Protected Fish Found Skinned Near Trap in San Pedro Waters
The Belize Flats Fishery Association (BFFA) said one of its guides discovered the remains of a permit fish (Trachinotus falcatus) on Monday within a quarter mile of a fish trap in the waters off San Pedro.
The permit fish is a protected species in Belize, valued both for its ecological role and its importance to the country’s catch-and-release flats fishing industry, which supports fishing guides, tourism businesses and coastal communities.
Sponsored by RF&G Insurance Company Ltd
The BFFA said it has notified the Belize Fisheries Department and is urging authorities to investigate the incident.
The association is also calling on the public to report any activity involving the catching, killing, selling or possession of protected species.
“Protected species are protected for a reason,” the group said, adding that their conservation is critical to sustaining Belize’s marine ecosystems and the long-term future of the flats fishing industry.
