about 7 every morning. Hot, but with a light breeze. Fish seem to like it, and the diving and snorkeling are very good right now.

Wednesday, October 4, 2000 Placencia, Belize: Aftermath of Keith, October 4, 2000

Hurricane Keith. Keith is gone, but not forgotten. As illustrated by the picture to the left, taken this morning at Kitty's Place, Placencia escaped unscathed with no property damage or personal injuries (well, there was that old thatch covered boatshed in the Lagoon that collapsed, but everyone was wondering why it hadn't collapsed a long time ago).

Unfortunately, northern Belize was not so lucky. Flooding is of primary concern right now, as is getting suppplies out to San Pedro and Caye Caulker where Keith did the most damage. Although we don't yet know the extent of the damage to either, we do know that damage was extensive. Also, one casualty has been confirmed - that of an American woman who owned a house on San Pedro. She was apparently a crew member transporting a chartered Catamaran to south San Pedro. Another crew member was found unconscious and three crew members are still missing. See our Severe Weather Page for additional details on Hurricane Keith.

Roads. Believe it or not, the road is no worse than usual. Rains brought by Keith were not particularly heavy - no worse than a winter norther.

Saturday, September 30, 2000

Hurricane Watch. Placencia is south of Keith, so we don't seem to be in any danger. Weather is cloudy, with light sprinkles from time to time. Light/moderate winds from the west, sea is pretty calm. Further Hurricane Keith reports for Placencia will be posted on our Severe Weather Page.

Accommodations. Rumor is that Francis Ford Coppola purchased Turtle Inn. Rumor not yet confirmed. Denys Barrow is building a 4-unit guesthouse just south of the school on the west side of the sidewalk. Each unit will have 2-bedrooms, air conditioning, full kitchen and a living area. Barracuda and Jaguar Inn (including the Pickled Parrot Restaurant), Placencia Village, is available for $325,000 USD.

Restaurants. Omar's has just finished an expansion on the north side of the existing building. Purple Space Monkey Internet Cafe is building an addition for more computers. The Sea Monkey is changing management (no details yet).

Gift Shops. One World has also expanded on the south side of its building. Some really nice new items, too.

Road. Paving still not completed - don't ask.

Sunday, August 20, 2000

Utilities. Water service was finally restored after about 36 hours, and the electricity seems to e hanging in there. Once again safe to visit Placencia without a nose plug.

Weather. August weather seems to have finally settled down into its normal pattern of nice days and rainy nights.

Environment and Beer. Barry Bowen, an Belize senator (appointed position), owner of Belikan Beer, the Belize Coca Cola� distributorship, Chan Chich Resort and who knows what else, seems to be on a rampage. This week's newspapers (all of them - The Reporter, The Amandala, The Belize Times (the PUP paper - Mr. Bowen's political party) and The Guardian (the opposition UDP party newsaper) published an article by BB denouncing all environmentalists as enemies of Belize. (Hmmm...is Belize an eco-tourist destination or was that all in our imagination?) Seems BB doesn't like environmentalists OR business competition. At least that's the impression we received from an article in this weekend's Guardian which claims BB influenced the government to stop the sale of all imported beer in the Corozal Free Zone. Since Belize has not yet enacted copyright law regulations, we've provided copies of BB's article, the beer article, and an article from The Belize Times supporting BB's environmental positions.

Interestingly, the World Conservation Congress just passed the following resolution concerning the Chalillo Dam (environmental groups seeking to stop the am were among the groups blasted by Mr. Bowen in his article):

THE REPORTER Sunday, August 13, 2000, p. 13: World Conservation Congress condemns Chalillo Dam project

The World Conservation Congress (WCC) has urged the government of Belize, Belize Electricity Limited, its parent company Fortis and related financial interests to give up plans for a second large dam on the Macal river. The resolution, passed at a WCC meeting in Amman, Jordan last week, is quoted in full below:

Recognizing that the tropical forests of Belize provide some of the richest and best preserved habitat for endangered flora and fauna in Central America;

Recognizing the large proportion of natural areas of Belize which are protected under Belizean law;

Recognizing the efforts of the government of Belize to maintain and preserve these protected natural areas;

Noting, in particular, that the Macal River Valley provides important habitat for endangered species of international value, such as the jaguar, Morelet’s crocodile, and Belize’s national animal, the Central American tapir (Tapirus bairdii);

Noting that the upper Macal and Raspaculo rivers are included in IIJCN’s Tapir Action Plan as one of the last strongholds in Central America for the Central American tapir;

Noting that the Macal River Valley contains a floral flood-plain habitat, classified as riparian shrublands, in hills which are found in less than .3% of the area of Belize;

Noting that 80% of this habitat, or 45.3 square kilometers, is found along the Macal and Raspaculo rivers;

