Once hunted nearly to extinction, nurse sharks are now a protected species in Belize.
What fish is protected in Belize?
In Belize, protected species like bonefish, tarpon, permit, manatees, and even endangered species such as scalloped hammerheads have been caught and killed by this indiscriminate gear. Gillnets have even been credited with the regional extinction of sawfish.
How are marine animals protected in Belize?
Marine protected areas are one of the most important conservation tools available to Belize. They ensure the conservation of the internationally acclaimed Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, with its protective barrier reef, pristine atolls, sheltered seagrass meadows and rich marine life.
What kind of sharks do you swim with in Belize?
At least eight species of shark can be seen in the waters of Belize, including the hammerhead, bull, lemon, nurse, Caribbean reef and migrating whale shark. Nurse sharks are bottom dwellers that can grow up to 14 feet in length. They have thousands of tiny, serrated teeth, but are mostly harmless to humans.
Are sharks protected?
Today, several shark species are internationally protected under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES), including thresher, silky, basking, great white, oceanic whitetip, porbeagle and whale sharks; three species of hammerhead sharks (scalloped, great and smooth); …
Can you catch Roosterfish in Belize?
By law roosterfish in Central America are not catch and release and locals will eat them, but 99% of roosterfish we catch on sport fishing charters we release to be caught another day.
How much of Belize is protected?
Roughly 26% (2.6 million acres, or 1.22 million hectares) of Belizean land and sea is preserved within a total of 95 reserves, which vary in their purpose and level of protection.
What does pact stand for in Belize?
The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) is a Statutory Authority, established in 1996, and it has the general function to contribute to the sustainable management and development of Belize’s natural and cultural assets for the benefit of Belizeans and the global community, both now and for future generations.
What does Belize do to protect wildlife?
After declaring independence in 1981, Belize enacted the Wildlife Protection Act, which is the main source of wildlife law in Belize. … The Wildlife Protection Act’s main goal is to rescue the over one hundred globally threatened species in Belize from local extinction.