3 convicted for illegal fishing at Halfmoon

The charge may not be as serious as murder, but three men have been convicted of crimes against the environment. According to a release from the Belize Audubon Society, the trio was detained on Sunday for illegal fishing at Halfmoon Caye Natural Monument. Specifically, they had harvested three hundred and forty-six conchs from the waters within the reserve, where no fishing is allowed except by special permit. The fishermen: Markito Mendes, Hippolito Novelo, and Geraldo Cobb were taken by park rangers to Magistrates’ Court in Belize City where they were fined four hundred dollars each. The one hundred and ninety-four live conchs were released back into the waters of the natural monument, while the one hundred and forty-two already taken from their shells were donated to the Dorothy Menzies Child Care Centre.