New Oceans Plan Leaves Belize’s Fisherfolks Feeling Sidelined

For fishers, the debate over vessel monitoring is not simply about installing another piece of equipment on their boats. It is about having a voice in decisions that could reshape how they work and earn a living. Jorge Aldana, President of the San Pedro Fisherfolk Association, says fishers are repeatedly expected to follow new rules without meaningful consultation. He points to the passage of the Belize Sustainable Oceans Plan, saying authorities never returned to the fishing community for further discussions before moving ahead. For Aldana, that signals a growing disregard for the men and women who depend on Belize’s waters to support their families.

 

Jorge Aldana, President, San Pedro Fisherfolk Association

“They told fishermen in the validation workshop that before that is passed into the house, they will come to us and show us the last draft if cabinet had any changes. They went without even coming to us, without even saying to us, you know what, this cabinet agreed to this. There is not going to be any changes. We only learned about the first, second, and last reading when it was actually happening. The final time for fishermen to look and say, this is the final draft, never did come to us. So we get axed two times in one week. Two times in one week. This cannot happen.”

 

Shane Williams

“They say that legislation was time sensitive due to the Blue Bond arrangement.”

 

Jorge Aldana

“It’s time sensitive and all is good with time sensitive things. But anything that has a lasting effect on fishermen that will impact us ten, twenty, thirty, forty years from now, I think there is nothing more time sensitive than come and consult with us. Government knew from a very long time that they had deadline to meet. If they had deadline to meet, then do the right thing. Start the consultation process, start everything before.”

 

The Sustainable Oceans Plan covers Belize’s internal waters, territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zone as part of the Blue Bond agreement.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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