Technology Solutions for Marine Protected Areas

A regional forum hosted by the Wildlife Conservation Society, involving representatives from ten countries across the Caribbean, concluded today in Belize City.  The purpose of the workshop was for the exchange of experiences and reflections on technology solutions for enforcement and compliance for fisheries and marine protected areas in the Mesoamerican and Caribbean Region.  Nicole Auil-Gomez is the country director for W.C.S.

Nicole Auil-Gomez, Country Director, WCS

“WCS is hosting a workshop forum for the regional representatives from ten countries to talk about technology solutions for MPA or Marine Protected Areas and fisheries management through compliance and enforcement.”

Isani Cayetano

“What were some of the points under this particular theme that were discussed over the past three days?”

Nicole Auil-Gomez

Nicole Auil Gomez

“The main things we were looking at are technology, so we’re talking about things like drones.  We’re talking about database systems, licensing systems.  We’re speaking on SMART which is an Android application used by rangers across Belize for collecting data, including their movements across Belize’s land and sea, as well as their interactions with users of the resources.  We’re also doing discussions on things like open transparency, as well as financing and how do these things possibly be financed and so we have countries from across Mesoamerica and the wider Caribbean here to demonstrate some of the successes we’ve had in Belize and how they may be able to take some of these to their countries so that we have a larger impact of enforcement and compliance initiatives for the region.”