Project Report
| Sep 24, 2015
Exploitation strategy moving forward in Belize!
By Claudio Gonzalez | Technical Coordinator
After a few months that the Belize Fisheries Department jointly with Blue Ventures began their project "A practical approach to long-term lionfish control: developing Belize’s national lionfish exploitation strategy.", they have already accomplished significant results. Some of these are:
- They have completed the trainig component with fishers regarding lionfish monitoring
- Gathered all baseline indicators for programme evaluation
- Designed the social marketing campaign
- Set up the survey design and schedule for monitoring in five marine reserves
This has not been without significant challenges, given the high variability in lionfish population density discovered from their pilot surveys, which has required them to modify their initial survey design.
Whilst they have been implementing these activities, they have of course also been planning the next steps - that is, implementing the strategy.
We really look forward to receive the progress report from the Fisheries Department, so we will learn more from their progress and be able to share them with you.
Thank you all for your support!
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Jun 15, 2015
Lionfish National Committees
By Claudio Gonzalez | Technical Coordinator
Since the workshop developed for the Control of Lionfish Regional Strategy on May last year, a National Committee was established for each country. The objective of these committees was to promote and to push, at a national level, the activities that were identified during the workshop. Each of the Committees appointed a representative to lead them.
During the second half of this year, it is MAR Fund's intention to work and strengthen the Committees to start with the design of the National Strategies based on the lines of action defined in the Regional one.
MAR Fund will contact each of the representatives of each National Committee to plan a short-term action plan. The idea is to present the regional progresses accomplished this year during the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) annual meeting that will be held in November this year in Panama.
We will definetly kee you posted.
Thanks again for all your support.
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Mar 16, 2015
Lionfish exploitation strategy in Belize, recommended for approval
By Claudio Gonzalez | Technical Coordinator
On January 29, 2015, MAR Fund's Grants Review Committee got together to evaluate, discuss and recomend for support the proposals that were submitted during the Seventh Request for Proposals.
One of the proposals submitted by Belize came from the Fisheries Department and it was address to develop the lionfish National Exploitation Strategy.
We are glad to inform that the proposal entitled 'A practical approach to long-term lionfish control: developing Belize’s national lionfish exploitation strategy' was recommended for support. The Committee made clear recomendations to the proposal and the Fisheries Department accepted them.
We expect to sign the grant agreement at the end of March so they can start activities in April.
Supporting initiatives like this is the way to control this invasive species.
We will keep you posted on what actions are taken by this national strategy in Belize.
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