So, since the local fishermen feel this strongly about this new SI, we reached out to the Ministry of the Blue Economy for comment. This afternoon, they sent out a press release disagreeing with major points that the Belizean fishermen have made against this change to the fisheries regulations.
In its 500-word statement, the Ministry insists that the local fishermen are unfairly attributing the impacts of illegal fishing to those fisher folks who have permanent residency in Belize.
The Ministry says, quote, "It is not justifiable to identify Permanent Resident fishers as being the sole culprits in illegal fishing…. It is the Ministry's firm position that Permanent Residents who have met the legal requirements should be afforded the opportunity to participate in the industry."
This evening, Andre Perez, the Minister who signed the SI into law, granted the press an impromptu briefing to explain the Ministry's position in more detail:
Hon. Abner Andre Perez, Minister of the Blue Economy
"For the record, just to let you know the records will show prior to that there were only like 44 registered fisherfolks with residency. So to put the blame on them to say that they are the ones who are over fishing this place right here I think is going the wrong road and that is what I want to clarify that I think its high time that we as a nation open our eyes that we have a right to live here. Actually, we can be taken to court if we are depriving somebody their rights because the law states that you cannot fish even though you are not a Belizean, but you are resident, so it's in that context that we have to look at that. We have to
include everyone here. First of all let's not confuse illegal fishing with somebody who has a resident has a license to fish. Every single person that's on the high seas on the water fishing must have a valid licensed, so that must not be confused with illegal fishing, especially as it relates to the south and again I want to make it clear to relate these 2 is already starting on the wrong foot already, so we know that there is illegal fishing out there, that has very little bearing to what we are talking about with this new SI was passed on May 25th. I will tell you that I have visited down south very much. I have dived those waters and indeed over there the fish stock is very limited and that is illegal fishing. This is also another responsibility under the blue economy that apart from passing these legislations and new SIs there is another important factor that we have and that is enforcement and that is also another thing that we take seriously that we must engage in enforcement, working together as well with other departments such as the coast guard and the police department and so it is very much active and I think we need to clarify that out there. Do not confuse that."
"What we are doing right now is basically fixing things. Let me give you 2 examples: in the beginning when we just started I visited, especially with gillnet banning, we went to visit the village of Sarteneja and right there I was immediately I was approach by a family who were Belizeans, the children and everybody, but the husband who is a resident cannot fish and it's a big family, so how do you tell that family you cannot do fishing? How will he sustain his family and including that the gillnet ban had been included there. So how do you do that? This week I was in Caye Caulker visiting my constituency, I have a family there who lives up north in Caye Caulker, the wife came in personally to thank me for that reason there that we made the change, because she is a Belizean, her daughter just graduated from school - that finally her husband will be able to fish legally to apply for a license and he is a resident of this country. He has been here for 25 years."
We'll have more from today's press briefing in tomorrow's newscast. That's when you'll hear what the Minister had to say on enforcement efforts the illegal fishing Belizean waters by neighboring Central American nationals.
