CNN World recently highlighted the combined efforts of local Belizean fishermen and MarAlliance, a non-profit organization in Belize that is working around the clock to preserve shark species along the Belize Barrier Reef.
The group efforts which have already yielded a reported 300% increase in shark population along the Lighthouse Reef, located 50 miles off the coast of Belize were featured on CNN’s Call to Earth series, a program that reports on environmental challenges facing our planet as well as the solutions.
In it, the series highlighted the efforts to reverse the decline in sharks which in turn also reverse the decline in a range of other species that are associated with sharks and their critical habitat, something that provides greater economic and conservation benefits for everyone.
Spearheading the initiative on the ground is Rachel Graham, the founder of MarAlliance, who along with her team of locals, is engaged in an ongoing shark population census, along the reef that requires the catching, tagging, and releasing of sharks back into the sea. Since 2007 MarAlliance has also been using scientific longline, Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) to analyze long-term trends in the abundance of the sharks at Lighthouse Reef
She told CNN, ”what we are seeing now is nothing less than miraculous, we are seeing a comeback of sharks. At Lighthouse reef, we have seen a 300 % increase in sharks. My vision for this reef is every time I roll over backward from a boat in order to dive or snorkel I am going to see at least one shark.”
Graham said that the reef acts as an important corridor for migrating animals, and creates a highway for animals to be guided and navigate by. However, due to their naturally vulnerable state when traveling and the predictability of their migratory nature, underwater species can easily get intercepted when traveling from point A to point B. That according to Graham is where sharks come in since they are known to keep the various population in check. Since more sharks in the ocean mean more varieties of fish available for daily catch as well as ecotourism.
So what’s threatening the shark population around the globe? Graham says it’s overfishing, primarily for human consumption in shark fin soup, a popular dish in China and South East Asia. While it is estimated that sharks would usually kill around 10 or fewer humans worldwide, annually, humans are killing approximately one hundred million shark species at the same time. This according to Graham is proving detrimental to the species as well as the environment.
”What we are seeing is a highly threatened set of species that takes so long to mature that they don’t usually have many young and they are so critical to the health of our oceans primarily because they help regulate a range of other species that they feed on. So they keep the populations in check, ” explained Graham.
CNN also mentioned Belize’s move to ban the possession and use of gillnets in Belize’s marine waters in November 2020. A move that Graham applauded and attributed to the miraculous increase of the shark population along the Belize Barrier Reef.
CNN also spoke to Fisher Associate, Ivan Torres, ”To all my fellow fishermen, I want to give you this message, conserve sharks because in the future it can provide us with an income not being dead or by fishing them but by being alive.”
At Chabil Mar — Maya for ”Beautiful Sea”, our seafront location along with the tiny fishing village of Placencia, positions the sea as being a part of our DNA. Our close association with the sea, our guests, and local fisherfolks continuously remind us of the need for marine conservation as well as for the protection of sharks in Belize.
As front liners in the hospitality industry, we are aware that while our guests come to Belize to enjoy Belizean hospitality, they also come for the untamed views, as well as to witness the abundance of our marine life that speaks of the combined conservation efforts of locals, NGO’s and other government bodies.
Book your stay with Chabil Mar today and let us not only pamper you but provide you with quality and specialized tour options to suit your preference. Let our professional guides take you out to explore the natural wonders of Belize. Whether you choose to stay on land or if you prefer to waddle in the deep blue of the Caribbean Sea prepare yourself to get completely blown away by the beauty and abundance of Belize’s underwater marine life that decorate the Belize Barrier Reef.
Contact us today for a rundown of our specialized tours, accommodations, and rates, or visit our website to learn more.
Additional information on CNN’s article can be found here.