Noting that recent studies have found the only known nesting sites for an endangered subspecies of Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao cyanoptera) in the Raspaculo and Upper Macal River Valley, most of them along this "floodplain" habitat;

Noting that it is likely that fewer than 200 individuals of this species of Scarlet Macaw remain in Belize;

Aware that the IUCN has adopted a recent Action Plan to save the world’s threatened parrots;

Noting that the Scarlet Macaw (Ma macao), and many other species which inhabit the Macal River Valley, are listed in CITES Appendix I;

Noting that the local subspecies of the Scarlet Macaw is morphologically distinct from the nominate subspecies and that the range of the local subspecies is restricted to extreme Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Noting that the local subspecies is more threatened than the nominate subspecies.

Noting that a dam was built on the Lower Macal River in the early 1990’s known as the Mollejon dam;

Noting that the Belize Electricity Limited, a private company, majority owned by Fortis, Inc. of Canada, has submitted documentation to the Belizean National Environmental Advisory Council of the Belize government proposing to build a second dam in the Macal River Valley, known as the Chalillo Project;

Noting that the Chalillo Project would flood parts of the legally designated Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, Chiquibul Forest Reserve, and parts of the Chiquibul National Park;

Noting that the area to be flooded also includes much of the floodplain habitat of Belize, and most of the nesting sites known in Belize for Ara macao cyanoptera;

Noting that important habi tat for numerous other endangered species would be flooded;

Aware that the Belizean National Environmental Advisory Council found the documentation by Belizean Electricity Limited inadequate due to its lack of any documentation on the possible effects of the dam on wildlife;

The World Conservation Congress at its 2nd Session in Amman, Jordan, 4-11 October 2000:

Urges Belize Electricity Limited, and its majority owner, Fortis Inc. to discontinue plans to develop any hydroelectric facilities which would affect the Chiquibul Forest Reserve or Chiquibul National Park;

Urges the National Environmental Advisory Council of Belize to reject any plans to build a dam in the Macal River Valley;

Calls on the Government of Belize to maintain its record of environmental stewardship, ensure the continued protection of the endangered species of the Macal River Valley, and prevent the construction of the Chalillo Dam Project in the Macal River Valley.

Saturday, August 12, 2000

We're all Just One Big Thirsty, Malodorous Family. Electrical storms blew out a transformer in Independence. Unfortunately, the transformer supplies the electrical power to pump water to Placencia. We've been out since around 2:00 p.m. on Friday (it's now 9:00 a.m. on Saturday). Managed to scrounge 2 cases of 500 ml. water from Wallen's Grocery this morning (they're out of gallon jugs and liter bottles - in fact, Pearl bursts into peals of laughter at the mere mention of water). Thunderstorms all night last night prevented repairs. We're hoping mid-day today. The electricity was supposed to be cut last night around 8:00 p.m., but that never happened. Good thing. With the humidity today and the lack of water for washing, the US EPA might have declared Placencia out of compliance with clean air standards.

Weather. Except for Friday, the entire week was pretty much of a bust for any form of water sports (although fishing was pretty good for about 3 hours in the Lagoon on Wednesday). Tropical waves, depressions, storms, etc. kept us pretty wet and cloudy throughout the week. Figures that today is the only day we probably won't have any rain - at least we could have taken "rain showers."

Road. DON'T TAKE THE BUS IF YOU CAN AVOID IT!!!!! On Wednesday, the road up around Maya Beach resembled a very wet moonscape and it's not much better in the Village today.

LobsterFest 2001. Dates are June 30 and July 1, 2001. Caye Caulker registered the name "LobsterFest" and claims we can't use it. Sounds pretty generic to us - any intellectual property experts out there with an opinion? (We promise not to hold you to it - at least not until the Belize courts increase their damages awards for legal malpractice - we do need that sewage system for the Peninsula, remember?) Planned for next year: more booths, night lighting, more children's activities.

Casinos on the Cayes. Contrary to the rumor mill, Mr. Sosa, Permanent Secretary of Trade, claims to know of no applications for casino licenses in the Placencia area. Word on the sidewalk has it that the Gaming Commission is allowing applications to be made without designating a geographic location for the casino (apparently contrary to the gaming law). We didn't ask him that question, having momentarily forgotten that one of the skills needed for success in Belize is to figure out the right question to ask - because no one is going to volunteer information.

Friends of Laughing Bird Caye. A Peace Corps volunteer has been assigned to Placencia to work with Friends of Laughing Bird. The PC volunteer will be concentrating on grant writing and environmental education programs. Renovation of the old Placencia Dive Shop at the dock is almost finished. When completed it will house offices for the Village Council, Friends of Laughing Bird Caye and the Tour Guide Association. We believe public restrooms are also in the plans.

