07/12/05

Frank Higdon
Professor of Community and Economic Development in Rural Sociology

I found the people in MRV to be surprisingly open to our assessment team. I sensed a bit of suspicion in the first few days (as would be expected) and really believe that our behavior did more to win their trust than our connection to TIDE. We had enough extroverts in the group who were willing and able to extend themselves that people ended up “liking us” and that is not something you can always count on during a field experience. Based on our initial fieldwork, there appeared to be a dozen prominent local families in the village that were heavily involved in civic life, local politics and economic activity. The family surnames were: Anderson, Castro, Castilliano, Clevas, Coleman, Garbutt, Gordon, Linarez, Logan, Molena, Sandlin, and Tillette. Interestingly, there are seven prominent families holding positions in the village council or the Water Board (Anderson, Castro, Coleman, Garbutt, Gordon, Molena and Sandlin). Five families representing the major business interests (Anderson, Castilliano, Garbutt, Gordon and Sandlin). Finally, six families held positions with local NGOs or the church/school (Coleman, Garbutt, Linarez, Logan, Sandlin and Tillette). There seemed to be the most overlap between the families involved in both business and local government. There were also strong connections between families represented on local government boards and other civic organizations (i.e. Tour Guide Association, Anglican Church). The Garbutt family seems to be one of the largest in the community and has representation in all the major institutional areas.

Like most people in the world, I think the people of MRV and PN see their pristine environment as a given although they clearly understood their connection to the natural resources and saw how the ocean, the river, the lagoon and the forest were essential to their livelihood. It is unclear to me how proactive most of the leaders were in terms of environmental protection. I kept hearing discussion about who was allowed to “access” to “their” resources. Some mentioned the Guatemalan and Honduran fishing boats that had permits to harvest in the waters offshore. Others mentioned how tour guides from Placencia were bringing in tourists and not even stopping in the village for a meal. In any case, it was clear that the proximity of MRV to the river gave them a sense of ownership over the waterway itself even though few people in the village legally owned the land the river flowed through.

One of the things I found most surprising was the lack of discussion about the Paynes Creek National Park that borders the village. Few people seemed to be aware of the significance of the park or had a real notion of how a national park might impact their livelihood. One can only think of the residents of Yosemite or Yellowstone trying to get a handle on how those parks might be used in the future. Answer: how could they ever imagine that their towns would become “gateways” to the most popular national parks in the country? In the same way, I don’t think the people of PN or MRV really have a clear sense of how Paynes Creek might develop as it is a park in name only. There does not appear to be any infrastructure that allows visitors to access the park, other than a rough trail cut into the bush by the local Tour Guide Association. The community’s proximity to and understanding of this 30,000 acre park needs to be explored further.

The hurricane was the most searing historical event of recent years, but it was unclear to me if it drove families away from the community or not. My impression was that the storm did incredible damage, but people simply picked up the pieces, got whatever assistance was available and resumed their lives as best they could. In less than 3 years, the town had rebuild a dozen homes, a health center, a church, a school, built a water system, and there was as least the basic equipment for electricity. For a community that relies on fishing, transport and limited tourism it was quite impressive to me how the community had pulled itself together. There has been considerable international assistance in recent years with private and public dollars flowing in for construction projects. North American church groups have provided the labor needed to rebuild the church and the school.

I think there is a real concern among people about losing control of their land­and one only has to look at Placencia to see why residents have this concern. There is the sense that MRV is somehow insulated from the land bonanza that is currently sweeping coastal Belize. Land is being developed in this region and the proposed resort is just an extreme example of the attention that Southern Belize holds for both local and foreign investors. Eleanor Sandlin seems aware of the potential and made mention of the Village Council making lots available to young people before the land prices start to skyrocket. The Village Council is already petitioning the Government of Belize for title of riverfront lands west of the village in order to establish a “nature preserve” and this is a good first step in protecting the environment. However, it is an opportunity that needs to be considered carefully. The 10 acre nature area that the Tour Guide Association has established is a case in point. The trail used is relatively narrow and does not leave much of a “footprint” on the land. At the same time, our guide would often peel away bark and cut foliage to demonstrate different medicinal uses of plants without really thinking about how other visitors might react to a tree with a large piece of bark skinned back or freshly cut branches littering the ground. The point is, that there needs to be more focus on the most important plants and sights in the 10 acre parcel and rules established that protect these resources. Having multiple guides and visitors tramping through the woods and hacking away at the undergrowth is not the best way to present a “pristine” natural environment. In short, some needs to establish a set of simple rules for guides and communicate these rules to the visitors themselves so that guides are less likely to break them.

