Yesterday, Belize’s Supreme Court declared offshore drilling contracts issued by the Government of Belize (in 2004 and 2007) null and void, providing a dramatic and potentially definitive setback to The Government of Belize and the petroleum prospecting companies issued the contracts.The ruling, handed down by Justice Oswell Legall, was in response to a case brought … Read more
All forms of trawling in Belize have been banned in the country’s waters including its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) when Fisheries Minister Rene Montero signed the Statutory Instrument effecting this legislative change today. The ban, effective December 31, 2010, is a historic decision by Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s administration, which has been making these environmentally … Read more
Green Sea Turtle Green turtles in the Mesoamerican Reef region are threatened by fisheries bycatch, habitat degradation and the illegal harvest of eggs and adults on nesting beaches. While the harvest of green turtles is illegal in all of the Mesoamerican Reef countries, poaching of meat, eggs, shells and leather does still occur. In addition, … Read more
The Belize Barrier Reef is a 300 km long section of the 900 km long Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which stretches from the northeast tip of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula to Amatique Bay, Guatemala, making it the second largest coral reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Belize is home to … Read more
News of Jamaican trawlers entering Belize’s southern waters in December to fish led to a decisive agreement by the Ministry of Fisheries to halt the issuing of fishing licenses to foreign fishing fleets in Belize’s Exclusive Economic Zone pending consultation with local fishermen. The action will allow officials to assess the sustainability of the proposed … Read more
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We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.
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