Forest Dept. will launch campaign against feeding wild animals

Following our story on shark feeding in the Blue Hole on Tuesday’s newscast, this afternoon, officials of the Forest Department told News Five that they are now planning to launch a public awareness campaign against the activity. According to Deputy Chief Forest Officer Marcelo Windsor, in a move similar to what happened following the publicity of crocodile feeding in San Pedro, the plan now is to encourage the public to have a healthy respect for wild animals. The campaign will be conducted through radio, television and newspaper advertisements in addition to educational sessions with school children. Windsor says in coordination with its conservation partners, the Forest Department will also initiate training for tour guides and operators to reinforce that under the National Parks Systems Act and the Wildlife Protection Act, no one is to molest, which includes feeding, a wild animal. Windsor maintains that the idea is not meant to negatively impact anyone’s livelihood but the Department considers activities like shark feeding a lose-lose situation for both tourism and the wildlife. As broadcast on Tuesday night, videos posted on the internet by visiting divers showed local guides chumming the waters inside the Blue Hole, driving several species of sharks into a frenzy while divers were still in the water. The Belize Audubon Society considers the activity life threatening and has drafted a shark feeding prohibition policy but the ban has not yet been incorporated into law.