7 News Belize

Peyrefitte On Southern Seas
posted (August 4, 2020)
Today, the National Security Minister Michael Peyrefitte, accompanied by the Belize Coast Guard, made an official visit to the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve. He was there to inspect an extensive coral reef complex, known as the Corona Reef, which is located in Belize's maritime borders, south of Sapodilla. This coral reef complex is now a protected area.

A government press release says that the initiative to turn this area into a reserve was put forward by the Belize Coast Guard, and it was taken to Cabinet for approval by Peyrefitte as their Minister. On July 30th, Omar Figueroa, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, the Environment, and Sustainable Development, signed the statutory instrument that enshrines the protected status of this ecologically important marine system.

The Government says, quote, "This particular reef complex includes some of the healthiest coral reefs, with 60% live coral cover, in the Mesoamerican Reef System…It is believed to be a biologically important hotspot that serves as a spawning aggregation site for numerous finfish and habitat for deep-slope snapper, bottom dwellers, and commercially important species like the Atlantic spadefish… Unfortunately, due to the proximity of neighboring countries, primarily Guatemala and Honduras, the reef complex faces a continuous threat of transboundary illegal fishing. The signing marks another major stride in protecting critically important natural systems that define us as a country." End quote.

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