Gillnets are seriously damaging Belize’s marine environment, and with it, the country’s tourism industry and commercial fishery. Gillnets—some up to a mile long—indiscriminately kill marine life while threatening commercial fishing stocks, sport fishing species, manatees, dolphins, turtles, and other marine life.
With tourism representing 45% of Belize’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 70% of all tourists visit marine destinations, a healthy marine environment is critical to the countries economic future. Likewise, Belize’s vibrant commercial fishery is directly dependent on a healthy marine environment.
The Coalition for Sustainable Fisheries is a group of conservation organizations, commercial fishermen, tourism representatives and sports fishing enthusiasts with a simple goal: to ban all gillnets in Belizean waters.
