Guatemalan Fisherman Illegally Fishing In Blue Hole
Elias Chavez
A Guatemalan fisherman pleaded guilty to Illegal Fishing in the Blue Hole Natural Monument when he appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court. Forty-six year old Elias Chavez was arraigned before Magistrate Leslie Hamilton this morning. Chavez, who was unrepresented and spoke little English, was provided with a translator through whom he pleaded guilty to the charge. Chavez was found fishing in the Blue Hole Monument on January thirteenth by Fisheries Director, Clifford Cadle. According to Cadle, he was on a routine patrol in the Belize Audubon Society vessel in the Natural Monument when he spotted Chavez and informed him that he was committing an offense. When his vessel was searched, forty-four conchs were found along with a pair of masks, fins and hook. For the offense, Magistrate Hamilton imposed a non-custodial sentence of two hundred dollars which he was ordered to pay by September twenty-eighth.
$200.00???? are you serious That is no type of money for the damages. Did he put back the conch or were they dead already?
Serious,. $200 is ridiculous. It probably cost Belize Audubon $1,200 at least to transport that person back to the city with the evidence, not to mention the man hours to prepare case file. Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye are not big enough to re-stocking the fish at Lighthouse Reef, it needs bigger nurseries. So when one person gets away, everybody wants to join in. Then, everything will collapse and the good suffer for the bad. Good Job Belize Audubon!!