Oil drilling ban saves 300km of coral reef
BELIZE: Belize’s barrier reef, including its famed Great Blue Hole, is to become a giant marine reserve, protected from oil and gas exploration, after a national outcry over plans to drill beneath its spectacular corals.
The government of Belize is to announce legislation to end oil drilling activities - even though the reef may lie over oil deposits that could transform the Caribbean nation’s economy.
The decision marks a rapid U-turn by Dean Barrow, prime minister of Belize, which used to be known as British Honduras and is still a member of the Commonwealth. Last year the government announced plans to explore for oil across its Caribbean Sea waters. Marine parks were to be protected from seismic testing or drilling, but protesters pointed out that oil spills nearby could easily drift into the reef.
There were also concerns that seismic testing would devastate whale populations and disrupt fisheries.
The Belize barrier reef is a 300km-long section of the world’s second-largest coral reef system, running from Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula to Honduras.
It is renowned for snorkelling and scuba diving sites such as the Great Blue Hole, a giant underwater sinkhole listed by the ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau as one of the 10 best places to dive in the world.
The drilling plans prompted an outcry in Belize. More than half of its population of 380,000 relies on the reef, with tourism generating about £150m (NZ$285m) a year plus £11m from fishing, according to WWF, the UK-based conservation group which campaigned to block the oil firms.
Laws to impose an indefinite moratorium on oil and other harmful mineral exploration are expected to be signed into law this month.
‘‘This is hugely significant,’’ said Chris Gee, who led the WWF campaign. ‘‘It indicates that Belize, a developing country, is prepared to put its people and environment first.’’ The reef is a Unesco world heritage site, listed as endangered since 2009.