Despite citizen outcry in Belize, a country where 30 percent of the population works in the tourism industry, the government is going ahead with plans to drill offshore, including in the middle of the Mesoamerican reef "which is the world's second largest barrier reef system, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a destination point for over 60 percent of the tourists that support Belize's economy."
Many are worried that an oil spill in the area would have catastrophic effects on the entire water system and the country's tourism.
For detailed background on the international controversy, read the entire article by Ted Danson on the Huffington Post.