Supporting Sustainable Commercial Fishing

Providing Substantial Long-term Support for Belize’s Commercial Fishermen

Turneffe Atoll Trust has been a consistent and strong supporter of a sustainable commercial fishery at Turneffe and Turneffe’s commercial fishermen.

Turneffe has two, fairly-distinct groups of commercial fishers. Camp Fishers began fishing spiny lobster and conch throughout the atoll five or six decades ago. This group of fishermen have located semi permanent to permanent fishing camps around the atoll, and fish primarily with lobster pots, although more recently with lobster “shades”.

More recent fishers are the sailboat fishers, and even more recently, skiff fishermen who visit Turneffe for periods of 10-20 days on sailboats or skiffs primarily to wade for conch and dive for lobsters.

Belize Federation of Fishers

A strong, unified voice for Belize’s commercial fishermen is essential. The Belize Federation of Fishers (BFF) is the sole national representative fisherman in Belize. Under the BFF umbrella are 12 fishermen’s associations throughout Belize including Sarteneja Tilapia Growers & Development Association, Sarteneja United Local Fishermen Association, Copper Bank Fishermen Association, Chunox Fishermen Association, Belize City Central Fishermen Association, WABAFU Fishermen Association, Hopkins Fishermen Association, Seine Bight Fishermen Association, Placencia Producers Cooperative Society Limited, Independence Fishermen Association, Monkey River Fishermen Association, the Toledo Fishermen Association and other organizations from Coastal Belize. Total membership is slightly more than 300.

Over the past six years, Turneffe Atoll Trust has provided the primary financial support for BFF including staffing, office space and funding for projects and organizational functions.

The Primary Functions of BFF:

  • Supporting and fostering sustainable fisheries management through the use of responsible harvesting practices

  • Collaboration with the Fisheries Department in areas of mutual interests

  • Improving interaction and interchange with the scientific and conservation communities in the areas of research, public awareness and advocacy

  • Advocating for public policies safeguarding the livelihoods of fishers and their communities

  • Negotiating with Government and National Funding Agencies for the proper allocation of funds for fishers, their associations and their communities