Power of Minister to declare protected areas

(1) The Minister by Order published in the Gazette may declare an area of land in Belize to be a protected area; except for an area of land in Belize that may be so lawfully declared as a protected area, by any other Minister under another enactment. (2) The Minister may, by Order published in the Gazette, declare that from a specified date– (a) the limits of any protected area shall be altered or varied; and (b) any protected area or part thereof shall cease to be a protected area. (3) The declaration of an area as a protected landscape or protected seascape under section 7(1)(j) shall be for such period as the Minister shall approve. (3A) The Minister may by notice in the Gazette extend the period for an area declared as a protected landscape or protected seascape for a period no less than ten years. 22 (4) An area ceases to be a protected landscape or protected seascape if that area is declared as, or included in another protected area or part thereof.