Home to incredible biodiversity and the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, Belize has long been recognised as a global leader in marine conservation. Belize has significant commercial and recreational fisheries that are vitally important to the nation’s economy and coastal communities. Yet concerns are growing around the sustainability of the country´s fisheries, and the small-scale fishing sector are concerned for their livelihoods.
Belize is at a critical moment. The country is working to expand its Blue Economy and has several initiatives underway in support of this goal, including the Blue Bond, the development of the Belize Sustainable Ocean Plan and a marine and coastal Project Finance for Permanence initiative, known as Resilient Bold Belize. These efforts, along with the passage of the 2020 Fisheries Resources Act, provide a unique opportunity for the country to ensure healthy, resilient, and sustainable fisheries
Successful fisheries management relies on good science, fishers’ knowledge, and a robust process for incorporating that information into decision-making. Independent sources of data indicate that many of Belize’s fisheries, including those for conch and lobster, are currently unsustainable. The Belize Fisheries Project team is inviting Belizean fisheries stakeholders to engage in a dialog about the current state of the country’s fisheries resources and options for achieving sustainable and resilient fisheries capable of supporting present and future generations of fishers and their communities. The goal of this project is to facilitate a transparent and participatory process through which information about fisheries and science-based fisheries management will be shared and discussed with all fishery stakeholders.
This project brings together international experts in healthy small-scale fisheries, stakeholder engagement, governance, and data collection, analysis, and dissemination. Our fisheries experts have compiled the best available scientific information on Belize’s commercial and recreational fisheries.
Various reports and other data about fisheries will be available to you on this website. Please come back periodically to check for updates.
The goal of this project is to facilitate a transparent and participatory process through which information about fisheries will be shared and discussed. We encourage you to periodically check our schedule of events, which will be updated periodically. Reminders about upcoming events will also be posted to our Facebook page.
We also encourage you to share information you have about fisheries in Belize with us by email or through a virtual meeting. Please reach out to us at [email protected]
