In Memoriam: Jon Ramnarace, Marine Protector

Ramnarace (left) at the Tikal Summit hosted by Global Conservation in 2022. Photo courtesy of Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association.

We are deeply saddened by the murder of Global Conservation's Enforcement Officer with the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA) in Belize, 38-year-old Jon Ramnarace. Jon was murdered in the city of Belmopan on New Year's Eve, along with his 29-year-old brother, David Ramnarace. Their spouses were also shot, but remain in critical condition.

Police have apprehended a suspect: 39-year-old police corporal Elmer Nah, who has been charged with two counts of murder, attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm and dangerous harm. The motive has not yet been made public.

However, justice will never bring back the great man who had just begun as Director of Marine Protection for Turneffe Atoll, our primary Global Park Defense project in Belize. Global Conservation had just supported the hiring of Jon to protect Turneffe Atoll, Belize’s largest marine protected area using Global Park Defense, Marine Radars, GPS boat tracking, SMART Patrols and training of marine rangers. He was dedicating his life to protecting land and marine habitats in Central America.

Before working for TASA, Ramnarace spent six years at WCS Belize helping roll out a national training program for protected area managers and rangers interested in using patrol software and aerial and underwater drones for surveillance. He also helped develop the Fish Right Eat Right and OurFish mobile applications that encourage best practices in buying and selling fish commercially, according to WCS.

He helped develop similar technologies for conservation projects in Honduras, the Bahamas and Jamaica. He will be greatly missed.

Remembering Jon

“Jon was very personable and had immediately become an asset to our team,” the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA), where he worked, said in a statement. “He was funny, witty and solutions-oriented … His impact on the organization and the TASA team was significant. It is surely hard to process the untimely death of such a vibrant and dedicated conservation warrior.”

“He is an outstanding model for other upcoming leaders in marine protection against illegal and unsustainable fishing,” said Jeff Morgan, founder of Global Conservation. “Unfortunately, greed and criminals took his life right when he was taking a leading role at TASA. We are all saddened by his sudden loss, and for all Belize.”

"Jon brought his gregarious nature, enthusiasm, and technology competency to our conservation programs, supporting many national initiatives intended to help safeguard Belize's marine and terrestrial resources. Shаrіng hіѕ ехреrtіѕе аnd раѕѕіоn. Јоn ѕuрроrtеd thе rоll-оut оf vеѕѕеl mоnіtоrіng ѕуѕtеms wіth еmеrgеnсу ЅОЅ whісh helped kеер Веlіzе’ѕ fіѕhеrѕ ѕаfе whіlе аt ѕеа.” -WСЅ Веlіzе Соuntrу Dіrесtоr, Nісоlе Аuіl Gоmеz.