Gladden Spit/Whale Shark Certification. An emergency law passed by the Belize National Assembly several months ago requires special licensing for whale shark tour guides. Problem is, to get the license guides have to take a special whale shark guding course. But - - there are no courses to take. The Advisory Committee formed under the emergency law is now working on putting certification courses in place for the next whale shark season in 2001. Over the next several months, a series of public meetings ("community consultations" in funding agency lingo) will be held in Hopkins, Seine Bight, Placencia, Monkey River and Independence to flesh out the emergency regulations to allow designation of the Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes area as a marine reserve.

Municipal Ordinances. The Placencia Village Council is hard at work completing initial building and development regulations for the Village. Examples of regulations likely to be enacted: 35-foot building height limitation, four-foot building setbacks, indoor plumbing and bathrooms required for all residential buildings, Council review and approval of building plans for all new buildings, including storage sheds, 6-foot height limitation on fencing (with no fences allowed east of the sidewalk).

Tourist Center. Ellie Dial has been hired as the new manager for the Placencia Tourist Center located at the Placencia Village dock area next to the gas station.

Police. Two tourist police officers have been assigned to Placencia beginning August 21. The tourist police will be replaced by newly graduated cadets sometime in November. The Placencia Water Board has contributed police housing next to the jail in Placencia Village. (No, the job of the tourist police is not to police tourists - at least not officially.)

Cruise Ships. The official Belize cruise ship policy states that one of the objectives of cruise tourism policy is "To explore . . . ports and suitable anchoring sites on the coast of Belize with a view to making additional cruise ship calls to other areas of the country, e.g. Big Creek, Placencia, etc." Ok, so now we have to worry about shrimp farms, large-scale residential development, sewage treatment AND cruise ships. This is getting to be too much like work.

Guide Licensing. A number of guides and tour operators in the area are purportedly not licensed. Belize laws require guide and tour operator licensing and tourists may be fined for booking tours with unlicensed guides (not likely, but theoretically possible). Please take the time to ask to see your guide's license - and don't accept a story about "paperwork" - the Belize Tourism Board issues guides a paper receipt until the physical laminated license becomes available. Licensed guides must complete courses in first aid (including CPR), Belize history, and natural sciences, so making sure you use a licensed guide helps ensure that your Belize experience is educational AND safe. Also, before signing up for "scientific expeditions" make sure the tour operator has a scientific research license and the promised equipment - BEFORE you get to Belize.

Border Management Fee/Airport Departure Fee. The fee is now $20 BZD for crossings into Guatemala and Mexico by non-Belizeans. The fee is creating a great deal of dissension at the Guatemala border and the Belize Hotel Association has suggested charging everyone a $1.00 BZD fee, including Belizeans. Media reports have stated that persons crossing the border and returning within 48 hours are not subject to the fee. However, the language of the new law does not include this exemption. Remember, the Airport Departure Fee is now $22.50 USD, not $15 USD.

Tuesday, August 1, 2000

Fees. The increased airport departure tax goes into effect today. The fee is now $22.50 USD instead of $15 USD. Also, a new border management departure fee becomes effective today. All tourists over the age of 12 who depart Belize from the Santa Elena border into Mexico or Guatemala must pay a departure fee of $10 USD.

Sunday, July 30, 2000

Condolences. Condolences to the family of Mrs. Gretta Young who passed away Friday evening, July 21, 2000. Mrs. Young was the wife of Carleton Young, Sr. and the mother of Brian Young (Seahorse Dive Shop), Carleton Young, Jr. and Malcolm Young.

New Pictures. New pictures of people, kids and places/things.

Hotels/Resorts/Restaurants and Bars. Bahia Laguna is closed, and we don't know when or if it will re-open. Luba Hati is closed until November, 2000. Robert's Grove plans to add several new rooms. We're told that Mike and Bonnie Cline have sold Lagoon Saloon and will soon be closing it and returning to the States for a few months to buy a sailboat for a "cruising" retirement. Jake's Internet Cafe (a/k/a Purple Space Monkey Internet Cafe) has new summer hours: 8 am-1 pm, 4 pm - 9 pm. BJ's is closed while Betty takes R&R in the States. Ellie Dial has closed Tentacles Restaurant. Mangos in Maya Beach is for sale.

Road. Still no road equipment seen paving the road. However, a grader has been dealing with potholes.

Departure Tax. As of Tuesday, August 1, 2000 it will cost $22.50 USD to get out of Belize (instead of the current amount of $15 USD). No one has ever satisfactorily answered the question of what happens if you can't pay the tax - do they make you stay?

