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Centered on a 2022-2027 development policy and strategy roadmap, this year's forum looks at how Belize plans to balance marine conservation with economic survival. Our Jomarie Lanza was there and has the report:

Over the past decade, rapid economic development and population growth along the coast and inland have increased pressures on Belize's coastal and marine resources, which in turn has impacted those that depend on those resources to sustain their livelihoods. In an attempt to assist these communities, the Blue Economy has revised its strategy and implementation plan for 2022–2026 to better address these needs. The new plan was presented at their fourth Blue Economy Climate Resilience Forum today.

Andre Perez - Minister of the Blue Economy
"It's an update. This is something we are constantly... it is evolving and that we have to be using smart ideas, we have to be using more innovation, new technologies there—not only in monitoring our waters but also to monitor illegal fishing. That is important. It goes beyond us using vessels now, we are looking into drones and having all the collaboration with everybody here, so it is not only just the Fisheries Department there to patrol our waters, but it has to be done jointly with everybody working together."

Beverly Wade - CEO, Ministry of Blue Economy
"As mentioned in the opening ceremony, the forum is really an opportunity for us to share advances that we are doing in the space in terms of management, governance, strengthening our frameworks, but also it's an opportunity for us to hear from our key stakeholders within the space so that it can continue [to] advise our planning and our approach over the next year as we continue our programs in terms of strengthening the pathway for a robust blue economy."

CEO Wade expressed that she was overwhelmed by the stakeholder turnout with 108 guests in attendance. We asked her and the minister what changes we can expect to see in the new policy, the strategy and implementation plan, and the Belize Maritime Economy Plan.

Beverly Wade - CEO, Ministry of Blue Economy
"Some of the changes—or I prefer to call them advancements—that have been made is we have made significant inroads in several areas. One of them is with regard to strengthening the framework for sustainable and successful blue economy growth in Belize. So we have recently reviewed and modernized the legislation for coastal zone management in Belize. We have revised and modernized the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan and we are now looking at delivering through the Blue Bonds, the Belize Sustainable Oceans Plan. These are very important for us because at the end of the day, they help to strengthen the blueprint of how we approach the space both from a stewardship standpoint but also from a development standpoint."

Andre Perez - Minister of the Blue Economy
"The biggest challenge here right now is making sure our communities are not left behind. That is the biggest challenge, that our fisherfolk—the most important stakeholder here—is that the Blue Economy framework makes sure that they are included, that they are the ones who are at the forefront. They are the ones being directly affected by all of these changes in climate, so we must provide for them. And also recognizing that, you know, as we move forward to having more waters under our protected areas as required by the bonds agreement, we must make sure they—they are not displaced, they are not marginalized, and that is really, really important. We must find alternatives that we are not having people coming together and fishing over one another, that is also very important. And this discussion is here, that alternatives mean by training them to fish smarter by, again, using technology as the video showed, so that is the way we are going."