BTV Discovers Illegal Gillnet During Sapodilla Cayes Trip

The Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) embarked on a trip to the Sapodilla Cayes on Tuesday, aiming to raise awareness among Belizeans about this vital part of the country’s national heritage. The cayes are currently at the centre of a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). 

During the journey, BTV members say they made a startling discovery: a suspicious bottle floating in the water led them to an illegally placed Guatemalan gillnet in Belizean waters. BTV says the net, which stretched nearly 400 feet, was retrieved and destroyed by the group.

The group added that the gillnet was found approximately four miles west of Hunting Caye, an area that houses both a Belize Coast Guard base and a ranger station. According to unconfirmed reports received by BTV, enforcement patrols in the area may have been scaled back to avoid tensions with Guatemalan fishers while ICJ hearings continue this week.