In terms of tourism, both communities hold a real attraction to the “backpacking set” who often travel in search of authenticity and unspoiled culture. Because there was little or limited electricity in each place, there was relatively little evidence of TV or modern electrical appliances. The pace of life was slow­and this does give the impression of visiting an unspoiled paradise. There are limited amenities and options for food/lodging in the village, but this also fits with the cautious attitude toward tourism among the village residents. The nonchalant attitude made the place seem more authentic and relaxing to our group. On the other hand, the fast pace and commercial attitudes among people in Placencia was a grim reminder of how quickly these “small town” attitudes can change in a growing resort area. The true spirit of Monkey River Village appears to be a combination of traditional family ties, lack of opportunity elsewhere and a deep appreciation for the lifestyles that come from living off the sea. I don’t really understand how these families can prosper given the state of the fishery and the seasonal nature of the tourist trade but obviously, many families are able to live quite comfortably. Others are able to send their children to school in Independence, purchase expensive fishing equipment, boats and new engines. A few have cars parked on the other side of the river.

There seems to be two parallel economies in the community: fishing and tourism. The two forms of livelihood are linked, but distinctly different trades. Fishing requires a specific set of skills and equipment to access the best fishing grounds off the coast. Tourism is more oriented toward providing services to travelers coming to the village including food, lodging, river transport and guide services. In many cases, local fisherman have become known as “tour guides” in order to take advantage of both opportunities as they are able. Fishing is largely a seasonal venture, and could be potentially lucrative during peak times. The  fisherman who catch the most fish and lobster seem to be marketing their catch at two main fishing cooperative (in Independence and Placencia). There are real advantages (financial incentives) to being a member of a fishing cooperative and delivering a quota of fish each week. However, there are concerns among fisherman that the number and range of fish are being depleted (some argue by foreign fisherman). In any case, the fishing industry seems at a crossroads and it is unclear if the resource can sustain the current level of commercial fishing using traps and nets. The sport fishing industry is more closely tied into the tourist trade. Sport fishing is a fee-based excursion. Some estimates for an all-day fishing excursion ran as high as $500 US, however, a more reasonable price range is probably between $100-300 US for a boat and guide. There was not a real sense of how many tourists are coming into the village looking for sport fishing services.

Tourism, in terms of providing high value services to visitors, is still relatively undeveloped in the village. There are two basic hotels and two basic restaurants. Guided river tours and river transportation is a large part of the tourist trade in the village, but it is not clear how it compares to sport fishing in terms of income. A guided tour of the Monkey River (including a “jungle walk”) for a small group costs between $200 - $400 BZ for a four hour excursion. There are about 25 men in the community who have been trained as tour guides. Of these 25, there are probably less than 10 men who take visitors up the river on a regular basis. In addition to needing access to a boat, the best guides need to develop a fairly specialized knowledge of the flora and fauna in and around the river. Tour guides from Placencia routinely take small groups of visitors on trips up the Monkey River. Many of these tour guides stop in the village and purchase lunch for their groups. While the local Tour Guide Association is trying to link local guides up with these outside tour operators, it appears that the Placencia tour operators are competing directly with those in MRV. It is unclear how many visitors come to the village from the north (Placencia) or south (Punta Gorda) looking for lodging and guided tours. This is an aspect of the local tourist economy that needs to be developed further.

Given the location of the village: at the mouth of an unspoiled river, near a National Park and close to the barrier reef, eco-tourism is the greatest opportunity available to residents who want to develop tourism-related businesses. The local tourist trade is already oriented in this direction with the sport fishing and river tours, however there is so much more that could be done to draw in visitors interested in the coastal environment of Belize. Nature trails, birding tours, nighttime “jungle walks”, captive breeding of some local species, a medicinal healing center are just some of the services that could be developed and marketed to visitors coming into Belize. There is certainly more opportunity for visitors to stay in the village overnight. The two hotels are a good base and could easily be expanded with a home-stay program or rental cabanas along the ocean front. In short, there needs to be an overall plan for how to attract visitors to the village and keep them there long enough to “experience” it. Given the village’s location, an overnight program could easily be marketed through some partner organizations or businesses in Placencia or elsewhere in Belize.

