New GC Video: Marine Protection in Belize

Film Script

Turneffe Atoll is the largest and most productive fishery in the Mesoamerican Reef and the largest marine reserve in Belize. Turneffe Atoll was a place where pirates operated in the 18th Century, including the legendary Blackbeard. Sadly, piracy still exists here. But today’s pirates use nets, spearguns and gillnets to illegally harvest dwindling fish populations. 

With over 300 licensed fishing boats, sports fishing and diving operators, Turneffe Atoll is highly-impacted and requires daily protection, management and enforcement of national regulations to bring back the depleted reef and atoll fisheries for future generations.

Threats include overfishing, illegal fishing, unmanaged tourism, wildlife poaching of turtles, sharks and other reef creatures and, of course, climate change. Major areas of the Turneffe Atoll are struggling to maintain critical fish populations that are essential to scuba diving, sport fishing and ecotourism industries. 

The Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association or TASA was given national-level enforcement responsibility in 2013 and, with the support of funders like Global Conservation, has begun to build a powerful model for sustainable fishing, sport fishing and scuba diving in the reserve. Valdemar Andrade is the Executive Director of TASA.

Global Conservation saw a critical opportunity to deploy their Global Park Defense system for marine protection when Belize quadrupled the ‘No Take’ areas of Turneffe Atoll to ensure overfished grouper, snapper and other reef fish will survive and thrive. 

Global Park Defense uses marine radar and SMART patrols to identify and track illegal activities inside the marine protected area, incorporating long-range cameras and UAV drones which are activated by the marine monitor system. The Marine Monitor works 24/7, day and night allowing marine wardens to have more eyes on the water.

Integrating SMART Patrolling, long-range marine radars, satellite communications and rapid response marine patrolling, Global Conservation enables TASA to more effectively manage commercial fishing and tourism activities within a 1,400 square kilometer area.

Many marine wardens are former fishermen themselves allowing TASA to build strong trust and communication with the fishing community.

Sustainable fishing by Belizeans is a way of life. Without regulation, surveillance and enforcement, there will be no fish for anyone. TASA has been awarded many honors for their success at showing how a well-managed and protected marine reserve better supports fishing for licensed fishermen.

While on patrol with TASA, a packed fishing boat was boarded and inspected, and a warning was given that certain take limits had been exceeded. To protect the long-term viability of Turneffe Atoll, No Take areas and legal limits must be enforced to stop the collapse of critical fisheries, and to sustain fisheries and the tourism industry for the benefit of Belize and the world.

Turneffe Atoll’s intact mangroves and seagrass habitats are nurseries for crocodiles, lobsters, conches and more. Turneffe is home to over five hundred fish species, as well as sea turtles, dolphins, seabirds and manatees.

Crocodiles are an important predator and apex species indicating the health of the entire marine ecosystem. Scientists from the Crocodile Research Coalition monitor crocodile nests to ensure that populations are stable. Global Conservation is supporting fishing science and baseline population studies on six indicator species including shark, grouper and grazers.

Global Conservation is providing the SMART patrol system, marine radars, motors and fuel, and technical personnel to succeed in protecting the largest atoll of the Mesoamerican Reef for our future generations.

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