Hicatee close season

Press Release – Belize Fisheries Department – April 28, 2011 – The Belize Fisheries Department is hereby reminding the general public that the closed season for the fresh water turtle known locally as Hicatee is from May 1st to May 31, 2011.

The Department is also informing all restaurants, food vending establishments and the general public that the purchase or sale of the Hicatee (including its products such as cooked meat) is prohibited under the Fisheries Laws.
The following laws are applicable:
No person shall:

(a) have in his possession more than three such turtles at any one time;
(b) transport on any vehicle more than five such turtles;
(c) fish for such turtles during the period from 1st May to the 31st May inclusive in any year;
(d) fish for females of such turtles greater than 43cm (17.2 in) and smaller than 38cm (15.2 in);
(e) fish for such turtles in any of the areas specified in the Fifth Schedule attached to these Regulations;
(f) Sell or purchase such turtles.

FIFTH SCHEDULE:
Fishing for Hicatee in the following areas is prohibited:
1. Belize River: from Beaver Dam Creek to Labouring Creek;
2. New River: from Irish Creek to Water Bank;
3. Rio Bravo: upstream from Dos Bocas Dam, including Booth’s River;
4. Cox and Mucklehany Lagoons and headwaters of Mussel Creek;
5. Northern and Southern Lagoons and tributaries (Manatee lagoons and Manatee River);
6. Sibun River: between Ferguson Bank and Sibun Bar.

Any person who contravenes any or part of the regulation in relation to the turtle locally known as ‘Hicatee’ commits an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of two thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both such fine and imprisonment.

The General Public is advised to call the Fisheries Department Enforcement Section at 224-4552 or 203-2623for clarification or further information.

Notice from SAGA

Press Release - SAGA Humane Society - May 3, 2011 - Saga Humane Society would like to inform the public that its Vet Clinic and Adoption/Surrender Center will be closed for renovations the week of May 2-7, 2011. Ms. Ingrid Lima is also currently in Orlando, Florida receiving continuing education at the Animal Expo with Saga Board Members Ms. Katia Marin and Ms. Heidi Sowards.

Dr. Baptist and Ms. Lima will be able to attend to your animals when the clinic reopens Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

If you have an emergency, please contact San Pedro Animal Hospital at 610-3647, Corozal Veterinary Clinic at 422-2519, or Animal Medical Center in Belize City at 223-3781.

Saga Humane Society thanks the San Pedro community for your continued support.

Saga attends Caribbean Animal Welfare Conference

Press Release – SAGA Humane Society – April 27, 2011 - Katia Marin and Heidi Sowards, two of SAGA’s Directors attended the 2011 Caribbean Animal Welfare Conference in San Juan Puerto Rico. April 3rd - 5th.

The three day conference included different types of humane societies, shelters and rescue groups coming together to talk and share ideas about the great work that they do. There were all kinds of international speakers from St. Thomas, Bahamas and even the Belize Society. Clara Lee Arnold from the Hopkins Humane Society spoke about the changes that have happened in Hopkins since they started bringing vet teams to hold spay and neuter clinics. The topics included ‘Animal Capture and Handling Techniques’, ‘Surveying Roaming Dogs’ Population and Increasing Adoptions’, and ‘Marketing and Fundraising Strategies’, just to mention a few. SAGA would like to thank Clara Lee for donating jewelry, which she and her husband make themselves out of shells.

Katia and SAGA Volunteer Heather Beck also attended the International Association of Canine Professional (IACP) conference in San Diego April 7th - 9th which included speakers Wendy Volhard, Joel Silverman, Jeff King and the main speaker Cesar Millan.

Following the Conference the two volunteered their time at Best Friends Animal Samctuary to work on some dogs at Dog Town Sanctuary. Dog Town is home to dogs rescued after the devastating Hurricane Katrina, and it also houses Michael Vick’s dogs.

Be Kind Belize and the San Pedro Lions Club encourage kids to speak out about kindness

Press Release – Be Kind Belize – April 28, 2011 – Be Kind Belize, the humane education programme, is working with the Lions Club to give children the opportunity to speak out about ‘Kindness in Our Community’.

On the 10th of May at 7pm, children from standards 2, 3 & 4 at Holy Cross Anglican School will have the honour of presenting their own speeches to members of the San Pedro Lions Club.
The speech topic is ‘Kindness in Our Community’. Lions Club members will vote for the best speech and the winner will receive a brand new bicycle.
The children will be required to include answers to several important questions in their speech including: Why is kindness important? Why do some people or animals not receive much kindness? How can kindness change lives? And – What could be done to make San Pedro a kinder place? They will be judged on their presentation skills and creativity.
Be Kind Belize provides training and Educators’ Resource packs, free of charge to any school, humane society, community or individual who wishes to introduce the programme locally.
For more information about Be Kind Belize contact BeKindBelize@gmail.com or call 501-226-4366.

The Art of Life: Success & Maturity

“Make experience the only success and you will never fail.” - Emmanuel

What does failure mean? Something didn’t turn out the way you wanted or expected. Life is an experience that is always perfect when you understand the wisdom behind each action. We all like to win, but always winning doesn’t seem to make us grow. The slowest people to mature seem to be the ones that get everything they want. They appear to mirror the idea of success as having all their endeavors flourish. Sadly though, they become childish because of their expectations, pushing themselves and others to the level of abuse to satisfy their petty demands.

Maturity it seems, comes with knowing you won’t always win and accepting losing as winning at times. The idea of failure fuels us and compels movement towards goals. Living a meaningful life requires actions now before we succumb to regrets because we never tried.

We collect our mistakes and push forward. We embrace failure and see the wisdom from our efforts. Finally we are no longer a slave to success, but accept both aspects and see the beauty of doing our best in all situations. Maturity then brings us to duty and responsibility.

Books by Christopher Emmanuel can be purchased at his Art Gallery in The Sunbreeze Hotel, Art of Touch, Pages Book Store, Black Orchid Spa and Sol Spa.