Building Resilient Fisheries in Turneffe Through Enforcement, Education,and Data-Driven Management
The project aims to build resilient, well-managed fisheries within the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve. Given that sustainable fisheries management is a national and regional priority, the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association will collaborate with fishers, the Belize Coast Guard, and government partners to address key challenges such as weak enforcement, low fisher trust, and inconsistent fisheries data. The project focuses on strengthening enforcement through technology and patrols, rebuilding trust through education and outreach, and advancing science through fisher-led data collection, ultimately enabling improved compliance, stronger co-management, and greater resilience for Belize’s fisheries sector.
Grantee
Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association
Location
Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve
Thematic Area
Time-frame
February 2026 – December 2028
Project Goal:
To strengthen fisheries management in the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve by enhancing enforcement, fishers’ engagement, and science-based decision-making, thereby contributing to sustainable use of marine resources and improved livelihoods for fishing communities.
Project Objectives:
- Upgrade digital enforcement command centers at TASA office and conservation posts and integrate drone and radar surveillance into Earth Ranger.
- Conduct targeted intelligence-led patrols accomplishing at least 80% of strategic/planned patrols in TAMR monthly.
- Establish a confidential reporting mechanism for fishers to report illegal activities and coordinate joint operations with the Belize Coast Guard and other relevant authorities.
- Implement annual reef week activities, including school visits, student trips, poster competitions, and creative arts activities to raise awareness among youth.
- Conduct regular boat-to-boat outreach with fishers, using interactive approaches to reinforce knowledge of regulations and seasons.
- Establish the Turneffe Compliance & Stewardship Circle for fishers and TASA to share knowledge, address compliance, and co-create solutions.
- Convene annual fishers’ forum to share general information about TASA and Turneffe.
- Train community stewards to support peer-to-peer education and compliance monitoring.
- Conduct SPAG monitoring, LAMP surveys, and coral bleaching assessments as part of long-term ecological monitoring.
- Train fishers to record catch data using the SMART app including logbook data (as per Fisheries Department requirements) and ensure consistent monthly submissions.
- Deploy R-Shiny dashboards to publish annual fisheries and reef health reports accessible to managers, fishers, and the public.
- During fishers’ forums and meetings, share scientific findings and co-design adaptive management strategies along with fishers.
Expected Outputs:
- Strengthen enforcement through technology and collaboration.
- Expand education and outreach to rebuild trust.
- Advance science and fisher participation in data collection.
