APAMO Calls for Inclusion in Legislative Amendments Affecting Protected Areas

The Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations (APAMO) is calling on the government of Belize to ensure that co-managers of protected areas are meaningfully included in the amendment of key legislations that affect their work. The 16-member umbrella organization held a press briefing in Belize City this morning, explaining that the government has been holding information sessions on amendments to the National Protected Areas System Act and the Protected Areas Conservation Trust Act amendment. However, the co-managers of protected areas were given short notice and the sessions did not allow the organizations to give their input on the proposed amendment. APAMO says that they wrote to Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management Orlando Habet back in May, raising concerns, but to date that letter has not been acknowledged. Amanda Acosta, Chairperson of APAMO, says that the co-managers are not opposed to legislative amendments but are unhappy with the way the process is being carried out. She added that the co-managers of protected areas have decades of valuable technical experience, which should not be disregarded in the process of developing amendments.

Acosta added that the drafts in their current stage are littered with instances of overlapping responsibilities in government entities. APAMO is also concerned that the government has not made any increase in the budget of the ministries that will be charged with enforcing the amended legislations.

The various co-management NGO’s are also calling on Prime Minister John Briceno to be a part of the solution going forward.