Copyright greaterbelize
Opposition Demands Answers on Silver Palm Approval Questions are growing over the approval of the Silver Palm development, a large real estate project planned for the north end of Ambergris Caye, one of Belize’s most environmentally sensitive areas. The development was approved in December 2024 under a Limited Level Environmental Study, a fast-track process that skips public consultation. Now, the Opposition is calling for full transparency from the Department of the Environment (DOE) and Chief Environmental Officer Anthony Mai. They’re asking why the project was not subjected to a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), why key NGOs were left out, and why reported objections from the Fisheries Department and the Ministry of the Blue Economy were reportedly ignored. In an interview with News Five, Chief Environmental Officer Anthony Mai explained that the project “went through what we refer to as the limited-level environmental study process,” which is legal and applies to developments below a certain size. “According to the environmental laws, a project of this nature would have required an EIA if the size of the property would have been more than 300 acres. In this case, I believe the project size was 270 acres, and so it’s just below the threshold,” Mai said. He noted that the project was reviewed by a smaller group within the National Environmental Appraisal Committee (NEAC), including representatives from the Lands, Forest, Fisheries, and Mining Departments. “The recommendation was for us to grant environmental clearance with strict conditions, and so we did that,” Mai said. Mai further explained that the development is primarily a subdivision project. “They will not construct any of the buildings. The only thing I think they will construct is the road network, and so according to the environmental laws, the project doesn’t trigger or reach the threshold of requiring an EIA.” However, developers have been promoting Silver Palm as a luxury, ready-to-build community with modern infrastructure. In a recent promotional video, the project was described as offering “fire hydrants, underground services, canal front lots with retaining walls and boat slips.” The Opposition says Belizeans deserve openness, not backdoor deals that could put our fragile marine ecosystems at risk. They’re now demanding the release of all project documents, a public explanation from the DOE, and a halt to all work until a full Environmental Impact Assessment is completed and made public.
