Fisheries Department trains fishermen

In other news, Belize has many fishermen who are not certified by the Fisheries Department. To bring them to par, several weeks ago the Fisheries Department began training courses on fishing techniques. This week they were in Hopkins Village and today around twenty fishermen from that community received their certificates. The training focused on basic navigation, handling outboard engines and sea products, and fisheries regulations. But while these were the primary subjects, the group also learned about negative practices, such as over-fishing and net-fishing.

Ramon Carcamo, Fisheries Officer
“They were talking about illegal fishing by the foreigners, some by Belizeans, the type of gears that they use that have been affecting other species. This has been discussed, we have clarified it, what is the law, what should be done by them and what the fisheries officer should do. We have targeted enforcement. We know that enforcement is a challenge, that it’s not as efficient, but are still working towards that idea.”

The training was funded by Organization of Fisheries and Agriculture Sector.