People. Pearl Eiley is in Miami visiting friends and family. Lucy Wallen and Jodie and Norman Leslie just returned from Miami. Candy Powers and Sue Williams are working for the U.S. Park Service at the Grand Canyon. Bruce Leslie is headed for the States for a break from flyfishing. Nina Wallen is working at Aquamar Shrimp Farm in Mango Creek. Marilyn Beckstead will return from Canada on August 16. Sam is back managing the gas station.

Weather. Have had several tropical waves in the area in the last couple of weeks - nothing serious, just winds and a lot of rain.

Sunday, July 16, 2000

We apologize for our dereliction of duties in keeping this page updated. Our only excuse is that the summer has either been boom or bust. When "booming," we had no time (which has been most of the summer), when on a "bust," we were too busy recovering from the booms. Anyway, here's a quick update:

Roads. The Placencia roadwork still hasn't been completed. In fact, we haven't seen any road equipment for quite some time. The Village "elders" no longer try to blame the weather. Mostly they just sigh when questioned about when road work will start up again. The road work is being (or actually, not being ) performed by the Ministry of Public Works. However, the old road isn't in very bad shape since we haven't had any sustained period of heavy rains. Our guess is that employees and equipment are being diverted to construction of Southern Highway, which is proceeding wily nilly.

Weather. Weird. June is typically fairly calm, light breezes, moderate temperatures. July is typically wetter, windier and wilder. Not so this year. June brought lots of storms and a decent amount of rain. July has been relatively calm and hot. Blame it on the bossanova (or on the Ministry of Public Works if you'd prefer - maybe it has something to do with all the dust being kicked up from the Southern Highway construction).

LobsterFest. Steve Christensen's boat came if first in the fishing tournament with the greatest number of total points (Kevin's boat came in second). Lots of good food, including lobster fritters, lobster rangoon, lobster sandwiches, lobster chow mein, etc., etc., etc. LoveFM broadcast the entire event. Father Sam Rose, the temporary replacement for Father Bell, conducted the blessing of the boats (and captains - several people were heard to remark that Kevin needed a whole gallon of holy water all for himself).

The prayer for our fisheries:

"O almighty God, who hast made the sea, and all that move therein; Bestow thy blessing on the harvest of the waters, that it may be abundant in its season, and our sailors and fishermen, that they may be safe in every peril of the deep; so that we all with thankful hearts may acknowledge thee, who art Lord of the sea and of the dry land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

The Placencia LobsterFest is sponsored by the Placencia Tourism Center, the Placencia BTIA, the Placencia Village Council and the Placencia Fishermen's Co-op.

Placencia Cycle Classic. The Cycle Classic benefits the Placencia Village Council and proceeds are used to finance improvements to Placencia's sports facilities. First place, and a $2,500 BZD prize, went to Chris Fredericks and Santinos Jamis.

Environment. Shrimp farms and commercial and residential developments may be threatening the health of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the area's abundant mangrove forests, wildlife and marine life, and area waters such as the Placencia Lagoon, Monkey River, Sennis River and Indian Hill Lagoon.

The Placencia Lagoon is a shallow lagoon, fringed with mangroves. Studies indicate that the Lagoon may harbor the world's largest number of endangered West Indies Antillean manatee, as well as significant numbers of the endangered salt-water crocodile. Dolphins find shelter in the Lagoon and it nurtures much of the area's lobster, finfish (including tarpon and snook), crab, conch and other shellfish.

Extensive pine savanna bordering the Lagoon to the west is home to the endangered yellow-head parrot in addition to a wide variety of other wild flora and fauna, including deer, jaguars, gibnut, coatamundi and may varieties of orchids and bromeliads.

Currently, five shrimp farms are located on the Lagoon. Two new shrimp farms have been proposed and are in the process of applying for operational permits. Two expansions of existing farms are nearing final approval and expansion is almost complete for a third farm.

Little hard information is available about the Lagoon even though it was slated for formal protective status as a marine reserve in 1992. (We haven't yet been able to ferret out why reserve status has not yet materialized, but official Belize protected area maps still list the Lagoon as a proposed marine reserve).

However, the soil composition and geology of southern Belize indicate that the Placencia Lagoon is likely to have a low carrying capacity and high pollution susceptibility. A 1997 report prepared by the UNDP for the Belize Coastal Zone Mangement Authority warned that the shrimp farm industry in this area was already rapidly approaching its limit for sustainable shrimp farm production and recommended that further shrimp farm industry expansion occur elsewhere in Belize.

Local residents have already seen some decline in the area's fish stock and fear that the new and expanded shrimp farm operations, plus increasing commercial and residential development will continue to degrade the Lagoon environment - - and their livelihoods.

