BTT Expands Presence in Belize

BY CHRIS SANTELLA

Belize has less than 200 miles of coastline. Yet its modestly sized coastal habitat boasts an outsized abundance of marine life, from a large section of the Meso-American reef (and its many denizens) to immense populations of permit, bonefish and tarpon. The Belizean citizenry and government officials largely recognize the ecological, cultural and economic significance of its marine environs, and have taken an active role in seeking ways to ensure its long-term well-being. This was evidenced in 2009, when Belize established catch-and-release regulations for bonefish, tarpon, and permit. The small west Caribbean nation has also established eight marine reserves, offering enhanced protection for sport fish and other wildlife.

Since 2006, BTT has been working in Belize to provide scientific and policy expertise where required to further conservation efforts. BTT’s first research project focused on juvenile bonefish habitat; a study soon after focused on tagging adult bonefish, tarpon, and permit to identify their home ranges and movement patterns. In 2013, BTT commissioned an economic impact assessment that showed that the catch-and-release flats fishery generates $112 million Belizean Dollars annually, underscoring the need to conserve it and ensure its sustainability.

In recent years, BTT has stepped up its efforts in Belize. In 2019, Dr. Addiel Perez was hired as Belize-Mexico Program Manager; in 2022, he was joined by Lysandra Chan, who serves as Technical Assistant for the program. Having staff on the ground in Belize has enabled BTT to strengthen key partnerships with Belize’s angling community and resource managers with the goal of developing science-based conservation policies to integrate habitat protection and restoration in fishery management plans.

“There are three components to our work in Belize,” said Kellie Ralston, BTT Vice President for Conservation and Public Policy. “To educate, to engage in active conservation, and to provide information to support sustainable management policies and practices. As Belize gives non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in some regions the ability to co-manage conservation efforts with government agencies, we’ve learned to work closely with such groups.” Like in all the places where it works, BTT is pursuing an inclusive approach, working with all Belizean flats fishing stakeholders in a supportive role to further conservation goals.

Highlighted below are some of BTT’s current and ongoing initiatives in Belize.

Mobilizing Opposition To Proposed Resort On Turneffe Atoll

A development group called MML Investment LTD is attempting to build a resort in close proximity to Big Flat, Turneffe Atoll’s largest backreef flat and an important feeding area for bonefish and permit. The development would consist of 22 cabanas—12 of them over the water—plus walkways connecting the three islets resting west of the flat. The project—within 500 feet of the Meso-American Reef—would require considerable dredging and clearance of approximately 20 percent of terrestrial flora to place buildings.

The development flies in the face of many rules and regulations already in place to protect coastal environments. If ultimately approved, it would add fuel to the already problematic fire of development in protected areas, following Blackadore Caye and Cayo Rosario. BTT is working with a number of partners, including Turneffe Atoll Trust and Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA), which co-manages the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve, to mobilize opposition to the development. While not anti-development, TASA believes developers must operate within the regulations. Short-term revenue generation cannot be pursued at the cost of long-term damage to the ecosystem.

Supporting Opposition To Cayo Rosario Development

Close to the town of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, local flats fishing guides are battling a development on Cayo Rosario, which is known for exceptional permit fishing. Like the proposed construction at Big Flat, Cayo Rosario’s plan calls for overwater structures and considerable dredging—even though the property falls within the boundaries of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Should the project continue, the prolific flats, home to abundant marine and bird life, will be forever changed. “Our guides used to utilize the flats surrounding Cayo Rosario every day,” said Chris Leeman, co-owner of Blue Bonefish Lodge on Ambergris. “But since development has started the fish are less frequently visiting those flats.”

Working with Leeman and other local stakeholders, BTT has rallied members of the Ambergris guide community and others in the tourism industry to oppose the resort construction on Cayo Rosario. BTT has also released statements to government officials citing the negative impacts of the development, and assisted Hol Chan Marine Reserve managers with their statement of opposition.

