And this type of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing is exactly what was discussed in a high-level virtual discussion on ocean conservation. The US Embassy organized the event this afternoon in partnership with Global Fishing Watch, Oceana Belize, and the Belize High Seas Fisheries Unit (BHSFU).
The topic was discussed by the virtual panel under the title, "Fishing for the Future: Belize's Commitment to Fighting Illegal Fishing with Big Data".
You'll remember back in June when the Belize High Seas Fisheries Unit has signed a memorandum of understanding to make its vessel tracking data publicly available through the Global Fishing Watch map.
That allowed the Belizean fishing picture to be placed into global context the Global Fishing Watch's constant tracking of all vessels worldwide. During the 1 hour session, the Deputy Director of the Fisheries Unit discussed how that bigger picture is essential to dealing with Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing. Here's an excerpt of his remarks:
We understand from persons knowledgeable on the topic say that the Belize Government and the Nature Conservancy's Blue Bonds for Ocean Conservation can play a very vital role in the fight against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing. That's because that Marine Spatial Plan, which is a part of the long list of conservation commitments, will map out Belize's Sea Spaces all the out to the edge of the country's Exclusive Economic Zone.
