The country of Belize has passed a law banning any and all oil exploration in its waters. The Belize barrier reef is a World Heritage site and is the largest in the Western hemisphere. It is also home to more than 1,400 different species. The reefs of Belize are its largest tourist attraction bringing in the whereabouts of $200 million a year.

Since 2009 the Belize barrier reef has been on the UNESCO’s World Heritage sites in danger list, and the hope is that this move will help to ensure its future and remove it from the list in June of this year.

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