Belize creates one of Central America’s largest biological corridors
As yet further proof of the government’s long-term committing to protecting the environment, the Belizean legislature has passed a new law to establish a biological corridor in the northeast of the country.On February 18, 2018, the Belizean government signed into law a bill that established a 42-square mile (110-square mile) section of northeastern Belize as a wildlife corridor between the Shipstern Nature Reserve and the Freshwater Creek Forest Reserve. This corridor will allow local wildlife to safely transit between these two areas without having to intrude on private land, farms, or cross paved roads where they may be at risk of collisions with motor vehicles.
According to Belize-based Corozal Sustainable Future Initiative (CSFI), the new biological corridor will be one of the biggest of its kind in Central America. Its establishment is also a landmark victory for CSFI, which has been working with the government for over 20 years to establish the corridor.
“What makes this all the more special is that the corridor is the result of cooperation between NGOs, private landowners, and the government,” said Heron Moreno, executive director of CSFI. “The privately-owned land will be placed in a trust that will operate according to national law on conservation, meaning that the corridor will be protected in perpetuity.”
The new biological corridor in Belize will allow animals such as pumas, tapirs, and jaguars to freely travel between the wetter, more tropical forests of the Freshwater Creek Forest Reserve on the coast and the drier, deciduous forests of the Shipstern Nature Reserve further inland. Recent expansions in agricultural development in the region have begun to infringe on the animals’ ability to move between these two reserves.
“We enthusiastically support and celebrate the government of Belize’s forward-thinking decision to establish Central America’s largest biological corridors,” said Larry France, marketing manager at Chabil Mar. “Belize’s greatest resource is its nature, and this new corridor will help protect the country’s wild beauty for generations to come.”
Chabil Mar Resort is located in southeastern Belize on the Caribbean coast of the Placencia Peninsula and is located just a few miles from the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the largest animal sanctuary in Belize and home to the country’s largest population of jaguars and other big cats.
Chabil Mar offers guests accommodations in luxuriously appointed villas and has a number of Belize jungle and sea vacation packages for visitors who want to experience the best of both the mainland and the islands.
For more information about Belize, feel free to chat with our Concierge at: concierge@chabilmarvillas.com or contact our Reservations Manager at: reservations@chabilmarvillas.com. Or perhaps you would like to call toll free from the US or Canada: 1-866-417-2377.
