Two Hondurans Charged for Illegal Fishing in Sapodilla Cayes

A joint patrol in the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve on December 2 led to the arrest and arraignment of two Honduran nationals found with illegal marine catch. They were later charged and arraigned for possessing fish caught with gill nets and were each fined $6,000 BZD.

Florencio Coc, Project Manager for TIDE, said the operation was carried out with support from the Belize Coast Guard and the Fisheries Department. It followed a December 1 discovery of a three‑mile‑long fishing line that had already killed numerous species, including a hammerhead shark and several reef sharks. “Unfortunately, when these guys retrieved the landline, these fishes were already dead, so there was nothing we could have done for us to release them back into the waters,” Coc explained.

The next day, enforcement officers intercepted the two Honduran nationals with illegal catch that included 37 bonefish, a species protected within the reserve.

Coc explained that illegal fishing remains a challenge because the reserve spans more than 300,000 acres, making it difficult to monitor with a small enforcement team.

Local fisherfolk have voiced frustration over weak enforcement, but Coc stated that since TIDE assumed co‑management, patrols have increased and enforcement has become more focused. “We acknowledge that there has been limited patrols or enforcement prior to us taking over the management, but now because there is a new management, there is a new focus,” he said.