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OCEANA, Will Maheai and NGO senator Osmany Salas have spoken out against the Government's position on gill nets, because it is not the full ban that conservationists were expecting. Well, the Belize Federation of Fishers has joined the chorus, stating quote, "Most fishers are of the view that the proposed changes do not go far enough and that the enforcement measures being taken will not be effective. We feel that a total ban is needed". It continues by saying, quote, "more than a dozen gill net fishers have indicated to the BFF that they are prepared to immediately give up their nets providing that alternatives are made available." 

The release adds, quote, "Our fishers see in this issue a serious threat to national security because most gill net users in the South are Guatemalan and Honduran fishermen who move back and forth across our maritime borders unimpeded." 

The release ends by saying "Government's new regulation to restrict fishing licenses to only Belizean Nationals is a very positive step and we applaud them for instituting it. On the other hand, imposing regulations on types of gill nets has been tried before without success The BFF feels strongly that a full ban is needed and we are committed to working with Government to make this happen."