Belize Fisheries bans tourists from spearing

Hank49 · Jan 16, 2010

Belize Fisheries just passed a law that no tourists can spear here anymore. The objective is to preserve the fisheries for the commercial fishermen here.

This doesn't sound realistic or logical given that gill netting is still legal and widely practiced. There are commercial spearfishermen that are virtually unregulated given the lack of funds for game wardens to check size and bag limits and there are shrimp trawlers operating down around Placencia. Also there's a fleet of boats from Jamaica awaiting permits to fish here and export. Their application was wisely rejected by the PM here but they haven't left yet and that was a month ago.

It's not going to affect tourism by eliminating tourists from spearing but it is a bit alarming given that this decision is indicative of the mindset of the people in charge of the fishery resource on the world's second longest barrier reef.

OceanEd · Jan 17, 2010

Hank:

I am not surprised at all. I think you will see more and more of this in other countries going forward. I am waiting for the Bahamas to do the same thing. Most of the damage is done by the locals and foreign commercial interests, but they need a scapegoat so they will blame the tourists. Then they will continue to wipe out and mismanage their own resource.

Hank49 · Jan 18, 2010

Stopping tourists from spearing here will reduce total fish taken here by.....01%? I have never come across any tourist out spearing here other than one guy that came down from California a couple years ago who had contacted me through Spearboard.
Bummer Steve. I was hoping to hook up with a few guys like yourself down here.

TheKim · Jan 19, 2010

Well, there is always tension in places like this between locals and tourists and in this case politicians are responding to the local constituency. Belize gets so much cruise ship business, I doubt they're worried about a few spear fisherman. That being said, I doubt this gets enforced much. I'd be careful about taking lobsters out of season, but wouldn't worry about a few Dorados. Then again, nobody wants to wind up in Jail in Belize.

Hank49 · Jan 20, 2010

This singling out of tourists spearing to lessen pressure on the fishery here is a bit like having a highway that is very crowded with traffic every day....say, in New York... and to alleviate the problem, local law inforcement is banning yellow, 1978 VW Beetles from using the highway.

OceanEd · Jan 20, 2010

Hank:

Very sorry you are being put in this position. It makes it very tough on you in a number of ways we don't need to discuss here. I often wonder what I will do if they do the same thing in the Bahamas.

Stephen

TMHeimer · Jan 21, 2010

Same thing with all the shell collecting laws. It's OK for the locals to collect them and sell them to tourists on the street.

100days-a-year · Jan 23, 2010

I quit traveling as much when I became acquainted with the laws and practices of quite a few countries.I don't visit several states and don't buy many products based on the attitudes the companies or workforce display.

That doesn't help you but it gives me a small measure of satisfaction to not support persons,policies or politicians who violate my beliefs.I believe they call it "boycott'

Hank49 · Jan 23, 2010

It gets worse. Now Fisheries has suspended the enforcment of "NO TAKE" zones, or marine reserve areas and are allowing the commercial fishermen to fish everywhere, including the Marine Reserves. This is insane.

cldomson1 · Jan 26, 2010

I guess you'll never see me visiting Belize.

Fisheries management is as corrupt as it gets. Anything run by a government is a set up for corruption. IMO.

C

Belize Fisheries bans tourists from spearing

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