In one last gasp of executive authority, government has finally banned Gillnets.
This landmark accomplishment was made by the government yesterday, as Minister of the Environment, Omar Figueroa signed SI 158 making it illegal to possess and use gillnets in Belize's marine territorial seas. Additionally, all gillnet licenses are now invalid.
It's the culmination of years of lobbying and policy push and pull by Oceana which says this is a step in the right direction to protect livelihoods and strengthen marine conservation.
According to them, Belize is now one of the first countries in the world to put an end to gillnet fishing.
The SI was preceded by a government announced moratorium on the issuance of gillnet licenses in 2019, and a collaborative agreement between the Government of Belize, the Coalition for Sustainable Fisheries and Oceana, to render support to gillnet fishers to transition to alternative income-generating opportunities and to support the voluntary surrender of gillnets.
Collectively, the Coalition for Sustainable Fisheries and Oceana have fundraised BZ$2 million dollars to support eligible gillnet users to transition away from the harmful gear.