Belize is a small country, both in population and area. Its residents are well off by Central American standards, but too poor to provide Belize with the tax base needed for necessary infrastructure, law enforcement and environmental protection. For example, only two people in the Department of the Environment are responsible for environmental monitoring throughout the entire country.

Further, even with local community-based monitoring, little can presently be done by the national or local governments to stop or clean-up pollution of the Lagoon environment once it has begun.

The Belize government does not derive any significant tax revenues from either the shrimp farms or new developments because the national Belize government has given extremely favorable tax incentives to the shrimp farm industry, including, in some cases, perpetual tax abatement. Nationally imposed property taxes are very low and are not shared with local governments, and most municipal governments in Belize do not have the legal authority to levy local taxes.

Further, Belize has no cohesive aquaculture regulations. For example, effluent laws do not specifically address shrimp farm effluents and shrimp producers are not legally required to set-asid funds for pond reclamation or to clean-up waters polluted by pond effluent. Further, fines in Belize are too low to deter much illegal conduct. For example, the fine for illegal cutting of mangrove is only $500 BZD ($250 USD); a low enough amount to be accepted by residential and commercial developers as merely a cost of doing business.

Finally, Belize desparately needs foreign dollars - and its national government supports shrimp farm industry expansion as a way to obtain those dollars.

Concerned local citizens have organized the "Friends of Placencia Lagoon" to begin addressing the environmental threats facing the Placencia Lagoon. Goals identified include:

A baseline study of the Placencia Lagoon to document current Lagoon conditions including carrying capacity, water quality and flora and fauna using the Lagoon as natural habitat
A moratorium on futher shrimp farm approvals or expansions until a baseline study can be completed
A Peninsula-wide solid waste sewage system
On-going water quality monitoring
Enforcement of existing laws such as laws prohibiting the cutting of mangrove without a permit, including the use of private injunctive actions, as necessary
Enactment of zoning regulations for land uses affecting the Lagoon.

Please contact us for additional information about these issues. Also, Friends of Placencia Lagoon has opened a bank account at Atlantic Bank for donations. Donations may be sent to Friends of Placencia Lagoon, c/o Placencia BTIA, General Delivery, Placencia, Belize. Donations may also be made by credit card using our Credit Card Authorization Form (check Friends of Placencia Lagoon donations box).

Saturday, May 20, 2000

Roads. National budget constraints may limit paving of the Placencia Village road from the dock to the Village Inn (approximately 1 mile). Placencia Council members are lobbying the Department of Works to extend road paving to the airstrip. Council members have also requested funds for road signage. The speed limit on the paved portion of the road will be 15 mph and a number of speed bumps will be installed.

Word is that Shell has agreed to pave the gas station area at the dock.

After about 5 days of rain, the roads are in fairly bad shape with LOTS of potholes.

Weather. Rain has stopped, at least for today (which is very hot and still).

Air Transport. A Guatemalan operator has applied for a license for regularly scheduled flights between Belize City, San Pedro Sula and Guatemala City. Wouldn't THAT be great!

Community Center. The Placencia Village Council is attempting to obtain funding from the Ministry of Works for the renovation of the Placencia Community Center. Extensive renovation is needed and will be costly. Donations are welcome.

Electricity. BEL has promised a new transformer, so electric woes MAY soon be over (we still aren't holding our collective breaths, although it looks like BEL is getting ready to install something).

Annual Cycle Classic. The Placencia Village Council has voted to make the cycle race from Belize City to Placencia an annual event. Proceeds from the Classic will be used for infrastructure improvements at the soccer field across from Wallen's Grocery Store.

This year's race is on June 2 and will include food and games booths at the soccer field.

Gladden Spit Marine Reserve. The Gladden Spit Marine Reserve was officially established on Thursday, May 18, 2000, with opening ceremonies on the Silk Cayes.

The Reserve consists of a General Use Zone and a Conservation Zone.

Under new legislation establishing the Reserve:

