Yesterday, we showed you part one of our in depth look into why fish is so hard to find. Even during the lobster season, fishers are finding it more difficult to catch them, especially since, decades ago, they were hauling in thousands of pounds per season.
And while overfishing seems to be a major problem, it's the fishers alone who get blamed for the problem. However, one marine scientist says the issue also lies in the lack of enforcement.
But for the Fisheries Department - who are the main enforcers - it isn't always easy, especially with limited resources. Part two of this story delves deeper into the work that the Fisheries Officers do.
Courtney Menzies has this story.
For the officers of the Fisheries Department, enforcing the law in all 14 marine protected areas - even those that are co-managed - isn't an easy job, especially with financial and human resources stretched thin, according to the department's supervisor.
Hampton Gamboa, Supervisor, Fisheries Department
"I could tell you because of those things that you listed resources, in particular fuel, if you'll, that always put a huge damper in operations. Fuel, because the cost of fuel is ridiculous, high. Um, and then you are given a budget and if you're given a budget on an annual year and the gas price keeps fluctuating or going up, which means that you get less gallons. So if you're given a cap of, for example, a thousand dollars for the month with fuel, maybe this month, if the gas price made $10, you could get a hundred gallons of fuel out to that. But if you it goes up to 13 change and you're given the same amount of money next month, and that is what caused the reduction and where you are limited in terms of coverage for operation."
"Usually during the close season we intensify our patrols, just to ensure that, you know, we create that deterrence as well as the other targeted areas that we, we heighten our enforcement activities in those areas to ensure that fishers aren't, um, harvesting during the closed season, of course. Right. Um, especially in our offshore areas since these areas are so isolated and fall off from the mainland."
"If the fishers see you, it's just like patrolling the streets. If the police officers are present and they're around, that minimize the amount of illegal activities that occur. Same thing happens itself. So once we are out there on a regular basis and we have presence, then it's easier."
And it's those same patrols that allowed fisheries officers to find the fishing camp that had killed a hawksbill turtle. The officers on the patrol made quick work to document the 9 pieces that the turtle had been carved into - each one would carry a steep fine. The turtle meat and shell were then boarded onto the vessel, as well as those found with it - whether they were responsible for killing it or not. Back at the department's HQ, the legal matters were sorted out, and about a week later, they were charged. While they are out on bail, they will be back in court at the end of the month.
And back in 2022, the officers also caught some fishers with 76 parrot fish, 12 angelfish and 12 triggerfish. These species are protected due to their herbivorous nature, since without them, the corals would become overrun with algae.
In January 2020, fishers were caught with 21 Nassau Groupers out of season, and only three months later, they found another boat with over 200 out of season conch.
In 2021, 189 lobster tails were found on a skiff, again during the closed season. And most recently, in early 2023, fishermen were busted with 24 conch and 28 lobsters, along with several angelfish - which is another protected species. They were also found to be fishing without a license.
According to Gamboa, though, fishers caught with undersized conch and lobster are the most prevalent cases of illegal fishing. And penalties range from a fine of 5,000 Belize Dollars for commercial fishes, to 150,000 Belize Dollars for special protected species.
And according to the fishers we spoke to, it's this type of activity that's damaging the reef, which in turn affects the fishers who depend on it. And they think one of the main motives behind it is the lure of quick cash.
Nathan Castro, Fisherman For 20 Years
"Now, things are different. Different fishers come in and do a lot of illegal stuff.
On both sides, we've witnessed it and we've heard about it. They like to go out off season, they [fish] the lobster when it's closed. A lot of that is happening right now. So you have to be out here to watch your stuff. If you're not out here, they will take it."
Reporter:
"Let's talk about the out of season fishing though, do you feel like that's rampant?"
Nathan Castro, Fisherman For 20 Years
"Well, yeah."
Reporter:
"How often do you hear about it?"
Nathan Castro, Fisherman For 20 Years
"Every year round, from ever since. But like it's getting worse now, it's getting worse."
Reporter:
"And what do you think drives these fishers to do these illegal things?"
Nathan Castro, Fisherman For 20 Years
"Money, they want money. Things are rough right now, everything is going up."
Reporter:
"What do you think drives them to commit these crimes?"
Ambrosio Hernandez, Fisherman For 30 Years
"Drugs, mostly drugs, a lot of these young fishermen they over drink so they don't use their money wisely, some of them get attached to different substances and like I said, life get harder too, you know that groceries are expensive so what they're not spending on the liquor or the drugs, they have to spend the rest in the groceries that are expensive too."
Reporter:
"When it's closed season and you watch the news and you see that so and so fisherman was caught with this amount of undersized tail, how does that make you feel?"
Sotero Verde, Fisherman For 52 Years
"That part I see, how can I punish myself to work, whatever I catch, the little bit of fish, I am satisfied, and why they can't do the same thing?"
Reporter:
"And seeing as how it's difficult, have you ever been tempted to fish out of season?"
Sotero Verde, Fisherman For 52 Years
"No."
Melvin Ramirez, Fisherman/ Tour Guide
"Of course, they are overfishing. We just had that incident where they caught a bunch of illegal parrot fish so all of this comes into consideration but it can be controlled if they just patrol more, more rangers out there patrolling the waters and yeah everything is normal, the fish will come back as they always do."
"So while fishers believe that the fish "can come back," that won't happen if they aren't given time to replenish themselves."
But can the fish just "come back" to the way they were before, without intervention? That's what we explore in part three, which will air tomorrow.
This story was produced with support from Internews' Earth Journalism Network.
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