Fishermen & Ecotourism Alliance (FETA)

An Alliance Between Eco-tourism and Commercial Fishermen to Protect Their Environment

Turneffe's commercial fishermen and eco-tourism stakeholders have a common interest in seeing that Turneffe's marine environment remains healthy.  These two groups are working together through an alliance, The Fishermen & Ecotourism Alliance (FETA), to affect mutually beneficial protection of Turneffe's key habitats.

The two groups bring very different skills to the table and we feel that this alliance potentially offers a significant and valuable symbiosis.  Commercial fishermen provide local expertise and influence while ecotourism stakeholders offer international connections and potential access to funding.

In early 2016, Turneffe Atoll Trust funded the formation of an official alliance (FETA) between Turneffe's fishermen and Turneffe's eco-tourism sector.  We are optimistic that this organization will continue to have significantly positive impacts that neither group could achieve alone and that environmental advocacy with both groups working together is much more effective.

This program will:

• Form an official entity for this purpose (completed)

• Develop a Strategic Plan (underway) to define our mutually beneficial efforts.

• Develop a list of mutually beneficial concerns followed by actions to be taken.  Actions may include support of legal interventions, local lobbying and public relations.

• Raise funds to support this effort and build its potential.