Unless you’ve been living in a pineapple under the sea for the past 20 years (did I really just reference that?!), you’ve seen, heard, or read, that our wild coral reefs are in danger. Environmental acidification, malicious destruction, non-native invaders—all issues that we are concerned and focused on. However, it appears we may be omitting [...]
Unless you’ve been living in a pineapple under the sea for the past 20 years (did I really just reference that?!), you’ve seen, heard, or read, that our wild coral reefs are in danger. Environmental acidification, malicious destruction, non-native invaders—all issues that we are concerned and focused on. However, it appears we may be omitting another threat from our crosshairs: potential US Senators!
Jeff Greene, a billionaire real estate mogul turned Democratic Senate candidate, has found himself in the middle of an environmental debacle involving our beloved wild reefs of the coast of Belize. For those not familiar, Belize is well known for its marvelous diving and living reefs; a coral reef system officially recognized by the United Nations as one of the world’s most magnificent and irreplaceable treasures.
Greene’s owns “Summerwind”, a $6 Millions, 145-foot luxury yacht, which in March of 2005, found itself cruising along the coast of Belize. Granted, at the time, Greene was not aboard the vessel, yet as the owner, he was ultimately responsible for the whereabouts, and had the final say as to where it is sailed. The boat, registered in the Marshall Islands (a regular practice for tax haven purposes), motored along the 175-mile long reef of Belize, and the decided to drop anchor.
After speaking with the chief executive officer of Belize’s Department of Environment, The St. Petersburg Times reports the Summerwind dropped anchor ON the living reef. Melanie McField, a marine scientist with the Smithsonian Institution who surveyed the Central American reef shortly after the incident, recounted, “The guys from the area told me they were beside the boat before it dropped anchor, and they were yelling and waving their hands, shouting, ‘No! No, don’t drop here. It was bad. There was a lot of damage.”
When all was said and done, the anchoring is said to have tore a 50 by 200 foot “swath of destruction” to the reef.
The Department of Environment immediately interrogated the captain, and returned him to his vessel. During statements taken from the permanent crew, guilt was admitted, and promises and obligation to pay required financial reparation was admitted. However, as no immediate charges were filed, no passports were seized, and no claims against the environmental insurance policy were claimed, the Summerwind decided to keep to their schedule, lifted anchor, and steamed away, out of Belizean waters.
Fast forward to 2010. Greene has subsequently decided he would be an ideal Democratic candidate of the US Senate. But, what of this incident? Deplorably, Greene and his representatives deny that the incident ever occurred. Despite extensive publicity about it at the time (including statements from his representatives and employees), eyewitness accounts, scientific surveys of the damage and an extensive case file at the country’s Department of Environment. Greene’s campaign spokesman Luis Vizcaino states, “Jeff Greene doesn’t take a penny of special interest money, so career politicians are attacking him with ridiculous stories about something that didn’t even happen five years ago on a boat he wasn’t even on.”
While the case is still technically open, Martin Alegria, the chief environmental officer of the Department of Environment in Belize, indicates resolution is unlikely. For the damage amassed, the fine due totaled to $1.87 million. Yes, that’s a lot of money. But considering that Greene himself commented the boat was a “steal” at $6 million, cost $100,000 to fuel up completely, and burns 50 gallons of fuel an hour, and most importantly, considering the ecological damage done to an ecosystem thousands of years old, this fine seems quite justified. But, as the boat left Belizean waters, there is no way to recover said fine, unless Greene, or the boats captain, return to Belize.
Since, and because of this event, the Department of the Environment in Belize has stringently increased its policy, protocol, and enforcement of harm or damage to Belizean reefs, but this case may be lost. While Alegria admits that the treatment of this incident was handled less than thoroughly at the time of event, he also hopes for resolution and reparation, as should rightfully come.
If comfortable doing so, please contact Jeff Greene, and kindly express your opinion of this incident, his response, and how US Senators should behave in such situations. Accidents happen, but how we respond to them show’s our true character. Jeff’s contact information can be found here.