The long-term goal of MRV should be to establish stronger working relationships with the GOB and its affiliated NGO partners. One of the weaknesses currently facing the community is the near total isolation from MRV from Belizean society and the larger economy. The isolation of the community has allowed government ministries to overlook the needs of local residents. For example, the 2001 hurricane did extensive damage in the neighboring village of Placencia. However, given the higher profile that Placencia is afforded in Belizean tourist circles and the high number of foreign land owners in that community, there appears to have been a much more development assistance provided to Placencia than MRV. The reason is that Placencia is an important center for foreign investment in the local tourist industry and as a hub for tourists in southern Belize, the GOB could hardly afford to allow the village to stumble to its own feet after the storm. In contrast, MRV has been given limited assistance and few have noticed the slow pace of rebuilding in the community. By more aggressively promoting MRV as a center for “eco-tourism” in southern Belize, the village can begin to build political capital among elected officials at the district and national levels. The Village Council is already moving to open up lines of communication with local ministries in particular, asking for grants of Crown Land for expanded tourist jungle trails. Most important, there needs to be more communication between local residents and government agencies at the district level. There is some evidence of this happening already. The Village Council Chairwoman traveled to Independence once during our week in the community and was expecting visitors from Belmopan that same week.

There are clear gender differences in the community in terms of attitudes toward development and change. During the community assessment meeting, men and women were divided into groups to discuss and list their main concerns. Men seemed more interested in the core issues of infrastructure (electricity), economic growth and environmental protection. Women echoed those concerns, but had an expanded list that included sanitation (garbage disposal), decision-making power for women, better education for kids and better health care. These differences seem to mirror the more traditional spheres of influence and activity occupied by each gender group. Men occupy the main role of providers and are concerned about higher incomes and protecting the environment from which they draw their livelihoods. Women tend to maintain households and are concerned with income issues as well as health and safety issues facing the entire family.

If current development proposals for a $2 million US resort development between PN and MRV go forward, the villages will see monumental changes in their economy and their environment. Most importantly, the PN Lagoon is part of the planned development concession and as a prime fly fishing location will be marketed heavily to foreign tourists. The number of foreign visitors will likely skyrocket within a few years once the resort is established. As part of the development proposal, cruise ships may be docking off the coast. These ships will bring a large number of daily and overnight visitors to the entire region but especially to the planned resort between the two villages. The reality of a major resort being carved out of a National Park had one informant say, “We’re just protecting these lands until this one or then next Prime Minister decides to open the land up to development”. The sense of despair and ambivalence among local environmentalists and community leaders is very real. At the same time, some local residents see the resort as a potential economic boon and are interested to see it come as long as it can be “contained” in the resort area. The employment of local villagers at the resort and the potential for increased visitors to the villages are anticipated, but it is unclear if these employment gains will be realized. It is also unknown how many outside workers might be brought in to work at the new resorts. For example, the nearby commercial farm, Monkey River Estates, employs over 1600 workers. Almost all of the workers are immigrant labor from Guatemala and Honduras. On a smaller scale, we noticed that immigrant workers were hired to work on two on-going construction projects in MRV. If immigrant labor is preferred, even within the village, it is unclear how many jobs from the new resort will be taken by local residents.

In terms of how the village itself might change, one resident summed it up as, “Once this town has electricity, its going to turn into Placencia”. This attitude seems to be reflected in the ambivalence some residents feel toward having a bridge that connects the village to the main road to Independence. While maintaining “water taxi” fares was often cited as the main reason for refusing a bridge, others saw the bridge as source of crime and development in the village. The sense was that once outsiders “discover” MRV and can get to it easily in their vehicles they will be drawn in and the land rush will begin. It remains to be seen how MRV elected officials and residents can promote the development of the community without losing control of the development process.