Oceana speaks out at Satiim oil summit

Press Release - Oceana - March 8, 2011 - Oceana has once again sounded the alarm on the legal issues governing Belize’s Oil and Petroleum Industry, at the Satiim Oil Summit held in Punta Gorda Town on February, 8th, 2011.

Mrs. Audrey Matura – Shepherd, VP of Oceana Belize, presented on the inadequacies in current legal structures which control Belize’s fledgling oil industry. She spoke to an attentive audience, comprised of major local and international environmental and human rights organizations, explaining how Belize’s weak petroleum laws could allow for abuse of property and citizens rights.
In her presentation, she exposed how oil companies have extreme power via the current laws over individual property rights, and showed how the terms of their contracts were not being properly followed. The audience became seriously concerned over her demonstration of the accepted royalty rates our country is receiving, and were disturbed by the power given to Ministers to issue contracts at their discretion.
Mrs. Shepherd also gave assurance of Oceana’s full support to Mr. Leonard Reimer from the Spanish Lookout Community and Mr. John Carr of the Belize Landowners Association, who in their own presentations voiced a determination to bring their challenges in dealing with the oil companies and the government to the public front.

The objectives of the Satiim Oil Summit were to increase awareness and stimulate activism among civil society and within indigenous communities in the Toledo District, regarding the threats posed by oil development to the environment and human rights; and to build a coalition of local and national civil society actors to actively put pressure on government officials to reevaluate their stance on oil development within fragile, critical ecosystems, including offshore and in protected areas, while promoting policies that entail sustainable development, respect for human rights and environmental conservation.

From Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development (ACCSD)

DO YOU AGREE WITH OFFSHORE DRILLING FOR OIL IN BELIZE?

ACCSD is part of the Belize Coalition against offshore drilling for oil. We are working on gathering enough signatures to call for a national referendum on the issue.

If you are a registered voter in Belize, We URGE you to come to the ACCSD office above Blu on Barrier Reef Drive opposite the Holiday Hotel and sign up to get the Government to listen to the people.

Our office hours are Mondays to Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thanks in advance for your support.

Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development
63 Barrier Reef Drive
San Pedro Town
Belize
226-2799

Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development

Website - www.accsdbelize.com

Embracing development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Oceana Declares: "Government must immediately amend Petroleum Act"

Press Release - January 28, 2011 - Oceana - In the interest of good governance and good faith towards the people of this country the Barrow Administration needs to immediately amend Section 13 of the Petroleum Act.

There is need for comprehensive revision of the entire Petroleum Act Chapter 225 Laws of Belize but there are sections that need to be amended immediately. Section 13 of the Petroleum Act has been abused by both government administrations, so much so that all, except one, petroleum contract have been and continues to be given out behind closed doors at Cabinet.

Section 13 provides for open competitive bidding, but also has proviso three which removes this layer to transparency and accountability and allows the Minister “with the approval of the Cabinet, [to] select contractors other than through competitive bidding procedures in the following cases-
(a) where the technical or economic circumstances make it advisable; or
(b) where he determines that the circumstances so require.”

The recent revelation in the 2010 Petroleum contract Maps obtained by Oceana from the Department of Petroleum & Geology is a clear indication that companies such as Paradise Energy, with no Petroleum experience in violation of Section 11, will continue to obtain oil leases unknown to the Belize people, who are the true owner of oil rights in this country.

“The government only holds these rights on trust Belizeans”, explained Oceana VP Audrey Matura-shepherd. “We must continue to demand accountability and transparency, but sadly every government has sought to ignore subsections 1 and 2 of Section 13 of the law because it suits their purpose, which is not to be transparent and not to be accountable to the people of Belize when entering these deals”

Section 13 Petroleum Act says that “selection of contracts should be carried out through public competitive bidding or such other competitive procedure as may be determined by the Minister”. It also states that the minister “shall publish in the Gazzette a description of the areas for which bids are to be solicited along with the procedures and rules relating to the submission of such bids”.

Matura-Shepherd explains that “this is never done because the open competitive bidding process is completely circumvented and the Minister applies the exception which is to go behind closed doors in Cabinet unknown to the unsuspecting Belizean people and using Section 13 (3) it appears that the Minister always seems to “determine that the circumstances require” secret issuing of contracts…. this cannot continue!”

Oceana is concerned that the now relinquished OPIC block vacant since October 2010 can secretly be given out again using the provisions of the law, which must not stand.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Audrey Matura-Shepherd

610-0702.

BTIA HOLDS OIL EXPLORATION CONSULTATION

Drill, Baby, Drill! OR No, Baby, No!

BTIA invites all members to attend an oil exploration consultation to be held at Radisson Fort George on June 1, st at 9:00a.m.

Your BTIA has received an excellent opportunity to inform members and requests your attendance to offer feedback and guide the position development for your Tourism Association.

Agenda:

• Welcome - BTIA President
• Presentation of General Information - COLA - Geovanni Brackett
• Presentation of APAMO Position and Considerations - Yvette Alonzo
• Presentation on Legal Considerations - Audrey Matura Sheppard -- Oceana
• Presentation on the Coalition - Future Advocacy Actions - APAMO
• Questions & Answers
• Recommendations from Membership for a BTIA Direction
• Vote of Thanks - (BTIA signing on to the Coalition -- if so supported by members)

COME OUT AND BE A VOICE THAT GUIDES POLICY MAKING FOR YOUR BTIA, TOURISM AND BELIZE'S DEVELOPMENT.

OCEANA: Offshore Oil Exploration is a Definite "NO" for Belize

Press Release – Oceana – May 11, 2010 - Oceana is opposed to any offshore drilling in Belizean territorial waters and says all it takes is one spill of the magnitude of the Gulf Oil spill for Belize to lose everything. The recently released map prepared February 2010 by the Geology and Petroleum Department has confirmed previous speculation that massive oil exploration concessions have been granted throughout the country of Belize. This map shows that even the territorial waters of Belize has been divided up amongst eight of the seventeen companies which are grantees of these lease.

Oceana is gravely concerned with the concessions already granted in Belize’s territorial waters especially seeing that they include declared reserves and national parks. A decision of this magnitude that can wipe out our tourism and fishing industry, eliminate our marine food security and devastate the viability of coastal communities, should be a transparent process with input from all social partners and the general public. It is therefore necessary for the Government to promptly explain the rational behind the massive parceling of our marine territory including areas encompassing our reef and atolls.

Oceana’s VP for Belize, Audrey Matura-Shepherd stated that “while we wish for our country to develop and progress we cannot do so to the detriment of our long-term survival. The recent spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana has shown us that even a rich and highly advanced country like the great USA is not equipped to handle such disaster, and thus this should teach us to proceed with much caution as one accident ten times less can wipe out our entire coastline and send Belize into an economic depression never seen before.”

In addition Oceana calls on the people of Belize to become more informed and involved in this issue since it will not only affect those living along the coast or near inland wells. The people of this country stand to gain very little from any oil exploration since as the recent disclosure of BNE’s operation and agreements have shown the bulk of the wealth from oil extracted does not remain in Belize. Belize as a country has not become any richer; nor any more developed as a result of the ongoing oil extraction taking place since the returns do not measure up to the risk taken. This risk is even more grave in our waters because of the ocean currents and the fragility of the marine eco-system.

Oceana calls on the Government of Belize to place a complete halt on all planned offshore exploration and to revoke all leases presently granted on our territorial waters.

(See Map Attached)