Year: 2024

Last night, we brought you part one of a two-part report on lobster fests in Caye Caulker and San Pedro. We showed you the economic impact of these festivities on the two tourist destinations. Tonight, in part two of our report, News Five’s Paul Lopez takes a closer look at the sustainable fishing practices that are important to ensure the longevity of Belize’s lobster stock and the beloved lobster fest celebrations. Here is that report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

The 2024 lobster season is upon us and there will be an increase in demand for lobster. Hundreds of pounds of lobsters are sold by restauranters during the lobster fest weekends.

 

Jennie Staines, Chef, Elvi’s Kitchen

“Thank God that every year I have participated in lobster fest I have had tails on the booth until late at night and one year I sold two hundred and fifty pounds of lobster.”

 

 

 

Elsa Guzman, Owner, Happy Lobster

“We usually get at least a hundred pounds to see if we will sell all of that. If we sell all of that we have fishermen who will be waiting for our call.”

 

 

 

 

Ruby Jimenez, Chef, Elba’s Little Kitchen

“We started off with maybe thirty pounds to start of the first day and it depends because the lobster fishermen are ready. They bring it fresh; it goes from the fishermen to the grill to your belly.”

 

 

 

 

All that crustacean is sourced directly from the sea by fisherfolks who see their largest earnings during lobster season. For fisherfolks, preparation begins months ahead of the opening of the season. Jody Leslie has been a commercial fisherman for the past fifteen years. He uses shades to catch lobsters. Shades are an alternative to traditional traps. Lobsters use the shades as a dwelling place. When the season opens, Leslie dives down and makes his catch from the shades.

 

 

 

Jody Leslie, Commercial Fisherman

“There is a high increase during lobster fest but the good thing is that the season just opened up so there is plenty of lobster readily available during these first few weeks of the opening season which is lobster fest as well.”

 

 

 

On the other hand, Porfilio Guzman, a fisherman for the past five decades, utilizes a combination of shades and traditional lobster traps. His practice has evolved with the times.

 

Porfilio Guzman, Fisherman

“It changed a lot because here in Caye Caulker we use to use lone lobster traps, but now we have another strategy to catch lobster we call it shade, lobster shade. Most of the younger generation, instead of going to traps they go to shades. It is a bit easier to work than the traps. It values about the same price of a lobster trap. But its advantage is that with the lobster traps after the season is closed you got to take them out of the water, put them to dry then you got to rebuild them and then you put them back. That is with the traps. With the shade, you cannot take them out, they stay there.”

 

According to Guzman, a good shade can last anywhere between two to three years on the seafloor. There are regulations in place that guide fisherfolks like Leslie and Guzman. The minimum carapace or shell length that can be caught is three inches and the minimum tail weight is four ounces. Leslie uses a hook to pull lobsters from his shades which requires some eyeballing expertise.  He also takes with him a measuring tool known as a caliper. He then takes his catch direct to restaurants.

 

 

Jody Leslie

“It has been fluctuating every year. Last year it started at thirty-five Belize a pound per lobster tail. Usually two three lobster tails to make a pound. But, every year is a little different. I am not sure what it is going to start at this year. We have been having some conversations within us fishermen, everybody try to keep at one same price.”

 

 

And, if fisherfolks start their sales at thirty to thirty-five dollars a pound, then it is no wonder why a lobster tail dish can cost as much as sixty-five dollars. To ensure that lobsters are available for generations to come, fisherfolks must abide by the catch regulations in place. Restaurants also play a role when they refuse to purchase undersized lobster, though temptation may arise when lobsters become scarce.

 

 

 

Jennie Staines

“I think most people here in San Pedro are very aware that we need to take care of our industry. We have to make sure if we buy lobster tail that they weigh four ounces, make sure they are not soft shell, make sure that the persons brining lobster are licensed fishermen. That is one, we cannot be buying from fisherfolks that are not licensed to fish.”

 

 

Elsa Guzman

“I have been in my restaurant twenty-six years, food industry more than thirty years. Believe me, I just look at the lobster and I know the size so I don’t have to put it in the scale for sure.”

 

 

Ruby Jiminez

“If you don’t follow rules I don’t buy your lobster and that is how the game is played. It is very important because we want to have lobster fest for years and years and years. We don’t want for it to turn out that we don’t have more lobster to fish and more lobsters to serve people.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

The Belize Network of N.G.O.’s, B.N.N., has kicked off a new campaign and it’s called Belize Wi Ready. This initiative supports the Equal Opportunities Bill aims to create a leveled playing in Belizean society by introducing protections against discrimination.  B.N.N. hopes that this will afford all Belizeans an equal and fair chance at success. The bill contains twenty-two key points outlined for protection against discrimination. Here’s News Fives Britney Gordon with more details on the endeavor.

 

Britney Gordon, reporting

Belize is on the verge of change and the Belize Network of NGO’s hopes to be the driving force behind that change. By launching the Wi Ready Campaign, the organization is bolstering its support for the Equal Opportunities Bill. NGO Senator Janelle Chanona explains why this piece of law should be passed.

 

Janelle Chanona, Senator for NGO’s

“The bill in its name describes what it’s trying to do and it’s creating equal opportunities for all. And I think as we just heard, even as specific as the bill is trying to be, twenty-two characteristics, we’re just hearing that, specific to the violence aspects. Maybe it is that we’re looking at gender based violence as a part of specific categories of who the bill is looking at and I think that’s why I like the name the equal opportunities for all because it doesn’t matter then how we are different. It is that the bill is working to address and be inclusive and protect and enshrine the rights that as  We just heard some of the panelists reference that we were led to believe we were born with, but that now we know we have to legislate in order to get to the point that we feel like we have those rights.”

