Forbes Magazine Highlights Belize’s Efforts to Protect Shark Species Locally

February 8, 2022
by roshesgodfrey@gmail.com +

American-based Forbes Magazine is shedding some positive spotlight on Belize for what they say is a historic step towards the protection of the endangered Caribbean Reef Shark, whose population has been under threat over the past few years due to what is believed to be excessive fishing.

The article which was published over the weekend highlighted the Government’s recent decision to ban shark fishing within two nautical mile radius around the Lighthouse Reef, Glovers’s Reef, and Turneff Atoll, which are all considered to be Marine Protected Areas (MPA). The regulations seek to establish a safe heaven measuring 1,500 square miles, where the species could thrive, without being disturbed.

The swift decision however was taken after a two-decade study of the shark population out at Glovers Reef which was spearheaded by Florida International University and the University of Miami, revealed some interesting data. According to Forbes, the group of researchers, using a Baited Remote Underwater Video System (BRUVS), to monitor the Caribbean reef shark population around the no-take zone realized that from 2001 to 2013 the species was doing fairly well. The researchers documented that while reviewing footage of the area they would usually spot several of these species at a time however by 2018 the team reported that they did not notice any in any of the footage and documented the rapid decline in population between 2009-2019.

In documenting the researcher’s journey, Forbes said that while they had suggested the possibility of the sharks’ beings somewhere else in the MPA, and for some reason didn’t pass in front of the camera, they said that the trend was equally concerning. That coupled with the fact that the Caribbean reef sharks are listed as the most fished shark species in Belize and also listed as endangered by the International Union for The Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, was definitely a cause for concern.

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Based on further research, the team concluded that while the Caribbean reef sharks are known to mainly inhabit shallow waters they are also known to venture to depths of at least 98 feet and are known to be bottom-dwelling species of the continental and insular shelves. This means that they can frequent or visit areas beyond a no-take zone and could have possibly ventured to the edge of the MPA where they were subsequently exposed to excessive fishing along that zone.

While the research has been classified as the first long-term monitoring study of reef sharks within a marine protected area (MPA), their collaboration revealed that even within an MPA, endangered species are still vulnerable. The study also revealed the need for enforcement and monitoring as was cited by the WWF’s “A Practical Guide to the Effective Design and Management of MPAs for Sharks and Rays”). That guide pointed out that while MPA’s are created in many instances they aren’t monitored and therefore stressed that this can’t be the case because management measures that might work at one time could prove ineffective later on due to changing socio-economic and environmental conditions. The study which called for immediate action also called for the effective monitoring of population trends over time.

Glover’s Reef is located 40 miles off the coast of Belize City. According to Forbes, it is thought to be one of the richest marine environments in the entire Caribbean Sea. Glovers Reef also forms part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, which consists of 185 miles of coral reefs and is considered to be the second coral reef system in the World after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.