BELIZE CITY, Mon. Dec. 9, 2019– The campaign to end the use of gill nets is seemingly not any closer to coming to a positive end, as the government still has not voted in favor of a complete ban on gillnet fishing.

Following the House of Representatives meeting on Tuesday, December 3, the government issued a press release highlighting new measures that would be deployed to phase out, the use of gillnets gradually over a span of two years.

For years, various NGOs and other organizations have been joining forces under the Coalition for Sustainable Fisheries and providing evidence to the government regarding the many dangers of gillnet fishing in the country.

It seems, however, that these risks are not enough to inspire an outright ban of gillnets, as the government says that it is concerned about the effects that a ban would have on the livelihood of fishermen and others who rely upon the gillnet.

Some of the measures that will be taken to curb the use of gill nets, according to the press release, includes expanding the area of the sea in which the use of gill nets is forbidden and implementing an immediate moratorium on the issuance of gillnet licenses to new persons.

Also, the importation of gillnets will be restricted, with licenses being required for those engaged in such importation, and existing gill nets will need to be re-registered, which will result in the issuance of seasonal licenses to use the said nets.

Along with these and other measures, the GOB has also voted to forbid the use of these nets in the “southernmost waters south of Punta Gorda”.

Although this list of measures seems extensive, many members of the anti-gillnet community say that they are disheartened by the GOB’s decision to allow the continued use of something that has proven detrimental to sustainable fishing in Belize.

In a teleconference with the media, vice president of Oceana, Janelle Chanona, said that she is surprised by this ruling by the government, which could have severe implications for our fisheries and tourism industries, and therefore, the economy of Belize.

Janelle Chanona

“We should brace ourselves for an increase, possibly, in illegal fishing activity — given that it has been proven on multiple occasions that the majority of the users of gillnets are in fact doing so illegally, and that is done by, primarily, a foreign fishing fleet,” she said.

Chanona, also revealed that two months ago, Oceana had pledged a two-million-dollar financial aid package which was allocated to aiding licensed fishermen to transition from using gillnets.

The Minister of Fisheries, however, has still not had a discussion with Oceana concerning this.

Other figures, such as Senator for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), Osmany Salas, and Will Maheia of the Belize Territorial Volunteers, based in Punta Gorda, have expressed their disappointment in the continued use of the gillnet.

Osmany Salas

Senator Salas did take into account that the new measures should provide some alleviation, but still not enough to get the desired changes.

Maheia, however, found the measures regarding the forbiddance of gillnet fishing south of Punta Gorda to be “a complete joke,” because the majority of gillnet users are north of the Monkey River.

Nonetheless, all parties remain relentless in their efforts to eradicate gillnet fishing in Belize.