And from manatee habitat destruction to illegal fishing in Belizean waters, recently there have been several reports of illegal fishing in the Sapodilla Caye range have emerged. Well tonight, Rear Admiral Gregory Soberanis explained that the threats from Guatemala and Honduras are ever pressing in the waters and the area is so vast that they have had to launch very specific operations to address it:
Gregory Soberanis, Rear Admiral - BCG
"We are quite aware and are kept abreast with what's going on in the Sapodilla Caye range. We know it is a, it is one of our priority area of concern and we have, we have allocated resources, we have redesigned our operational posture and plan to address the issues in that space. We are also cognitive of the fact that this is an issue that the Coast Guard cannot and will not go alone to confront the issue of illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing in the in our southern sector. We have collaborated and coordinated with our partners, for example the fisheries department. We continue to work with our NGO partners as well in that space and so we continue to work together. We continue to concentrate and collaborate our efforts targeting certain areas. As you mentioned, it's a vast space. However, the vastness of that space does not mean that we are going to concede to some of the challenges that arise within that space. So while, while yes, there are those who, who, who are highlighting certain issues, yes those issues are, are alive in those areas. However, the Coast Guard along with its partners, we continue to to address those issues and in my view, I'm talking to my commanders, we have made good strides, good progress along with our partners in, in understanding the, the issue of illegal fishing in that area. So we continue to, to take steps. We continue to ensure that we maintain a presence in, in, in certain key areas that we know we, the cross-border fisher folks would come and harvest or, or fishery product. But at the end of the day, as I, as I said to you, we remain vigilant with our partners in, in that operating space."
