BELIZE CITY, Mon. Nov. 15, 2021 — On Friday night, the Belize Coast Guard and TIDE rangers detained two Guatemalan nationals who were found in the Port of Honduras Marine Reserve with an assortment of fish caught illegally in Belizean waters. The size and nature of the catch suggested the use of gillnets, which were later found on the boat along with the illegal fish.

The names of the two persons have not yet been revealed, but they are expected to be in the custody of Belizean law enforcement awaiting charges. The Port of Honduras Marine Reserve is a hot spot for illegal fishing in Belizean waters by foreign nationals who take advantage of the country’s limited manpower at sea.

This bust, as mentioned, was carried out with the help of TIDE and underpins the important of physical patrolling in our waters, the Belize Coast Guard says.

In a release on Facebook on Saturday morning, the Coast Guard stated, “The threat to our marine resources is real and without adequate physical patrolling efforts our conservation plans remain as abstract. Last night TIDE Rangers and Coast Guard officers detained two Guatemalan nationals along with an indiscriminate assortment of fish catch and gill nets in the Port Honduras Marine Reserve.”