Scientific collection permits in Belize?

[Seaweed Doc]

I'm hoping somebody who knows the legal system in Belize, perhaps one of the dive shops, might help with this.

I'm a marine botanist (hence the login name) and have taught in Belize every other year (study tours) since 1993. Last December, I noticed algae of a particular type growing in a crevice behind the stalactites at the Blue Hole. A friend of mine who works with this particular group (DNA sequencing, specifically) suspects these are new species based on his experience and my poor photographs.

I'm going back to Belize in December 2019 and would like to legally collect some and bring them back so my friend can sequence their DNA and determine if they are novel species. I'd presume Belize Parks this information might be of interest to the Belizean government. I'm also very conscious of the special status of the Blue Hole and I would want to do any collecting with permission of the government.

I'm at a loss of who to write to to ask for such permission. Are scientific collection permits routinely issued? Any advice on which office to contact?

(And greetings to the dive operations I've been out with while down there: Hamanasi, Belize Underwater, and Splash, if you're on this site.)

 

[Ralph Capeling]

I would suggest starting with Belize Audubon Society who manage the Blue Hole National Monument. The are not likely the ones who would give legal permission but they should be able to point you in the right direction. The link is: Belize Audubon Society – Blue Hole Natural Monument

Their contact info Phone: +(501) 223-5004 / 4987 / 4988 and E-mail: base@btl.net

I think it is Fisheries Department that have the legal responsibility for the Blue Hole National Monument and might be the agency that would give the legal approval.

This article supports that speculation:

Discovery of new shark species in Belize emphasizes need for conservation
Friday, February 10th, 2017


It has been confirmed by the Belize Fisheries Department that a new shark species has been discovered in Belize. The new species has not been officially named as yet, but it has a very close resemblance to Bonnethead sharks, which is a smaller species of Hammerhead sharks. The discovery was made after samples were taken from a landing site in Belize through an on-going shark data collection, monitoring and research program conducted by shark specialists from Florida International University (FIU).
According to a press release from the Fisheries Department issued on Monday, February 6th, the research was led by Doctor Demian Chapman from the FIU. He has been conducting studies on sharks in Belize since 2008 with a focus on Hammerhead species. While collecting data on the Belizean shark population, Chapman and members of the Fisheries Department thought they were taking samples of what appeared to be a normal Hammerhead shark. However, after looking at the shark’s DNA, they realized that it was completely different, resulting in the discovery of the new species.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

I would suggest starting with Belize Audubon Society who manage the Blue Hole National Monument. The are not likely the ones who would give legal permission but they should be able to point you in the right direction. The link is: Belize Audubon Society – Blue Hole Natural Monument

Their contact info Phone: +(501) 223-5004 / 4987 / 4988 and E-mail: base@btl.net

I think it is Fisheries Department that have the legal responsibility for the Blue Hole National Monument and might be the agency that would give the legal approval.

This article supports that speculation: [deleted].

Ah, of course! I should have realized Belize Audubon would at least know who to ask. Fisheries does enforcement out there, so that makes sense as well.

Thanks! And I enjoyed diving with Splash, though I think it was back in 2015. (I bring students to South Water, and your boat picked our divers up on the way to sites near there, Glovers, or Blue Hole once.)

 

[Ralph Capeling]

Seaweed Doc We will be happy to see you back down this way again, but please make sure you let us know how your testing works out.

 

[RyanT]

Check here:
http://www.fisheries.gov.bz/services/permits/

Even though it's under fisheries, the website says it requires permits for any aquatic research. Seems like a good place to start.