The skies cleared briefly this morning, but it was soon overcast again, as weather reports predict more bad weather later today and tomorrow. For some fishermen, this has meant a hold on their operations, as a number of sailing boats can be seen moored all week long in the Belize City harbor near the Swing Bridge and adjacent to the Commercial Center. It is not just the bad weather, but also the resulting massive amounts of flood water being emptied into the coastal waters that have affected the work of some fishermen, especially divers.
This is traditionally a slow spell in the lobster season, but the conch season, which commenced on October 1, was in full swing when the recent heavy rains and accompanying floods put a damper on conch deliveries, as the flood waters affect visibility for divers. But fish often “bite better” in bad weather, and so far the traditional handline fishermen are braving the elements and reportedly still bringing in substantial catches to supply the local demand. However, the black snappers, which were recently quite plentiful on market stalls, are now scarce, as they have apparently suspended their seasonal migration southward along the Barrier Reef due to the floodwaters.