SEA Strengthens Partnership with Coast Guard and Fisheries

Arreini Palacio Morgan

Since its establishment, SEA has built on its relationships with the Belize Coast Guard and the Fisheries Department.   That partnership has proven fruitful, says Palacio.

Arreini Palacio Morgan

“We’re very appreciative of the coast guard and their accompaniment on all of their patrols with us.  We have a very good relationship with them, as well as the Belize Fisheries Department.  The area that we co-manage and the area that we patrol is a rather large area.  As you know, COVID-19 has affected the income of several community members, stakeholders within our communities so several of them would go back to traditional fishing practices that they had from before tourism was the mainstay.  So of course we have an increase in fishing activities happening offshore, off the coast of southern Belize.  So what we have done is try to increase our patrols and become a little bit more strategic in patrolling.  It’s been a bit of effort on our part financially, with our resources that we have and so on, but we have seen the need clearly from the numbers that we’ve been making that we have to ensure that we keep up a presence within the coastal areas that we manage.”