From Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association:
The Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA), Co-manager of the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve, announces the “Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve Flats Fishing Management and Sustainability Plan,” a landmark initiative providing:
· An in-depth understanding of Turneffe Atoll’s flats fishery
· A framework for managing the fishery, and
· Initiatives to protect Turneffe Atoll’s essential flats fishing habitats.
Flats fishing is a key sector of Belize’s tourism economy. According to a 2022 economic analysis by Turneffe Atoll Trust, flats fishing generates BZ$240.6 million annually for Belize (approximately 6.7% of the country’s GDP) and provides 6,000 Belizean jobs.
Turneffe Atoll is one of Belize’s premier flats fishing destinations with extensive wadable backreef flats, creeks, channels and two large lagoon systems. Anglers from around the world visit Turneffe seeking exceptional opportunities to fish for bonefish, permit, tarpon, and a variety of other species.
Recognizing the importance of managing this resource and ensuring its long-term health, TASA convened Turneffe Atoll flats fishing stakeholders, key government agencies, and international flats fishing experts developed a comprehensive plan for managing and sustaining Turneffe’s flats fishery including:
· Mapping and prioritizing essential flats fishing areas
· Analyzing the current regulatory function
· Establishing flats fishing etiquette protocols
· Addressing potential conflicts with commercial fishing, and
· Initiating better scientific understanding of the fishery.
While Belize is blessed with some of the world’s best flats fishing habitat, critical areas at Turneffe and throughout the country are threatened by dredging and over-water development. Recognizing this, the Plan addresses threats to Turneffe’s fishery and develops concrete recommendations for ensuring the long-term viability of this valuable natural and economic resource.
TASA and the Flats Fishing Committee members hope that this Plan will serve as a model for other flats fisheries, in Belize and globally.
Valdemar Andrade, TASA’s Executive Director, states that, “The launch of this plan marks a significant step toward sustainable management and offers a model for how stakeholders can actively participate to ensure the long-term viability of Turneffe’s and Belize’s flats fisheries.”
TASA encourages international anglers, travel wholesalers, fly shops and others to utilize this plan to improve and sustain your fishery. The Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve will need resources to fully institute this plan, and we invite our those who are interested to contact us.
