15 - Belize

The struggles to protect the last commercially fished spawning aggregation on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef

When Belize passed its eyebrow-raising legislation in 2003 that protected nine of its known 11 spawning aggregation sites,scientists, conservationists and many fishers cheered the world over. But what of Belize’s jewel in the spawning aggregation crown, Gladden Spit, now a thorny management issue that few wish to tackle?

Famous for the stunning underwater operatic event where thousands of snappers (cubera snapper,Lutjanus cyanopterus and dog snapper, L. jocu)aggregate and spawn near dusk between March and July, Gladden Spit is also fished by traditional fishers who target spawning mutton (L.analis)and yellowtail (Ocyurus chrysurus)snappers. Despite the declaration of this site as a marine reserve in 2000 and co-management under a novel agreement between the government and a nongovernmental organization, and notwithstanding the extirpation of almost all other spawning sites in the region, fishing continues at unsustainable levels. And the situation may be about to get much worse.

Fishers at Gladden Spit noted in the late 1990s that despite the fact that the fishery only comprised an average of 6-10 boats and 20-25 fishers, they were working harder to catch the same or fewer fish than previously and that the fish were getting smaller, both signs of overfishing. Assessment of catch per unit effort over three years and analysis of landings over six years confirmed their concerns (Graham et al. 2008). This information was made available to both marine reserve co-managers and fishers who supported management measures but preferred to focus on excluding foreign fishers, who fished illegally. Moreover there were increasing conflicts with the tourism industry selling the unique encounter experience with whale sharks and spawning aggregation phenomenon, as they overlapped in space and time with the fishers. Notably, many fishers and tour-guides had family ties, creating new inter-generational stressors

A key issue for managers was who should be considered a ‘traditional’ fisher, and hence a stakeholder who should continue to be allowed to fish at Gladden Spit? While this was being evaluated “special licences” were issued to any fisher who applied for one with few restrictions regarding the fishers’ origin. Although the co-management agreement enabled relatively good enforcement measures at Gladden Spit, it has also created problems. For example, licencing has long been carried out by the Department of Fisheries but in the case of Gladden Spit, a (different) local co-manager (currently the Southern Environment Association- -SEA) is also able to provide licences and acted to limit the number issued. Disgruntled fishers bypassed the co-managers and travelled directly to petition Fisheries enabling them to receive licences and undermine SEA’s management. On the other hand, although patriarch fishers were retiring and leaving the fishery, with the economic downturn reducing overnight tourism several of the young tourguides who had switched from fishing to guiding, had to switch back to fishing to make ends meet, thereby driving up fishing pressure.

More recently, outside pressures have intensified. In 2008, Jamaican fishers travelled to Gladden Spit and purchased all the fish that fishers could sell them. In late 2009, they returned with a fleet of boats laden with fish traps ready to take advantage of the CARICOM fisheries agreement that enables fishers from the Caribbean to fish in the territorial waters of other states with relatively few restrictions. Although heavy resistance from Belizeans prevented the Jamaican “invasion”, foreign fishers married to Belizeans were then in a position to obtain fishing permits, further increasing fishing pressure. With little effective restriction on fishing at Gladden and with increased demand from new markets in Jamaica, the spawning aggregations and their progeny are at increased risk from overfishing.

After 13 years and many efforts by many people, the magnificent and possibly unique Gladden Spit is still under threat. It will take significant political and local will and clout to improve the situation. If SEA bases its final assessment of the relatively limited number of fishers who should be issued permits based on their traditional use of the site for the period 1998-2003, then spawning aggregations at Gladden Spit stand a fighting chance at surviving in a sea where most other aggregations have been fished out.

Rachel Graham
Wildlife Conservation Society  
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Reference

Graham, R., R. Carcamo, K. Rhodes, C. Roberts, N. Requena. (2008) Historical and contemporary evidence of a mutton snapper (Lutjanus analisCuvier, 1828) spawning aggregation fishery in decline. Coral Reefs 27: 311 319.