Conservation

The GOB has taken a significant step in strengthening marine conservation by putting an end to gillnet fishing in Belizean waters on November 6th.

In a demonstration of commitment to maintain a vibrant and sustainable fishery sector, Dr. Hon. Omar Figueroa, Minister of Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development, has signed into law Statutory Instrument No. 158 of 2020 titled Fisheries Resources (Gill net prohibition) Regulations, 2020, banning the use and possession of gill nets in the marine waters of Belize. The area covered by the ban includes all the sea under the jurisdiction of Belize.

After HCMR confirmed that the parcels are within the reserve’s Zone C, the Commissioner of Lands stated that they would retract the survey entries.

National Wavemaker of the Year Carina Paz has had a lifelong love affair with the sea, and she is a staunch advocate for its protection.

The UK, working with co-hosts Belize and Fiji, has brought together Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in a virtual roundtable to broker better access to finance and identify solutions for a resilient recovery from coronavirus. Small island states are on the frontline of climate change and are already bearing the brunt of its impacts. They have a high vulnerability to natural disasters, and will suffer as sea levels rise and fragile ecosystems and biodiversity come under threat. They also face significant challenges for employment, government revenues, and export income, most acutely from tourism and remittances which are highly vulnerable to economic shocks and climate change. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated these issues, putting more pressure on small island’s finances and diverting resources from ongoing work to protect against natural disasters and climate change. The conference aimed to find practical recommendations for improving access to concessional finance to support continued progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

In order to preserve the Chiquibul-Mountain Pine Ridge-Caracol Complex's (CMCC) invaluable ecosystems and the benefits they provide to the people of Belize, the Economic Development Council (EDC) through its Technical Secretariat, the Public-Private Desk in the Office of the Prime Minister, has successfully launched a Sustainable Development Plan for the Chiquibul-Mountain Pine Ridge-Caracol Complex. The 15-year Sustainable Development Plan will serve as the Government of Belize’s reference master plan for balanced, environmentally-conscious resource use in this region.

Belize through the Ministry of Economic Development and Petroleum as the National Designated Authority to the Green Climate Fund has received support through grant funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to boost the capacities of the country to access international finance for investments in climate change projects. As such, a three-day National Structured Dialogue was convened virtually on October 19, 2020 to update the country’s pipeline of projects.

On Wednesday, October 14th, Oceana formally recognized two outstanding Belizeans as the 2020 Ocean Heroes during its first-ever virtual award ceremony. This year’s winners are Placencia fisher turned seaweed farmer, Lowell Godfrey and Punta Gorda fisher and businessman, Neville Smith.