Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Conservation organizations disagree with Minister Perez’s statements regarding gillnet ban process

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On February 21st, a joint press release by The Coalition for Sustainable Fisheries and Oceana stated that the Honorable Andre Perez, the Minister of Blue Economy in charge of the Belize Fisheries Department (BFD), misrepresented facts about Belize’s gillnet ban. The statement emphasized that Perez’s comments contradicted the transparent, multi-year process that led to the prohibition of gillnets in Belizean waters.
The Coalition for Sustainable Fisheries and Oceana referred to comments made by Perez during a morning talk show on SunUp 7. Perez stated that they discovered some issues concerning the fisherfolk after taking charge of the Ministry of the Blue Economy. “We inherited an issue whereby some coalition group decided to give out like $3 million for fishermen to give up gillnet fishing, which is a good thing,” Perez said. “But in this process, many fisherfolks got displaced by just getting some funds, and afterward, they had no other options,” Perez stated that his ministry needed to address this issue to assist fishermen seeking alternative sources of income.
However, the Coalition and Oceana explained in their press release that a crucial aspect of the gillnet ban involves supporting Belizean gillnet fishers as they transition to different livelihoods. “The Coalition for Sustainable Fisheries and Oceana raised BZ$2 million for this purpose, with all money going directly to Belizean fishermen. The well-documented history of the gillnet ban and the legal judgment handed down in 2021 upholding the legitimacy of the ban is on public record,” a portion of the release stated.
They emphasized that the BFD provided a list of licensed gillnet fishers to the ministry responsible for fisheries at that time. Additionally, they actively participated in both the Gillnet Taskforce and the vetting process to oversee the transition of gillnet fishers.
At the time of the ban, it was noted that many of the gillnetters fishing in Belizean waters were not residents of Belize. This aspect of the ban was crucial as it aimed to protect Belize’s fishery for the benefit of Belizeans. The remaining gillnetters were identified as coming from Guatemala and Honduras.
The Coalition for Sustainable Fisheries and Oceana has noted that the Bureau of Fisheries and Development (BFD) has retroactively revealed “discrepancies” regarding the list of licensed gillnet fishers in 2024. These discrepancies were reported by XTV/Krem Radio, and any omissions were attributed solely to Fisheries, which provided the official list of gillnet fishermen eligible for support. The organizations emphasized that all relevant documentation was submitted to the Ministry responsible for the BFD in September 2020. They also noted that this information was shared with Kennedy Carrillo, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Blue Economy, and their Director in 2022.
The Coalition for Sustainable Fisheries and Oceana expressed that opinions regarding the sustainability of Belize’s fisheries vary. They reiterated their offer of support to the BFD after the department publicly admitted to having incomplete fisheries data due to resource limitations. Independent and international experts have indicated that the country’s fish stocks are in decline. To clarify the situation, both organizations look forward to the opportunity to review the facts and history of the gillnet ban with Minister Perez.
Minister Perez was informed about the press release following his appearance on a morning talk show; however, he chose not to comment on it.

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