By Belize Live News Staff: For more than two years, volunteers on North Ambergris Caye have spent their Saturday mornings picking up other people’s trash. Now they say it is time for government to do its part.
The Ambergris North Alliance has held monthly clean ups along the island’s north corridor, bringing together neighbours, police, the Coast Guard and schoolchildren. The group has also raised money to hire roadside cleaners and run an environmental summer camp for local children.
But ANA says the problem keeps growing, with illegal dumping, bulldozed mangroves and lagoons being filled in.
The group is asking authorities for three things:
Action on known dump sites.
Regular household garbage collection in North Ambergris, or an interim plan with more public waste areas.
Updated by laws, including clear rules for construction sites and proper waste disposal for businesses.
ANA says Belize has strong environmental laws on paper, but enforcement is lacking. It wants all responsible officials to sit at one table, rather than handling the issues separately.
The timing matters. Belize Tourism Board figures show overnight arrivals fell 8.4% from June to September, with August down nearly 13%. Island businesses say it is as slow as it has been since the pandemic. ANA notes that the new Discover Airlines route from Frankfurt, starting December 2027, will bring European visitors expecting pristine nature, not roadside garbage.
The concerns echo those raised at a BTIA stakeholder meeting in San Pedro this week, where garbage management, infrastructure and environmental conservation topped the list of island priorities.
ANA is inviting residents, businesses and tourism partners to stand with them.
