This document details a proposal for a national adaptive multispecies finfish management plan for Belize. The plan’s development and implementation are initiatives of the Belize Fisheries Department, in compliance with the provisions of the Fisheries Resources Act of 20201 and in accordance with the National Fisheries Policy, Strategy & Action Plan (NFPSAP) of Belize and the OETS.
The proposed plan was developed with support from UNCTAD, DOALOS and EDF, and with input and expertise from dozens of stakeholders and international experts who participated in discussions and workshops.
Healthy finfish populations are important to the food security and livelihoods of thousands of Belizeans. Through an adaptive and integrated multispecies management approach, the proposed finfish management plan aims to ensure healthy ecosystems and sustainable use of fishery resources, even as climate change imposes unprecedented impacts.
The management plan is based on three prioritized ecological and socioeconomic objectives:
- Sustainability and resilience of food security
- Sustainable economic growth and improved livelihoods
- Abundant finfish populations to support healthy ecosystems.
Thus a successfully implemented finfish management plan will contribute directly to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 and will also support the achievement of SDGs 2, 12, 13 and 17.
