Forest Department warns about illegal game meat

Belize is widely known for its beautiful fauna and flora and is market as an eco-destination to view all of nature’s wonders. But the attention placed on our exotic animal species is not always positive. The Forest Department has become aware that a lot of people are hunting and selling game meat. Chief Forest Officer in the Forest Department, Wilber Sabido, says that these people can face fines.

Wilber Sabido, Chief Forest Officer, Forest Dept.
“We have seen where we have noticed an increasing amount of game meat being made available to the restaurants and to the general public and as far the Forest Department is concern, we haven’t seen any number of request for licenses and permits for the hunting or even sale of the game meat that we see is being made available to the general public. So what we are starting to do in a series of public awareness campaigns is to bring across to the general public that there are laws and regulations in place to regulate the use of the hunting of wildlife and the sale of wildlife, especially as far as game meat is concerned. In the first instance, we the Forest Department when presented in front of the Magistrate, the person would be fined a five hundred dollar fine if they’re found guilty of an offence as it relates to hunting without a license or permit or hunting and selling wildlife or game meat without a license or permit. If the person is found a second time, undertaking this illegal activity, they stand to be fined a thousand dollars or imprisonment or both”

Anyone witnessing illegal hunting, buying or selling game meat should report it to the Forest Department.