For decades, this unassuming patch of blue has been the object of intense scrutiny and struggle, above and below the surface. Research at Northeast Point provided the impetus for Belize to create some of the world’s most comprehensive protections for aggregation sites and the remarkable creatures that spawn there. But poachers now profit from Belize’s carefully crafted protections, raiding the remote Northeast Point under the cover of night, flouting Belizean law. When undefended, the site makes an attractive target for Belize’s two fish-poor neighbors: Honduras has eaten up most of its own stocks; and Guatemala’s sandy, silty coast doesn’t offer the right habitat for Nassau grouper aggregations. Here, an endangered species is fighting for its life, while local fishers struggle to preserve theirs.
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