Belize Host Seaweed Mariculture Symposium

Today, Belize participated in its first ever Seaweed Aquaculture Symposium. The event was organized by the Nature Conservancy in collaboration with the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation and the Belize Fisheries Department in order to transfer knowledge of the works in the industry that is being done in other parts of the countries and develop relationships with colleagues from other parts of the world.  We attended the event earlier today for more information. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.

 

Britney Gordon, reporting

Today, several stakeholders from various countries gathered in Belize City to exchange valuable information about the growing seaweed industry in hopes of fostering partnerships and gaining knowledge that would aid in the industry’s development. Saleem Chan, of the Nature Conservancy, spoke with us about the event and its participants.

 

Saleem Chan, Mariculture Specialist and Safety Officer, The Nature Conservancy

“Today is quite a day. We’ve been working towards organizing the symposium jointly with the Belize Fisheries Department and the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil really to bring our partners from other parts of the world to Belize in sharing their work into seaweed farming. So we have people from Tanzania, Indonesia, people as far as Puerto Rico in Belize and as well as seaweed, local seaweed farmers in Belize sharing our journey with our guests.”

 

Also partnering in the event was the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation. Director Felicia Cruz expressed the ministry’s desire to expand the industry for Belizean fishers and farmers.

 

Felicia Cruz, Director, Ministry of Blue Economy & Civil Aviation

“It is a very momentous occasion for the Government of Belize because it really signals an opportunity to showcase all of the excellent work that has been happening within the seaweed mariculture industry.  From a ministerial perspective, our ministry is very proud of achieving this milestone. The seaweed industry is still immature. There’s still a lot yet to be done to help the industry elevate at a level in which we can derive the requisite socioeconomic and environmental benefits that we know the seaweed industry can contribute.”

 

Chief Executive Officer, Kennedy Carrillo further affirmed the necessity of providing opportunities in the industry.

 

 

 

 

 

Kennedy Carrillo, Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Blue Economy & Civil Aviation

“We work very closely with the Nature Conservancy and obviously our fisheries department is involved in the seaweed working group as well as other activities that are related to the seaweed sector in Belize. We work very closely with the communities and the seaweed farmers in Placencia, for example, our fisheries department works very closely in providing support. And of course, looking for other opportunities for them globally.”

 

 

Participating in the event was the president of the Belize Women’s Seaweed Farmers Association, Jalima Gold, who expressed her gratitude for the event and its proceedings.

 

Jalima Gold, President, Belize Women’s Seaweed Farmers Association

“We are the Belize Women’s Seed Farmers Association. we are an association from Southern Belize and we’ve been working for the past four years to try to help create and legitimize the mariculture industry. So it’s very important. We’re very happy that we’ve been asked to be here. We’ve been seen as like a stakeholder in the industry and so we are thankful that they asked us to be here.”

 

 

 

Local fisher woman, Isela Martinez, also commented on the impact of the growing seaweed industry.

 

Isela Martinez, Fisherwoman & Research Assistant

“So I do think that the seaweed is really important to our economy because it’s another source of income for our country. As fishermen, it is very important for us.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.