Fishing. All fishing in an area immediately adjacent to the Silk Cayes (the Conservation Zone) is catch and release only. No fishing licenses are as yet required to fish in the any portion of the Reserve, including the Conservation Zone. Fishermen must report the weight of any fish caught within the Reserve to upon request by a Reserve ranger (of which there are none).
Tour Guides. Only tour guides with special licensing may conduct whale shark tours (snorkel or scuba). However, special licensing requires graduation from a certified whale shark course. As yet, such a course does not exist. Whether this means no one or anyone can now conduct whale shark tours is anyone's guess. Dive and snorkel guides must accompany all divers and snorkelers into the water. Maximum ratio of 8 snorkelers and 10 divers per guide permitted.
Tour Boats. Boats used for whale shark tours must also be specially licensed. A maximum boat size limitation was deleted from the final regulations. Dive and snorkel boats must approach whale sharks at idle speed (not exceeding 2 knots) and maintain idle speed in the vicinity of whale sharks. Boats may not get any closer to a whale shark than 40 feet. Dive and snorkel boats must maintain a distance of at least 200 feet between each other. Divers and snorkelers must begin dives or snorkels shortly after arriving at the site or upon encountering a whale shark. Boats must leave the whale shark area when divers and snorkelers have returned to the boat.
Prohibited Activities.
- Water skiing and jet-skiing are not allowed in the Conservation Zone (the regulations do not address this issue for the General Use Zone).
- Removal or damage of any flora, fauna or part thereof from the Zones
- Defacement or tampering with any sign, buoy or notice installed in the Area.
- Touching, chasing or molesting whale sharks.
Fees. Swimmers/snorkelers - $10 BZD per person per day. Scuba divers: $50 per person per week.
Fines. Contravention of Reserve regulations subjects the offender to a maximum fine of not more than $2,000 BZD and/or up to 6 months' imprisonment. Damage to coral can result in a fine $10,000 BZD OR a higher penalty based on actual damage, up to $1,000,000 BZD.

Saturday, May 13, 2000

Roads. Lots of road work "in the works." Seine Bight has been paved north to Augustineville. The road surface in Placencia Village is being prepared for paving from the dock to the airstrip. Grading and rolling have been completed to just south of Placencia Grocery. The Fishermen's Co-op is negotiating with Shell Belize Ltd. over the paving of the gas station pump area.

Other Transportation. Ritchie Bus Service was purchased last week by Z-Line Bus Service which included the acquisition of the Dangriga, Hopkins, Sittee River, Placencia route. (Consolidation of bus services seems to be the trend lately, with Novelo's Bus Line acquiring Batty Brothers Bus Service earlier this year.)

In northern Belize, a new ferry service is operating on the New River between Orange Walk and the villages of Copper Bank and Progresso.

Weather. Hot! Had a good thunderstorm last night, but not enough rain to compensate for the extended dry period we just endured. Reports are that Central America is in for a drought this summer. Lots of brush fires in the uninhabited areas of the Peninsula and south of Big Creek.

Tourism Center. The Placencia Tourist Center has a new home at the dock next to the gas station. Bigger, brighter and with even more info.

LobsterFest. LobsterFest 2000 will this year feature a 2-day fishing tournament, along with games, blessing of the fleet, and a special fishermen's appreciation service on July 1st and 2nd, 2000.

Condition of the Southern Belize Coral Reef - Reports of Its Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated! An article in the prestigious Nature magazine prompted widespread reports about the death of all of the coral in Belize. As is often the case, the media sensationalized the story. Following is a copy of an email received this week from Richard B. Aronson, one of the authors of the article:

"Dear Friends,

"An article my colleagues and I published recently in Nature has stirred some interest, ignited some anger, and hurt some feelings.

"I am writing to clarify what we said and to let you know my own feelings on the matter.

"An unfortunate perception, based largely on media accounts, is that our paper stated that the Belizean barrier reef was killed by the 1998 bleaching event.

"That is not true, and that is not what we said in our paper. We stated in the paper that our study area was a 375-square-kilometer area of the central shelf lagoon, not the entire sweep of the barrier reef. (We did our study on the rhomboid shoals in the lagoon between Wee Wee Cay to the north and Laughing Bird Cay to the south.)

"Furthermore, we specifically said that most corals in fore reef, offshore atoll, and other environments in Belize recovered from the 1998 bleaching. Recovery has been observed and documented in those environments by Melanie McField, Tom Bright, Peter Mumby, and other marine ecologists working in Belize.

"We made this point repeatedly in interviews with the print media, but perhaps that was the less interesting side of the story as far as they were concerned.

"The goal of our paper was to send out a three-part message based on the results of our research. That message is that:

"(1) an area of the Belizean lagoon experienced the first bleaching-induced mass coral kill in at least the last 3,000 years,

(2) that the bleaching episode was related in part to global warming, and

(3) that everyone--in Belize and worldwide--should be concerned about the effects that global warming is having on reefs in general.

"We are only the messengers here; the angry emotions that some have expressed about the possible implications for tourism would be better channeled into campaigning against the things humans are doing regionally and globally that are bad for Belizean reefs.

"On a personal level, it hurts me to see corals dying in the Belizean lagoon, because that area--the central lagoon--is my favorite place in the whole world to dive and do research. My colleagues and I are committed to doing high-quality scientific work and reporting our results accurately and honestly, and I can assure you that we took no pleasure in writing that Nature paper.

