Minister Perez at High Level Event on Fisheries Enforcement

Andre Perez

Minister of Blue Economy Andre Perez will be returning to Belize over the weekend following his participation in the United Nation’s Ocean Conference 2022. During his time there, Minister Perez, joined global leaders at a high-level side event on fisheries enforcement. It was to highlight international and regional measures to tackle organized crime in the global fishing industry.  The goal is to reduce food security threats by using innovative digital tools and inter-agency capacity support. Here’s a snippet from Minister Perez’s address where he speaks about what’s been happening on the ground here in Belize.

Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy

“Belize in recent years initiated a successful fisheries conservation and management framework that has sustained our small scale fisheries. Belize has implemented robust science-based management strategies for its fisheries and also Belize has declared in 2022, a total of eleven point three percent of Belize’s ocean as no-take zone high biodiversity protection zones. Moreover, Belize has also developed comprehensive legislation for improved management of its fisheries resources as well as address issues to curb IUU fishing. Under the Blue Bond Conservation Funding Agreement, Belize is committed to the implementation of a governance framework for domestic and high seas fisheries consistent with transparent, science-based and socially responsible international best practices.”

Also included were the Norwegian Minister of Trade, Industry and Fisheries and the Ministers responsible for Fisheries from Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.