Safety for Fishers from Coastal Piracy

The Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation, after consultation with the Fisheries Department, announced last Friday that the close of the lobster season has been extended for another two weeks to February twenty-eighth. The decision was made after a request was tabled by the fishermen cooperatives for an adjustment of the Fisheries Regulation. The new changes in the close season are now aligned with regional regulations implemented by the Organization for Central American Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector, better known as OSPESCA. But a perennial issue facing fishers is that of coastal piracy and over the past month, there have been a number of reports of armed robberies at sea in southern Belize. Minister Oscar Mira weighs in on efforts to ensure the safety of fishermen during these times.

Oscar Mira

Oscar Mira, Minister of State, National Defense & Border Security

“We have been getting our briefing from the commandant of the coast guard and we have given him the support that he needs in terms of resources, in terms of extra fuel to ensure that he escorts and does the patrols that are needed in the area. It has been an annual occurrence, whenever the lobster season is coming to a close and the fishermen are bringing in their produce; there is a flare up in piracy at sea.  It is an issue that we are going to tackle head on and we are also working with our partners to ensure that the other stakeholders have a say in this as well. So it is not just the responsibility of the coast guard, but the police are also working on it and they have been gathering a lot of information and intelligence on what is happening and I think we pretty much have a grip on what is happening there at sea.”