Additional equipment has been acquired to boost the enforcement efforts of the lawmen who police the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve.
Funding from the Sustainable Tourism Project #2 was used to purchase new equipment for the field management staff. Among the items acquired are a new boat and engine, a Quadcopter Drone for marine patrols, GPS rangefinders to improve security and monitoring, waterproof binoculars, spotlights and flashlights, uniforms, additional mooring buoys, and other gears.
Yesterday, the 2 ministries held a ceremony inside the Marine Reserve to mark the occasion, and here's what the keynote speakers had to say:
Hon. Abner Andre Perez - Minister of the Blue Economy & Civil Aviation
"I'm here on behalf of the Blue Economy and Civil Aviation to accept these gifts here - more than gifts. But, it is a sign of the great partnership and collaboration that we must engage with. And as such, I venture as far as acknowledging the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora [Relations] as our sister ministry, where we can see clearly that as we move forward and forge forward to grow this economy, it is so vital and critical that these ministries work together."
"And I ask of our officers who are entrusted with this valuable equipment to please take care of them. To make that it give value, you get your full use of it."
Hon. Anthony Mahler - Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations
"We're winding down the Sustainable Tourism Project #2, and that started many years ago as the tourism development project, about 15-20 years ago. And so, this is just another step where we partner with other agencies. As you all know, tourism represents about 40% of our GDP, and so, it stimulates a lot of the economy."
"[A] vast majority of people coming to Belize say they come for marine activities. But, for far too long, and all across the world, we've seen that we've exploited our natural resources. It is important that we have a mindset here in Belize, and across the world, for us to manage those resources in a sustainable way."
