Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation

A team from the UK’s Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is working in close partnership with the Belize Fisheries Department and the Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation to engage with local fishers and gather feedback on their experiences with Managed Access Committees (MACs).

The Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation convened a national Validation Workshop on December 2 to advance the finalization of the Blue Economy Bill. This marks a transformative step toward establishing Belize’s long-term legislative framework for a sustainable, resilient, and innovative Blue Economy. This pivotal session signals the Government of Belize’s continued commitment to ensuring that Belize’s ocean and coastal resources are governed through modern, science-based, inclusive, and progressive policy systems.

Belize has received a US$300,000 grant from the World Trade Organization (WTO) Fish Fund to support the Building Legal Understanding and Enforcement Capacity for Fisheries Subsidies Reform in Belize (BLUE-CAP) Project. The grant, announced on November 27, will help work led by the Directorate General for Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation, the Fisheries Department, and the High Seas Fisheries Unit, in partnership with the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM). Approved during the WTO Fish Fund steering committee meeting held on November 18–19, 2025, the project is part of a first-round disbursement of US$2.9 million awarded to 26 developing countries.

The Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation, together with the Belize Fisheries Department, reaffirmed the central role of healthy fisheries as a cornerstone of Belize’s Blue Economy. Fisheries remain vital to national food security, cultural identity, and the livelihoods of thousands of Belizeans, making their sustainable management an essential pillar in the country’s pathway to a resilient, nature-positive Blue Economy.

On November 11th, a validation workshop was held in Belize City for the National Fisheries Enforcement and Conservation Monitoring Strategy and Action Plan. The session emphasized the importance of developing an effective national strategy to protect Belize’s marine resources, bringing together key stakeholders, including representatives from the Belize Coast Guard, the Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation, and the Belize Fisheries Department.

The National Consultations for Increasing High Protection for Biodiversity in Belize hosted its San Pedro community session on October 29th at the Sunbreeze Hotel, marking the second phase of the Resilient Bold Belize (RBB) Initiative. The consultation was led by the Belize Sustainable Ocean Plan team and supported by the Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation, the Office of the Prime Minister’s Blue Bond and Finance Permanence Unit, the Belize Fisheries Department, the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

On Monday, September 15th, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) hosted the 2025 Mangrove Friendly Development Challenge meeting at the Sun Breeze Hotel in San Pedro. The event brought together conservation leaders, policymakers, developers, and community stakeholders to highlight the importance of mangroves and encourage innovative, sustainable development across Belize.

The Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation (MBEMC) participated in the Belize Investment Summit 2025, where it showcased the nation’s vast potential in advancing a thriving and sustainable blue economy. The Summit was held from September 3 to 5, 2025, in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, under the theme, “Bridging Markets, Building Resilience: The Nexus of CARICOM, Central America, and Mexico in the New Global Era.”