We talk with Friends of Nature Executive Director Lindsay Garbutt about the organization's marine conservation efforts in Belize.
Q: How are your principal conservation activities impacted by tourism?
A: Our primary goal is protecting marine biodiversity. We do this by regulating tourist activity, promoting ecotourism and monitoring commercial fishing activity. Gladden Spit reserve is known worldwide by divers and is very popular with both tourists and commercial fishermen. Protecting this area is a very high priority for marine biodiversity conservation. We got a critical boost in this regard when we received a grant from CI’s Global Conservation Fund, which allowed us to purchase Little Water Caye and provided a vital staging ground for monitoring and enforcement.
Q: What was tourism like at Gladden before
Friends of Nature assumed management?
A: Before we stepped in, there was uncontrolled tourism—tour operators were doing whatever they wanted and paying nothing. It was the same with commercial fishing. No effective regulation was in place. We were getting reports that fish spawning aggregations were being affected and the number of whale sharks visiting the area was decreasing. Now each visitor must pay a $15 fee, and there are restrictions on the number and size of boats that can visit the sites. Commercial fishing also is being carefully monitored with certain seasons and species completely off limits.
Q: How have these changes affected marine life in the protected areas?
A: Most beneficial have been the fees charged to visitors. This money goes directly to buy boats and pay for reserve rangers, who now operate 24 hours a day. Their presence has made a real difference in controlling illegal fishing. Still, the threat persists, mostly caused by the large number of foreign fishermen who come to fish spawning sites at night. More than 50 percent of fish caught here are caught illegally by foreign fishermen. We need another five rangers to adequately patrol the area.
Q: Tell me about your work with local fishermen?
A: We work to introduce fishermen to lower-impact fishing methods, as well as educate them about the new protected area. We also work with them to adopt alternative economic activities such as scuba diving, catch-and-release fly fishing and kayaking operations. Now many fishermen offer tour guide services. Our board chairman, for example, is a former fisherman who runs a dive shop. In this way, we are creating a strong local constituency for marine conservation.
Q: How have they responded to restrictions placed on fishing and the growth of the tourism industry?
A: As an ex-fisherman myself, I’m particularly proud of the maturity local fishermen have shown. When we have gone to them and asked them for their cooperation in protecting the area where they have traditionally fished, they generally have been very supportive. They recognize that fish stocks are dwindling. They also realize you can make a lot more money by taking an ecotourist out to see a fish than to catch that fish.
Q: How has the community as a whole responded to the growth in tourism?
A: There is not a family in this area that is not affected by tourism. That is not something you could have said 15 years ago. All indications are that it will continue to grow. This poses an opportunity and a problem. The problem is the impact this growing industry will have on the reef. In this regard, we have been working very closely with CI to increase our capacity for ecotourism training. The opportunity is that by better managing tourism growth and building strong awareness for ecotourism principles, tourism can bring in a steady income for local people and help us protect the area for future generations.