Guatemalan Authorities Withhold Support for Reef Protection Bill

Guatemala’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) and the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) have announced they cannot support a proposed law that would expand the Punta de Manabique protected area to include the ecologically valuable Cayman Crown Reef, citing legal and procedural shortcomings.

The proposed legislation, Bill 6499, aims to incorporate the reef, considered one of the best-preserved in the Guatemalan Caribbean, into the existing protected area framework. The reef plays a vital role in sustaining local marine biodiversity and supporting the livelihoods of fishers in the Izabal region.

However, both MARN and CONAP stressed that the bill lacks the required technical foundation to move forward. According to Guatemala’s Protected Areas Law, any official declaration of a protected area must be based on a comprehensive technical study approved by CONAP. Such a study must assess the environmental, social, economic, and cultural conditions of the area and the potential impacts on the local population.

“Without an approved technical study, support from relevant government institutions, and clear social backing, MARN and CONAP cannot endorse the incorporation of Corona Caimán into the protected area.”

Environmental advocates have voiced concern over the delay but acknowledge the need for due process.

The reef, located between Belize and Guatemala within the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve, is a key ecological site. It hosts spawning grounds for finfish and deep-water species and is considered part of the vital Mesoamerican Reef system.

Locals in San Francisco Del Mar now claim a six-mile stretch, including much of Belize’s Conservation Zone 4, as Guatemalan territory, raising fears that NGO patrols will cease and unregulated fishing will resume.