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Hurricane Dean hit northern Belize a year ago, leaving a path of destruction in the millions. While the papaya and sugar industries have cut their losses and for the most part moved on, fisher folks from San Pedro to Sartenja are still reeling from it. Dean wiped away their traps and other equipment and depleted the fish stock. The industry has been creeping back and it is doing so with the help of UNDP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. UNDP can’t replenish the fish stock but it has been replacing equipment the fishermen lost. This morning 50 more fishermen received lobster traps, palmetto and pimento sticks, and chicken wire. Vivian Belisle, Coordinator for the Captured Fisheries Unit, says it is important for these fishermen to recover.

Vivian Belisle, Captured Fisheries Unit
“The fisheries sector last year was greatly affected by Hurricane Dean. A lot of fishermen lost lobster traps, lobster shades, fishing traps. So through a project funded by UNDP we were able to assist some of these fishermen with materials.

Last year after Hurricane Dean a Fisheries team went out and we did a survey of the damage assessment and through those damage assessment forms we were able to choose some fishermen. Today we have chosen 50 fishermen. Some of them were not able to make it today but they will still get their share.

Every assistance is greatly appreciated by the fishermen because they lost a lot and they have to feed their families and this is one way of helping them get back on their feet.”

The majority of the equipment is for lobster fishermen because they were the hardest hit. An added worry for those fishermen is that the lobster price is down. Even more troubling is that the United States has increased the minimum weight of the lobster tails it wants from 4.2 to 5 ounces. Belize has asked for a gradual increase.