Belize Launches Five-Year Plan to Save Critically Endangered Hicatee Turtle

Belize has launched a five-year national plan aimed at protecting and reviving the Hicatee, one of the world’s most endangered freshwater turtles.

The Hicatee Conservation and Action Plan 2026-2031 was unveiled by the Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation and the Belize Fisheries Department during Belize Climate Week.

The Central American River Turtle, known locally as the Tortuga Blanca, is classified as ‘critically endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and ranks among the twenty-five most endangered turtle species in the world.

Developed with the Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education, the Turtle Survival Alliance, and Zoo New England, the plan sets eight conservation goals backed by fifty-eight specific actions, covering enforcement, habitat protection, population monitoring, captive management, and community involvement.

Officials identified illegal harvesting, habitat loss, deforestation, wetland drainage, and pollution as the species’ main threats. The government has formally endorsed the plan and committed to supporting implementation through inter-agency coordination and mobilisation of national and international resources.