Last night, you heard Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington discussing those offensive Guatemalan Fisheries Regulations. They blatantly claim fishing rights over Belizean territorial waters from Punta Gorda, all the way to the Sarstoon River.
And while the regulations have been around for almost 15 years, no one in Belize had ever seen or heard of it, until we reported on it earlier this week.
But we figured if anyone knew anything, it would be Assad Shoman. He's the country's foremost authority on all things connected to the Belize/Guatemala territorial dispute. We contacted him via email and he told us that he also did not find out about these regulations until this week.
Shoman says, quote, "I very much doubt that anyone in government knew about this. Had the Ministry of Foreign Affairs become aware of it, I am sure a strong protest note would have been sent to Guatemala pointing out that the regulation had no effect whatsoever in international law, that it did not in any way affect Belize's sovereignty in the areas... The Guatemalan government should, in accordance with good international legal practices, repeal those parts of the regulations that violate the integrity of Belize's territory as defined in the boundary treaty of 1859 between Guatemala and Britain." End Quote.
He added that most likely Belizeans and visitors to Belize will ignore this foreign regulation that can have no application in Belize, and that they will, quote, "continue to enjoy all the benefits of our waters within the laws of Belize."
So, then no one knew about it, nor would they have known were it not for the fishermen from Toledo who make up the Barranco Sustainable Fisherfolk Coop. They're currently being led by Chairman Leslie Colon who saw this regulation back in September. That's when he and 7 other Belizean fishermen attended a meeting in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala to discuss sustainable fishing practices with 30 Guatemalan fishermen.
Colon told us by telephone today that as soon as he saw, it, he became concerned:
Leslie Colon, Chair., Barranco Fisherfolks Assoc.
"What we went on was just a fisherman meeting whereby we meet as cooperatives - different cooperatives and everybody comes up with their own idea as to what they want to happen in their areas. That was when they handed their brochure to us and we question it right there and then. But they say that that is what they know as their fishing area. We didn't see it as something, because they still come fishing with or without papers. But like how the base is here, they slow down a lot. But to me the first time I saw it, it really worried me, so I ask them how their boats ended up in Belize and they said it's their traditional fishing ground. So we just leave it as that and we bring along the brochure. The meeting happened on the 20th September and from then we held the brochure and when Wil came and meet with us a cooperative, its then that we bought it up showed him and ask him what he thinks about it. Glad that Belizeans wake up, because we are trying to take actions in our area. Right now we are trying to apply to the government of Belize to help along with the fisheries department and the coast guard to manage our areas. So it's a good thing to have Belizeans aware of what is happening. But it's not like we would want it to turn into a war zone, because we live in the hole. We always try to keep it peace and positive with our neighbors."
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"What is the current picture as to the traffic to illegal fishers from Barranco all the way down to the Sarstoon River?"
Leslie Colon, Chair., Barranco Fisherfolks Assoc.
"That is something that is happening almost every day. It still is happening. It slowed down, but still happening and I think the only way we could help with it is through talking as fisherman to fisherman respecting each other fishing grounds and I think we could help work out something through that way."
Ambassador Assad Shoman has used the opportunity to sound the alarm that the Maritime Areas Act needs to be amended urgently, so that Belize can claim the entire 12 miles of territorial seas that is afforded to it under international law. Belize presently only claims 3 miles, and that was done to allow for negotiations to settle the Guatemalan territorial claim.
Both countries have long since abandoned negotiations, and the next option is to settle the territorial claim at the International Court of Justice.
Shoman says, quote, "Both governments have decided that they will no longer seek to negotiate such an agreement, and so that part of the law is redundant and potentially prejudicial, and should be amended accordingly."
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