BELIZE CITY, Wed. Mar.10, 2021– Belize once again garnered the highest overall score in the Healthy Reef for Healthy People’s Eco-Audit of the Mesoamerican Reef. Belize scored a remarkable 70% score for its implementation of recommended management actions that serve as healthy reef indicators. However, it has been noted that Belize still had the slowest growth rate of implementation in the Mesoamerican region — progressing in implementation by a mere 4% since 2011.

Within the region, Belize is followed by Honduras, which scored a 66% score for the steps it has taken to implement the recommendations, with a progress rate of 12% in its implementation of those recommendations since 2011. Next is Mexico, which received a 64% score and is noted to have progressed by 10% in its implementation process, followed by Guatemala, which got a score of 62% for implementation of recommendations and has made the most progress since 2011 in advancing toward implementation of the recommendations — a rate of 18%.

This Eco-Audit serves as a rigorous examination of how well the countries implemented the 28 healthy reef indicators as stipulated by Healthy Reefs across 7 different themes. Each of these indicators are assessed with specific grading criteria using verified data. It is a way to assess the extent to which the four countries have carried out the 28 reef management actions recommended in the 2008 and 2010 Report Cards in order to safeguard the Mesoamerican Reef and the communities it sustains.

Belize has shown continued progress in implementing these actions. “Belize expanded the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve to better manage resources on our side of the Amazing Cayman Crown Reef. This increases the percent of territorial sea included in gazetted marine protected areas and demonstrates a collaborative approach to science and conservation. The Revised Fisheries Act empowers fishers with specific rights-based benefits countrywide raising this action from 40 to 100 implementation”, said Nicole Craig, Healthy Reefs Country Coordinator in Belize.

Belize now has now fully implemented a total of 8 recommendations, which is the highest number of recommendations implemented by any of the participating countries. These results have been achieved through various initiatives, including the ‘Fish Right Eat Right’ campaign, but further growth has still been suppressed due to low participation of the private sector and the declining coverage and quality of our sewage treatment facilities, which do not meet acceptable criteria, despite the growing population.

Despite the progress, Healthy Reefs believes Mesoamerican countries are progressing too slowly. A release from Healthy Reefs said, “The regional overall Eco-Audit score increased by 2% per year from 2011-2016 but slowed to 1% per year thereafter, despite our urgent calls in every Eco-Audit and Report Card to implement these needed management actions if we are serious about protecting the reef.”

Since the Healthy Reefs’ start in 2003, the first decline in reef health has been recorded in the 2020 Mesoamerican Reef Report Card. As a result, our protection measures need to increase. This health of the reef has been affected as well by the novel stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) that has recently started to plague the reefs. Also, since 2015, the reefs have been experiencing back-to-back bleaching events, with continued declines in water quality.

“We have known for over two decades what needs to be done – this Eco-Audit is evidence that some efforts are underway, but the pace of these actions is far too slow”, said Melanie McField, Director of the Healthy Reefs Initiative.

The four Mesoamerican countries received the highest collective scores in the Eco Audit for their efforts in Research, Education and Awareness, with an overall implementation percentage of 86%. The greatest progress made by the countries was in Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management, for which there was an implementation rating of 72% as opposed to a 60% rating in the previous year. On the other hand, there has been a massive decrease in implementation of actions recommended in the category of Marine Protected Areas.