Environment
DOE Partners with Customs Brokers to Strengthen Environmental Import Compliance
The Department of the Environment (DOE) partnered with customs brokers through a two-day workshop held in Belize City on May 14 and 15, 2025, to enhance environmental compliance for imported goods. This initiative forms part of the DOE’s broader strategy to align trade practices with national legislation and international environmental agreements, including the Montreal Protocol and the Basel Convention.
Conservation
PACT invests BZ$7.75 million in Belize’s National Protected Areas System
The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) announced the rollout of BZ$7.75 million under its enhanced Conservation Investment Strategy (CIS) 2.0. This substantial investment will be distributed over three years to 15 co-management agencies, supporting strategic conservation initiatives across 28 protected areas in Belize.
Community and Society
San Pedro Town Council installs Environmental and Social Management officer
San Pedro Town is making significant progress in environmental management and sustainable development with the appointment of a dedicated Environmental and Social Management (EMS) officer at the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC). This initiative coincides with the island's launch of ambitious projects funded by international financial institutions (IFIs), with the goal of balancing growth with responsible stewardship of its unique coastal environment.
Community and Society
Hol Chan Marine Reserve Launches 2025 Reef Fest
The Hol Chan Marine Reserve officially launched its annual Reef Fest over the weekend to promote environmental stewardship and community engagement. The festivities began on Saturday, May 10, with a large-scale beach cleanup along the northern coastline of San Pedro, near important sea turtle nesting areas. A volleyball competition took place the following day.
Environment
Sargassum overwhelming Ambergris Caye’s coasts; harvesters trying to cope with the influx
San Pedro Town began addressing the Sargassum issue on April 11th by activating two specialized harvesters designed to collect and remove the brown seaweed from the ocean before it reaches the beaches. Since then, these modified machines have been working to scoop up the seaweed near the island's urban area. However, large amounts of Sargassum have still been observed on the beaches. In response, the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) has declared a Sargassum emergency and is hiring additional personnel to assist in removing the algae from the downtown beaches.
Conservation
Belize makes progress in fulfilling conservation commitments outlined in the Blue Bond initiative
Three years after Belize’s landmark “debt-for-nature” swap, the country has made significant strides in conservation through its Blue Bonds initiative. This historic agreement provided funding for marine protection in exchange for debt relief. In late 2021, Belize completed a $360 million debt-for-nature swap, which involved restructuring its external debt and securing $180 million for marine conservation efforts.
Conservation
Sea turtle nesting season has begun; Sargassum poses potential threat
The Hol Chan Marine Reserve has announced the start of the 2025 sea turtle nesting season in northern Ambergris Caye. Over the years, Hol Chan has been monitoring the island’s northern beaches and observing the challenges that sea turtles face during nesting season, which typically lasts until November. One of the significant challenges this year is the increased influx of Sargassum seaweed, which poses a threat to the nesting period, alongside the rise in human activities.
Environment
CRFM working group conducts multi-country review and analysis of Caribbean groundfish resources
The Continental Shelf Fisheries Working Group (CSWG)—a technical working group of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) which seeks to foster the sustainable use of continental shelf resources and their associated ecosystems—recently convened a workshop, from 31 March to 4 April 2025, in Paramaribo, Suriname. The workshop focused on the review and analysis of groundfish resources in Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Twenty-nine participants from four partner organizations and the three countries attended the event.