"Nobody is happy that coral reefs throughout the Caribbean are under threat. It seems especially unfair that reefs in Belize should suffering when Belize is one of the most forward-thinking countries in terms of conservation and ecotourism. Fair or not, it is our responsibility to prevent what happened to an area of the lagoon from overtaking the rest of the barrier reef, and the rest of the world's reefs.

Belize is a shining example of successful conservation policy in action.

Now Belizeans have a reason and an opportunity to go a step further and lead the world toward solving global problems. That leadership will benefit not only the people of Belize but everyone else as well."

With kind regards,

Rich Aronson
Dauphin Island Sea Lab
101 Bienville Boulevard
Dauphin Island, Alabama 36528, USA

Whale Sharks. Emergency national legislation has been introduced to license whale shark guides and boats. If the legislation is enacted, only guides holding special licenses may conduct whale shark tours in the Gladden Spit area off the Placencia coast. The legislation also establishes a conservation zone around the Silk Cayes where fishing will be limited solely to catch and release. Whale sharks are an endangered species and the legislation is designed to protect the whale sharks while also allowing snorkelers and divers to view the world's largest fish in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. A similar license for manatee tours has also been proposed.

Departures. Reverend Aubrey Bell and Hilda Bell finished their "tour of duty" in Placencia and have headed to Canada to visit Hilda's parents. Then on to Scotland where Reverend Bell has chosen to retire (Hilda plans to continue her education and teach). Placencia owes a great debt to both Aubrey and Hilda. Both had become mainstays of the Placencia community, and Hilda will also be greatly missed in Monkey River Town where she had established a lay mission. Aubrey left Thursday and Hilda left Friday - - we miss them already. Good luck and God speed!

Restaurants/Bars/Hotels/Resorts. J-Byrd's, the venerable Placencia Village fisherman's hang-out, was completely rebuilt for the Easter bashment. We liked the old place better (more "character"), but Janice isn't done with the new place, and you never know what Janice will come up with. Lighting at night leaves a LOT to be desired (aesthetically speaking).

Luba Hati is closing for an extended period (we've heard 5 months). Purple Space Monkey is now closed from 2 pm to 5 pm daily. Malu is serving up some very tasty rotisserie chicken at End of the Road Restaurant at the dock.

Utilities. Electricity outages and brownouts are becoming increasingly common. Sags are wreaking havoc with electrical equipment, especially freezers, refrigerators and computer equipment. BEL (Belize Electric Ltd.) continues to ignore complaints, although after a negative newspaper report in this week's Amandala, BEL claims it has plans to link Placencia to its new substation in Dangriga by the end of this year (we're not holding our collective breaths).

Humane Society. At the first Placencia Spay/Neuter Clinic on April 30 and 31st, 2000:

14 dogs and cats were spayed or neutered (11 subsidized by funding from the Placencia Humane Society and the national Belize Humane Society and Animal Shelter);
25 pets were vaccinated (15 subsidized); and
6 kittens were adopted.

Placencia Chapter, Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA). New officers elected on Wednesday, May 10, 2000 are: David Vernon (Toadal Adventures), President; Steve Christensen (Professional Building Supplies), Vice President; Mary Toy (Kevin Modera Guide Services), Secretary; Marti Cottrell (Singing Sands), Treasurer.

Thursday, April 20, 2000

Easter Weekend. If you haven't experienced an Easter weekend in Placencia, you ain't seen nuthin' yet. Belize Citians traditionally trek to Placencia for a long holiday weekend that begins today (Holy Thursday) through the Monday following Easter Sunday, and raise as much "holy" hell as possible while here. Many locals split for the cayes during Easter weekend. Less fortunate souls over the age of 30 hole up in their homes, and keep the women, the children and the animals inside (you can imagine what the ones under 30 are doing). A national law prohibits the sale of liquor on Good Friday, but the parties start at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. Anyone near Cozy Corner, Sunrise or Serenade better have ear plugs. Wallen's Market closes today at noon, and doesn't re-open until Tuesday (so get your ear plugs and your food early). Blackouts are another Easter tradition in Placencia, so if you're trying to get emails through, better relax until Tuesday.

Transportation Schedule for the Easter Holiday:

Airlines (Tropic and Maya): no change

Gulf Cruza Ferry: no service
Hokey Pokey Ferry (to Independence): Saturday and Monday service only

Ritchie Bus Service: Saturday and Monday service only
Z-Line Bus Service: No service on Good Friday

Saturday, April 8, 2000

Tour Operator and Tour Guide of the Year. Placencia was well-represented in the first Belize Tour Guide and Tour Operator of the Year Awards by David Vernon and Kevin Modera, both nominated as Tour Guide of the Year, Dave's company, Toadal Adventures and Kevin's company, Kevin Modera Guide Services, both also nominated as Tour Operator of the Year. Dave and Kevin represented 2 of the 3 nominees in both categories, and Dave brought home the gold with Tour Operator of the Year. Maybe a Grand Slam next year!

