Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve

Establishing Belize’s largest Marine Reserve in 2012

From 2010 to 2012, Turneffe Atoll Trust led efforts to establish The Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve (TAMR) as Belize’s largest and most biologically diverse Marine Reserve. Formal declaration of the Marine Reserve in 2012 followed thousands of man hours of consultation with stakeholders and the general public. Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve is critical to the effective management and long-term protection of the Atoll.  

Turneffe Atoll Trust, through funding from the Oak Foundation, oversaw the consultative process and drafting of the 280 page Turneffe Atoll Management Plan for the Reserve.

Turneffe Atoll Management Plan

TAT then funded a new NGO, Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA), to co-manage TAMR along with co-manager, Belize Fisheries Department.

TASA was established as a stakeholder-based organization with all key stakeholder groups (fishermen, tourism operators, science based organizations and private land landowners) represented on the Board of Directors. Initial Board Members were Craig Hayes (Turneffe Flats Resort) - Chairman, Pedro Alvarez (Belize Federation of Fishers) - Co-Chairman, Leandra Cho-Rickets (UB Environmental Research Institute) - Secretary, Llewellyn Smith (Belize Federation of Fishers), Mike Feinstein (Blackbird Caye Resort) and Marion Usher (private land owner). Ex-officio member Beverly Wade (Fisheries Department) represented the Co-manager.

History of the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve

For at least two decades prior to Turneffe Atoll becoming Belize’s largest Marine Reserve, the need to protect Turneffe was widely expressed by the conservation community.

In 1993, a detailed Development Plan was submitted to the Government of Belize by McGill.  Later, the Coastal Zone Institute and Authority formed the Turneffe Islands Coastal Advisory Committee (TICAC) to establish Development Guidelines for Turneffe Atoll. 

In June 2010, Turneffe Atoll Trust formed the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Council (TASC) to address the need for sustainable management of Turneffe Atoll.  The Sustainability Council was elected to pursue a Marine Reserve and Turneffe Atoll Trust led these efforts.

A two year process of consultations followed by the development of a 280 Page Management Plan followed. Results were forwarded to Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and presented to Cabinet.  Unfortunately,  general elections in Belize delayed the process and the Reserve was placed on hold until the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve was officially established on November 22nd of 2012.

Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve encompasses the entire atoll as well as a substantial area of open sea on all sides. The area encompassed by TAMR is 1,369 square kilometers or approximately 325,400 acres.

When the Marine Reserve was established, inhabitants included three resorts (Turneffe Flats, Turneffe Island Resort and Blackbird Caye Resort), two research facilities focusing on marine research (Environmental Research Institute and Oceanic Society) and approximately 25 semi-permanent fishing camps.