Port Authority Says Mexican Oil Rig Visit Was Within Time Limit

The Belize Port Authority (BPA) has clarified that the oil rig vessel coming in from Mexico did not exceed its allotted time in Belizean waters. Yesterday, the BPA issued a notice that the semi-submersible drilling unit, MV Titania FE, would anchor at English Caye for four hours today. This was to facilitate documentation procedures with Mexican authorities and to resupply. However, concerned mariners contacted Love News this morning to say that the vessel was anchored for more than four hours since late yesterday. Acting Port’s Commissioner Kaylon Young explained that the four hours were set for six o’clock to ten o’clock this morning, and that authorities were present during the visit.

Kaylon Young, Acting Ports Commissioner: “We don’t want the Belizean public to feel like there is anything illegal going on within Belize waters. The vessel just needed to depart Mexican waters because due to Mexican legislation, you wouldn’t be able to stay there after a certain amount of time. So they had to depart and leave to a country and then go back and that was what happened. I know there was some public scare going on when they saw the vessel yesterday and yes it was transiting yesterday. So technically it was just transiting as an innocent passage coming into our waters. It arrived at English Caye this morning and after all formalities and regulatory agencies did what they were supposed to do. The agents supported, gave them all the paperwork and then they departed our waters from English Caye. I will say, and I will want to inform yourself and the public that we took great caution with this, great precaution with this issue. We had  enforcement team out there at English Caye, a team comprised of the Belize Port Authority and the Belize Coast Guard to make sure that everything was safe. There was nothing illegal going on, nothing that we were not aware of, and that they would depart our waters back to Mexico when they said that they would.”

The vessel departed on time, but due to its slow movement speed, it was still seen in Belizean waters into the afternoon.