And while World Food Day was observed in Stann Creek, in Belize City, there was a capacity training workshop for Managed Access Committees. During this two day workshop, fishers from various communities across the country came to represent their respective committees and share their concerns as it relates to their livelihood. The training was hosted by the Environmental Defense Fund, MarFund, and the Fisheries Department.
Fisheries Officer, Adriel Castaneda, and project manager for EDF, Nicanor Requena, explained more.
Adriel Castaneda, Fisheries Officer, Fisheries Department
"Basically we're trying to engage on fisheries related matters, one of those matters include manage access which has been a program that department implemented since 2016 at the national level. Due to COVID we haven't been able to really engage the fishers as much as we wanted to so this is one of the few sessions are starting to have with fishers to get feedback on what their concerns are in terms of fisheries what they would like to see change and any management recommendations that they may have for us as a department"
"I think one of the main things that was highlighted was communication. Fisherman want us to be more present in the communities, fishermen want to hear more about fisheries, what's happening in the regulations, I think I have been some level of disjoint and not to blame everything on covid but resources, human personal are limitations that we have, we're trying to find in partnership with our NGO partners ways of how we can be more efficient in reaching out to the people."
Nicanor Requena, Project Manager in Belize, EDF
"Just very valuable, very necessary as Mr Adriel from the department may have highlighted already, COVID and other issues has really cause in some instances some gaps in communication and so this has really been the convening of fishers, co managers, the fisheries department and NGO partners really looking at evaluating components of the manage access program but also looking at what are the next steps and very important in this is getting fishers input ensuring that whatever we do next, that those are around the priorities of the fishers, the communities."
Elmer Rodriguez, Chairman, National Fisherman's Coop
"I think its something good, which I think as a fisherman also, we were expecting something like this to be happening. It's very important that we have training programs to being the fishing stakeholders so that they can be informed and can know what is happening with the workshop concerning the manage access program."
"They have some valid criticisms and also concerns which as even I as a fisher has a lot of concerns about the manage access which I fully support it, I think it's something very good for us as fishermen but then there's also, we need to comply with what we had in the manage access program."
Paula Jacob Williams, Chairlady, Punta Negra/Fisherwoman
"One of my concerns was that we as fishers needed more information and they promised us that we will get more information like data and stuff like that."
"I am happy because we got a lot of information on it, and updates on the fisheries, on the new act that is coming in."
