Responding to a Barrier Reef in Peril

Belize’s barrier reef is facing a serious threat. Stony coral tissue loss disease is wreaking havoc on large sections of the reef, according to Beverly Wade, the C.E.O. of the Ministry of Blue Economy. The damage is most noticeable in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, though areas in southern Belize have shown remarkable resilience. Wade mentioned that her ministry is actively seeking the best ways to respond to this crisis.

 

Beverly Wade, C.E.O., Ministry of Blue Economy

“It is one of the things we are grappling with. Our reefs are in peril. We have come under some of the most extreme temperatures and we have been impacted by the stony coral tissue loss diseases, aside from the normal diseases that impact reefs. There are some resilient areas. We have bright spots. There are some areas we are seeing rebounding. We are hoping it is so. What is important is that we are not just sitting back and saying the reef is dying and we are not doing anything. The government committed to the protection of twenty percent of Belize’s reef and that is an important thing for us. We are looking at identifying what that twenty percent is by the end of this year and to look at how we can designate those areas. They are important for us, because we have to ensure how we identify those areas around our reef that are important for genetics and resiliency. We have to have a strategy as we are developing a restoration strategy and policy to see ho we now respond. It is not something we and respond easily but we are now looking at how we create that pathway for response.”