New reserve declared at Silk Cayes
It has long been a favourite spot for Belizean fishermen and more recently a haven for tourists. Today the area centered around the Silk Cayes and Gladden entrance through the barrier reef was declared a marine reserve, a step which will hopefully lead to the more sustainable use of this valuable resource. News Five’s Janelle Chanona survived a wet ride to file the following report.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Just an hour or so east of Placencia, the Silk Cayes, also known as the Queen’s Cayes, are a dramatic presentation of Belize’s natural beauty. Scientists have recently discovered that the islands are more than just pretty places. Beneath these waves more fish come here to spawn than perhaps anywhere else in Belize. It is also the place where the elusive whale sharks are reliably found. But right behind the fish are the fishermen and the tour guides looking to make a living and placing in jeopardy the very resource they depend on. Today, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Daniel Silva made an important step toward preserving the area’s riches by turning the Silk Cayes and Gladden Spit into a protected area.
Janelle Chanona
“Now that that document is signed, how does the Fisheries Department go about making sure that it’s enforced?”
Daniel Silva, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
“We’re going to be having some rangers out here. We’ll be having people out here who will be patrolling the area and we’ll also be charging a fee to tourists who come out here and this is how we’ll be able to pay for these people.”
But the agreement will also preserve a payday for the fishermen.
Will Heyman, Marine Scientist, The Nature Conservancy
“Today some of the conservation is taking place but by no means all. But what has taken place is their protecting whale sharks, their protecting the local tour operators interest in this area by having regulations that govern who can be tour guides in the area and yet it doesn’t does not regulate fishing. The reason why is that that fishermen are not yet ready to do that. We don’t have enough scientific information, there hasn’t been enough consultation to dot he full reserve. So what is gonna happen in the next year or so, working with the science that we are trying to put together now, working with the local fisherman, will put in place a full reserve that really offers more protection for this jewel.”
Carlton Young
“I know my fishermen from Placencia, they would protect this area, as a matter of fact, they are very cut up right now because we have Hondurans coming from Honduras who fish out there at night. It cause a lot of problem with sharks because they keep the scent up and when we go out there in the morning to try to catch a mutton snapper, the sharks already there. And they just wait until you lift them off the bottom and they take it away from you.”
Even though Silva signed the dotted line today, News Five understands that very recently, one of the trio of islands has been sold. If this is true, it is uncertain how the sale will affect the future of this newly established marine reserve. Silva promises to investigate.
Daniel Silva
“This is one of the sad things about Belize, we sell these islands for a few pennies and that is why we have declared this into a marine reserve. I’m not really sure if it has been sold. I’ll do some research on it and we’ll have to ensure that these islands remain in the hands of the Belizeans.”
Whether the marine reserve will be success will depend largely on the fishermen and tour guides who use the area. One man who has been using these islands for over 20 years, says we can trust those Belizean hands, if everyone works together.
Eloy Cuevas, Fisherman, Tour Guide
“With the amount of people using this place, if managed right, that amount of people could use this place forever.”
Janelle Chanona for News Five.