Humane Society Event and Fundraiser "A Night to Remember." Fun, fun, fun was the prevailing sentiment for "A Night to Remember," a Peninsula talent show held at Sonny's Resort in the Village on April 2, 2000 at 6 p.m. Guests were treated to comedy by Miss Lilly, a ragtime dance number by the new children's Placencia Dance Group, magic by Dylan Goss, Mary Smith and her performing dog, Pixie, classical guitar by Ted Berlin, Patsy Cline from Tanya Patrick, poetry by Miss Carrie Fairweather, and belly dancing by Mariuccia Levoni.

Whale Sharks. The Belize barrier reef near Placencia will be the focus of whale shark research by Dr Callum Roberts of the Environment Department at the University of York who has been awarded GBP130,000 by the UK Darwin Initiative Fund to work with the Belize Department of Fisheries, conservation organizations and local communities on conservation strategies for migratory species such as the threatened whale shark. He and colleagues Rachel Graham and Will Heyman will assess how marine reserves could be better designed and managed to protect endangered species.

The project will provide much-needed new information on the population, ecology, movements and behavior of these gentle giants. The initiative will focus on a recently identified large seasonal grouping of whale sharks on the southern Belize Barrier Reef, the study area where Dr Roberts and Ms Graham will work.

In Belize and the Caribbean, gatherings of whale sharks are threatened by the rapidly-growing, but as yet unregulated, whale shark tourism, and also by potential commercial over-exploitation of their food sources by fishermen. (Taken from report by M2 Presswire Net, http://www.presswire.net. For more information, contact Rachel Graham at rtg@btl.net.)

Resorts. Kitty's is for sale for $1.5 Million USD, Nautical Inn for $1.4 Million USD. Luba Hati now has a saltwater swimming pool and seaside cabanas (Luba Hati is still in search of a general manager and diners report long waits for meals).

Roads. Work on the Southern Highway is rapidly proceeding. Looks to be a 4-lane, and official word is that the road will be completed by Christmas. The Peninsula road remains in decent shape (as decent as ever, that is). Lots of mangrove being taken out where the road has been re-routed for the Plantation development. Wonder what effect that will have on flooding up on the north end of the Peninsula? (Won't be beneficial, we can be sure of that.) Placencia Village Chairman Glenn Eiley reports that the road from the Village dock to the airstrip will be widened and paved this year. The Placencia Village Council also has set aside a parcel of land near the ballfields for a parking lot. (Hmm, sounds like a song - "they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.")

Weather. Dry, and seems a little hotter this year than normal. However, a couple of days ago, we had a rainy spell, and the nighttime temperature dropped to around 65� F (you can bet some blankets were hauled out of storage).

Friday, March 10, 2000

Phone Calls. BTL now charges 15 cents BZD per phone call for calls within Placencia. This rate change was not announced, just published in the front of the new phone books. BTL had announced that it was lowering long-distance rates within Belize - and it has. However, phone rates in several communities are now charged on a per-call basis (guess they had to make up the lost revenue somehow - as if BTL profits were not already obscene).

Weather/Road. Unseasonably hot and dry. Wind starts kicking up around 4 p.m. Road is in good shape, but very dusty.

Placencia Village Council. Under the Village Councils Act, Village Councils now have regulatory authority over a number of local issues including building construction, animal control, parks, gardens and public recreational grounds, sanitation, drainage, sewage, fire control, nuisances and local environmental practices. The Placencia Village Council is now holding weekly working meetings to draft a building code for the Village.

Monkey River. Construction of a new Anglican Church building has started in Monkey River. The new church will cost approximately $60,000 BZD and should be ready by the end of this year. Donations are welcomed. Funds are also being sought for a health center .

Demons. Yes, you read right - demons in Placencia. Panic struck school children at the Placencia public school this week when several children believed they had been possessed by demons. What really happened may never be known, but several children were struck by "seizures" (hyperventilation?) and others fell unconscious (oxygen deprivation?). A number of parents refused to allow their children to return to school until the demons had been exorcised. The demons have now apparently left the building, and school is returning to "normal." (We're not making this up - and it's not April Fool's Day yet, either.)

Saturday, March 4, 2000

Stuff. Butane gas shortages are playing havoc with home-cooked meals. Restaurants have generally been able to obtain gas (or have extra tanks), so no impact yet on evenings out.

Little rain and winds have decreased.

Maya and Tropic flights are filling up fast, so make reservations early!

On March 15, One World Gift Shop will move from the front of Ranguana Lodge to a new location just south on the sidewalk (with a new green, blue and coral color scheme - you shouldn't be able to miss it).&n