Mr Young, who is also a licensed naturalist guide at the Lodge at Chaa Creek, which maintains the Centre, said that the decision was the result of a suit brought about by Oceana, Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA), and the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage.

Kate Walsh, the famous Doctor Addison Montgomery on the hit series, Grey’s Anatomy, was in Belize over the past weekend. But she wasn’t here on vacation, she was here as an Oceana activist. Walsh, whose visit was to raise awareness on Belize’s Barrier Reef and the fragile ecosystem, met with local journalists for a one day visit to the Blue Hole.

Belize, home to the world’s second largest barrier reef and some of the most pristine waters in the Caribbean, and indeed the world, has been increasingly concerned with protecting its precious natural resources while still developing its economy and enhancing the quality of life for its citizens.