A broad coalition of community, environmental, and tourism groups from Ambergris Caye has issued a united call for urgent government action amid growing frustration over what they describe as the mismanagement of Belize’s marine reserves, particularly the Hol Chan Marine Reserve.
In a joint statement released Monday, the Ambergris Caye Fishing Guide Association, San Pedro BTIA, Belize Flats Fishery Association, San Pedro Tour Operators Association, San Pedro Tourist Guide Association, North Ambergris Alliance, Green Reef Environmental Institute, the Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development (ACCSD), and the San Pedro Town Council, including Mayor Wally Nuñez, expressed deep concern over government-approved developments they say are threatening critical marine habitats and livelihoods.
At the centre of their concerns is Cayo Rosario, located within the Conservation Zone of Hol Chan. Despite its protected status, the site faces the prospect of dredging, seabed destruction, and over-the-water construction by private developers. The coalition says such activities not only endanger vital ecosystems but also threaten Belize’s $200 million catch-and-release fly-fishing industry, which depends heavily on preserving habitat for species like the protected permit.
Equally troubling, they say, is recent bulkhead construction and dredging in front of the Mexico Rocks Marine Reserve. These projects, they claim, have proceeded without sufficient environmental assessments or meaningful public consultation.
“What is the point of declaring an area a marine reserve if the government continues to permit activities that destroy it?” a coalition spokesperson asked. “We fought to expand Hol Chan to protect these resources. Now we’re back fighting the same battle.”
The coalition is demanding: an immediate independent financial and operational audit of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve administration, covering the last five years of park fee collection and spending; legal action, including criminal charges where appropriate, if mismanagement or missing public funds are uncovered; the immediate resignation of Hol Chan’s Executive Director and Chairman of the Board for alleged failure to enforce protections and uphold the public interest; a new permitting system that requires formal approval from the local community for any proposed development projects; Public disclosure of official approvals from Hol Chan and the Belize Fisheries Department for all current and future developments within the reserve, with immediate halting of any project lacking proper documentation.
The groups say, “We will not stand by while our marine reserves and national resources are sacrificed for unchecked private interests and short-term gain.”