Today a group of about 12 fishers learned all about deep sea fishing at a workshop in Belize City. Now, deep sea fishing is not like regular fishing; it uses a different set of fishing techniques and requires specialized gear. For that reason it is more expensive than regular fishing but the coordinators say it is just another way fishers can earn money and at the same time, there is less of a strain on the lobster and conch population that most fishermen are used to catching. The Director of the Belize Federation of Fishers told us that the fishers were learning their and practical.
Nigel Martinez - Director, Belize Federation of Fishers
"So This workshop is the last component of a project, a 1 year project we have, the Belize Federation of Fishers have with COMPACT. Basically today what we are trying to do is to ensure that we finalize this training package, a 2 phase training package it is theory and practice all and it is in reference to deep slope fishing."
Dale Fairweather - Member, Belize Federation of Fishers
"We will be fishing beyond the reef out in the deep waters like from 600 feet to 1000 feet. We are just teaching them how to use the new type of gear that you need to fish in the deep."
Courtney Weatherburne
"So tell us about that then some of the new equipment and techniques?"
Dale Fairweather
"Well, the gear is vertical long line, we call it vertical long line and you will be setting it with a buoy."
Nigel Martinez
"Basically what we want to try to achieve here is to establish that the guys are aware of the necessary equipment that it’s further out, bigger vessel that sort of thing so that their safety is of great concern for us and to ensure that they understand that this is a new venture that we are trying to allocate funding for and it is going to serve as an alternative livelihood to the lobster as we try to continue to relieve the stress of the lobster and conch."
The workshop continues tomorrow with an at-sea practical session out in the deep blue.
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