World Heritage Site

The Government of Belize (GOB) has been working to restructure its external debt by addressing its US dollar bonds, known as the Super Bond. In September government announced an agreement with the bondholders and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to buy out the debt. By entering into this agreement with TNC, GOB would achieve conservation objectives, including key areas in the country set aside for protection and management. One of these areas is the Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve, a World Heritage Site in northern Ambergris Caye. This area, unfortunately, is afflicted by illegal activities such as hunting and fishing with little to no enforcement/intervention by the respective authorities. Another matter of concern is a proposal announced by Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño to build a road through the Bacalar Chico area and connect Ambergris Caye to Mexico via a bridge.

After it was revealed by Prime Minister Honourable John Briceño that there is a proposal to connect Ambergris Caye with the Mexican Yucatan peninsula via a bridge, environmentalists have sounded the alarm of its negative impact could cause to that part of the island. With a bridge, a road will be a must, and this development means that the Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve in the area could be in jeopardy. Its unique wildlife face displacement, and sea turtle nesting areas could become a thing of the past.

Sharks are being threatened in the Caribbean and around the world. Belize aims to improve shark conservation and management with newly adopted regulations. The new regulations protect sharks as apex predators of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a World Heritage Site. Shark fishing will be prohibited within a two nautical mile radius around Lighthouse Reef, Glover’s Reef, and Turneffe Atolls, establishing a safe haven measuring 1,500 square miles. These recommendations were made by the National Shark Working Group, a team comprised of the Government of Belize, shark fisher folks, NGOs and researchers.

While it's good news that the Belize Barrier Reef is off the UNESCO List of In-Danger World Heritage Sites, there is much to be done to ensure it stays off the list. Stakeholders have moved their goals to ensuring its health is a priority, calling on the Belizean community to protect and preserve every square inch of the magnificent reef.

On Tuesday, June 26th, during their 42nd annual meeting in Manama, Bahrain, the World Heritage Committee removed the Belize Barrier Reef from the UNESCO World Heritage Center List of World Heritage in Danger.

The World Heritage Committee in its 2017 decision to retain the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (BBRRS) on the Danger List, stressing the urgency of addressing development issues within the BBRRS.

The findings showed a positive turnout, as minimal clearing of mangroves has occurred within the Barrier Reef Reserve and with only one of the protected areas showing changes in mangrove cover.

The state of Belize’s Barrier Reef System continues to be poor and for another consecutive year it will remain on the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s ‘in danger list.’