 

According to Chanona, there are laws that provide certain protections against discrimination; however, Belize does not have comprehensive legislation to address the issue. The Belize Wi Ready Campaign is aimed at creating public awareness and knowledge of the status of the bill. Doctor Elma Kay, chair of the BNN, further explains the campaign.

 

Dr. Elma Kay, Chair, Belize Network of NGO’s

“And we as the Belize Network of NGOs, we advocate for good governance for sustainable human development. So it is our mandate to look at laws like this that help us advance our human rights agenda and that help us reach our potential, in terms of human development. We can’t have true human development if we still have discrimination rampant in our society. And I think discrimination is something that we can all identify with, either because we’re too young, we’re too old, we’re women, we are, from a different race or a different culture. So discrimination exists in our society and it’s a reality. So this is just saying we are ready for a law that promotes equal opportunities for all and creates a more just society for Belize.”

 

The bill was originally drafted in 2019 but has since been updated. There are twenty-two points outlined for protection, including gender, HIV status, race, and religious beliefs. Chanona says that the change is long overdue, but the BNN is prepared to put in the work to ensure that every Belizean has the chance to live up to their fullest potential without being hindered by discriminatory practices.

 

 

 

Janelle Chanona

“The name of the campaign speaks to it, it’s that we’re ready for it, and that if we’re ready for it, then we should be working to make sure that legislation takes form and is enacted as soon as possible, because we need to be ready to address, I think as a Belizean it’s really difficult to hear that one of the principal factors underpinning our challenges is stigma and discrimination. And if that doesn’t give all of us pause to see where we can, in our respective roles, address stigma and discrimination, it’s really and truly what we need to be doing as Belizeans for each other.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.

On Monday, members of the Maya Forest Corridor Coalition sent an open letter to Deputy Prime Minister, Cordel Hyde and Minister of Sustainable Development Orlando Habet expressing concern regarding deforestation within the Manatee Forest Reserve.  These activities are due to alleged illegal encroachments and the issuance of lands. The letter states quote, these activities are causing significant environmental damage and are being carried out seemingly unimpeded by the relevant authorities, without public knowledge or consultation with key stakeholders, end quote. N.G.O. Senator Janelle Chanona and Doctor Elma Kay, Chair of the Belize Network of N.G.O.s, provided further details on the situation.

 

Janelle Chanona, Senator for NGO’s

“I think that is the fundamental question, and it’s cross, not just from this perspective, but across that. Who is actually making these decisions? Who is actually in charge? Who is managing? Because if we’re saying on one hand we’re committed to biological corridors, we’re committed to protected areas, we’re committed to the integrity, knowing the goods and services that those areas are protecting, how is it that people are coming out of left field saying, but I have a title and I am doing this and this isn’t a land grab. This is that. That is really the fundamental issue, I believe from where I’m sitting in terms of.  Making sure we know who is making these decisions, why are these decisions being made, how come the decision isn’t being shared in terms of informed decision making, consultative processes. Because at the end of the day, these are not questions that we should be asking after the fact.”

 

Dr. Elma Kay, Chair, BNN

“A forest reserve is a category of protected area and by our National Protected Areas legislation, lands shouldn’t be issued there, nor should there be any clearing that is happening. So clearly, there is something happening in this reserve. And like I say, we are aware that there has been some land issuance. Now, we don’t know who issued those lands. It could have been a previous administration. It could have been this admin, this government administration at a different time. We don’t know how the land was issued. We don’t have all those details, but we do know that there are titles granted within this protected area and so what we are saying is this is very detrimental to all the work that we have actually been doing with those very same ministries and the government of Belize to protect the Maya forest corridor, because in fact, the corridor and manatee forest reserve. are one large pathway, if you want to call it, that connects Belize’s two largest forest blocks. And there’s no point in saving a portion if another portion is getting destroyed.”

In the wake of the onslaught of wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres of land during the dry season, co-managers of protected areas are now grappling with the intense flooding that has now commenced amidst the rainy season. After such devastation, a few co-managers have expressed frustration with the lack of funding and support. N.G.O. Senator Janelle Chanona and Doctor Elma Kay, Chair of the Belize Network of N.G.O.s, say that the support needs to be a collective effort.

 

Janelle Chanona, Senator for NGO’s

“The national conversation has to be how do we make sure that the co-managers are bolstered, are supported, are enhanced, that is called out. It’s really tough, I think to see all of this kind of international accolade and we embrace our reputation, but how do we make sure that we can maintain that integrity and as you said make sure that nobody feels abandoned when they’re doing work that has national implication benefits, goods and services across the board and it is that you know we have to make sure because they’re there because they’re rendering this service on behalf of everyone that they get the resources they need but that is the support and If it is that it comes across as criticism, then yes, but it is certainly a collective response that has to be in place.”

 

Dr. Elma Kay, Chair, BNN

“I think wildfires was something that it was always protected area managers and comanagers that we’re bringing to the forefront. But I think this fire season has absolutely shown us that this is something that touches human lives in a very direct way. It’s no longer an indirect way where we would say, Oh, it’s just our forest burning, and now we will have reduced areas for capturing water or watershed protection. Now, it’s actually affecting people’s homes, people’s livelihoods. people’s farms. So I think it’s really pointing out to the very the gaps in capacity that we have. I think there’s a lot of hope NGOs and other comanagers have for a long time been training in this aspect of fire management. And so I think the capacity is in country for us to help communities and others to build that capacity. But obviously, there is also a responsibility of the state and, our social responsibility as communities to want to improve our capacities to be able to deal with this in a proactive, not a reactive way, as we have always done.”