Tracking Spawning Bonefish

In 2010, BTT helped fund groundbreaking research on bonefish spawning habits. During full and new moon cycles from fall through early spring, fish form pre-spawning aggregations (PSAs) at nearshore sites, where they prepare to spawn by porpoising at the surface and gulping air to fill their swim bladders. At night, these large groups of fish—as many as 10,000—swim offshore and dive hundreds of feet before surging back up to the surface. It’s believed that the sudden change in pressure during the ascent makes their swim bladders expand, helping them release their eggs and sperm. After fertilization, the hatched larvae drift in the ocean’s currents for between 41 and 71 days before settling in shallow sand- or mud-bottom bays, where they develop into juvenile bonefish.

Dr. Perez is conducting ongoing research in northern Belize to identify PSAs, using acoustic tags to track the direction the fish are heading to spawn. “If we can translate this data into management strategies, we’ll be able to protect pre-spawning aggregation areas for much of the bonefish population in northern Belize and the southern Yucatán,” Dr. Perez said. “That will make for a healthy fishery.”

Permit Movements

Understanding permit movement patterns allows managers to identify the habitats that are most important for protection, while measuring the effectiveness of protected areas. Since 2021, BTT has worked with anglers and guides in northern Belize to tag 138 permit to monitor movement patterns. Preliminary data shows that permit have complex movement and habitat use patterns that will require a regional conservation strategy. “We know from tagging around Cayo Rosario that permit regularly range six to seven miles,” Dr. Perez added. “If any of the surrounding habitat is negatively impacted, fragmentation will occur, impacting the overall health of the fishery.”

Monitoring Beach Traps

“Heart and Tail” beach traps are common along the Belizean coast. Often, bonefish, permit and tarpon will find their way into the traps. If the traps were checked regularly, this might not be problematic, as the sportfish are returned to open water while commercial species are harvested. But frequently, traps are not checked for four or five days, depending on market demand for fresh fish. Over such a long period of confinement, barracuda in traps might injure or kill bonefish and permit. At the least, confinement is believed to stress the fish. BTT is working with co-managers in Sarteneja, Bacalar Chico and Hol Chan to encourage more sustainable practices, limiting the time traps are left unattended.

Looking Ahead

There is good reason to think that positive developments for Belizean marine conservation efforts are on the horizon. Two heavyweight conservation groups—The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF)—have committed resources toward the effort. “With the “Blue Bonds for Ocean Conservation,” TNC has agreed to finance a significant portion of Belize’s government debt in exchange for an expansion of marine protections,” said Kellie Ralston, BTT’s Vice President for Conservation and Public Policy. “Belize currently has eight marine reserves. The goal is to expand the area of protected ocean waters to 30 percent.” The Blue Bonds initiative will generate an estimated $180 million USD for marine conservation efforts.

The Belizean government further cemented its commitment to securing long-lasting protection for its marine environs with the launch of a coastal and marine Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiative, in concert with the WWF and TNC. (A PFP is an approach to provide the long-term enabling environment for sustainable financing for Belize’s marine protected areas and broader coastal ecosystems.) “BTT is well positioned to provide scientific and communications support in these parallel initiatives,” Ralston added.

Given the resources flowing into Belize—and the government’s acknowledgement of the importance of the small nation’s coastal habitat—the prognosis for conservation efforts is good. Perez is cautiously optimistic. “It seems that we play a series of whack-a-mole games in Belize right now,” he ventured. “Something pops up, we fight it, only to have another problem arise. But the bigger problem to me is how Environmental Impact Assessments are conducted. Belize has done a lot of work to protect its habitat. But authorities need to understand that the areas have been protected for a reason, that the rules around development exist for a reason. If we can fix the EIA process, we can address a lot of the issues surrounding new developments. We need better governance of our ecosystems.

“It comes down to this: if you have no fish, you have no tourism economy.”