The Belize Fisheries Department is changing the way fishermen catch fish through a stakeholder based initiative known as Managed Access. This divides Belize’s territorial waters into 9 fishing zones. A smaller pilot project like this was launched in 2011 and it targeted two zones, namely the Glovers reef Marine Reserve and the Port Honduras Marine Reserve. The successes in these two areas have given the department enough confidence to expand this initiative to encompass all of Belize’s territorial waters. But now with more stringent regulations governing fishing activities in Belize how are the 3 thousand licensed fishermen in Belize taking it? Well we found out this morning when we attended the official launch of the project at the Fisheries compound in Belize City.

Beverly Wade – Administrator. Fisheries Dept.
“So, manage access in Belize really a big deal. Traditionally, we’ve approached our fisheries resources as an open access fishery and that really means there was no structure approach in place as to how fishermen go out and target the resources. If you look at Fisheries management globally, Open Access Fisheries are often referred to tragedy of the commons, because what it means is that there is no order, no structure, everybody just dives in and they access the resources. So, what we have done is that today is an historical day because we’ve actually now implemented a system where we have now in place a structured approach to how fishermen look at the resources. It now comes with secure tenure ship for fishers. So, fully we are able to work with fishermen and to sit with them, find out where they’re fishing, what they’re fishing for and to actually now incorporate that into a formal system.”

Reporter
“Talking to your other fellow fisher folk, what has been the response to this program?”

Daniel Dawson – Belizean Fishermen
“Well, at the beginning it was difficult, as we all know that fishermen are sell employed they don’t like to be told what to do, they don’t like rules, but now they are seeing the benefit. They are understanding the program better. They are complying with it. For starters, if there’s an area for you to fish and if you would abuse and would go beyond that you could be charged. Those are some little areas that some fishermen do not like, but it will help because if you have a 100 traps here, you could identify your traps from your boundary to the other boundary. It’s really beneficial for them.”

The Fisheries Department hopes that by the next 2 years they will have every licensed vessel fitted with vessel monitoring systems to keep track of the various fishing activities in the 9 zones. In addition to this the department will also be implementing a vessel color coding system to aid them in their various monitoring efforts.

Follow this story and more with Channel 7.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports has confirmed plans to expand the social studies curriculum to include incidents of Belizean history.

It was reported that the Ministry is preparing to mass-produce copies of the 1859 Anglo-Guatemalan Treaty which tried to offer a lasting solution to what was then a dispute over the boundaries of British Honduras and Guatemala, between the latter and Britain.

Guatemala repudiated the treaty after Britain did not follow through in building a road linking the two territories as provided for in an article of the treaty.

While unaware of whether such production has started, CEO in the Ministry David Leacock says the Treaty and other incidents of Belizean history will now be part of a revamped social studies curriculum in schools.

Follow this story and more with Breaking Belize News.

The following is a statement issued by Government: The Cabinet of Belize announces that the Government of Belize has asked the Governor General His Excellency Sir Colville Young to sign a Statutory Instrument revoking, with immediate effect, the Sarstoon Prohibition SI.

Government’s decision comes as a consequence of the agreement reached in Turkey between Belize and Guatemala regarding the Sarstoon. That agreement commits both sides to start work now on a formal cooperation mechanism that will respect Belize’s and Guatemala’s respective use and navigation of the Sarstoon.

While the formal mechanism is being worked on, the two sides have informally accepted a situation in which there will be untrammeled traffic for Belize’s military and civilians along the Sarstoon.

Follow this story and more on Breaking Belize News.

Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs, long time hip hop mogul, rapper, producer and owner of the ‘Bad Boyz’ record label in the United States, launched his highly anticipated second reunion tour at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Friday night.

The two night event featured accomplished artists such as DMX, Jay-Z, Usher and Nas but it was our very own Shyne Barrow that stole the show with a goose bump worthy performance via live feed on a big screen.

His video was shot entirely in Belize, showcasing various aspects of our country’s beauty with aerial shots and stunning camera work, paired with Shyne’s raw, grimy, unique voice on his most successful single, ‘Bad Boyz’, which features Barrington Levy and was released in 2000.

That single made it to number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 9 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Song Billboard and number 11 on the Hot Rap Songs Billboard, propelling Barrow’s debut album, ‘Shyne’, to heights most artists only dream about.

Shyne appeared in the event’s second night, which was last night, in front of a crowd of approximately 20,000 people which erupted at the sight and sound of our famed music ambassador, singing along to every verse.

Since then, the internet has exploded with clips of Shyne’s appearance at the tour’s kickoff and a video of it was posted on a YouTube channel that has more than 50 million subscribers.

Breaking Belize News congratulates Shyne on a stellar performance and yet another achievement to add to his long list, helping to bring even more attention to Belize.

Shyne’s performance can be viewed by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNrQ2OAWye8

Follow this story and more at Breaking Belize News.

First conceived as a celebration of the wider Maya world with participants from Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Mexico in 1992, the festival has since blossomed to become one of the most popular events on the Belizean calendar. The festival begins with a beauty pageant featuring contestants from the “Mundo Maya” countries and then explodes in a celebration of dance, food, art, games, and music.

Why You Have to Attend the International Costa Maya Festival

A celebration of all things Maya, the festival is a colorful mix of a beauty pageant, music including Punta, Salsa, Merengue, Soca, Reggae, and traditional Maya melodies, riotous parades, and a celebration of food, art, and merrymaking.

The first night of the festival begins with a beauty pageant featuring the winners of regional contests from neighboring countries as well as representatives from Europe, North America, and Australia. Contestants demonstrate elegance, poise and beauty in evening gown, bathing suit, and talent categories, with the winner given the coveted title of Miss Costa Maya International.

The first night then rocks the enthusiastic crowds with performances from some of the country’s premiere musical groups, with dancing lasting until dawn. The following days of the festival include lively parades, entertainment for children, demonstrations of folkloric and traditional dance and music, a breathtaking array of food and drink, and merrymaking for festivalgoers of all ages.

Where in Belize Is the International Costa Maya Festival Held?

The International Costa Maya Festival is held in the streets of San Pedro Town, the capital of Ambergris Caye. Various locations in the town feature musical entertainment, games, face-painting booths, food stalls, and local arts and crafts.

When Is the International Costa Maya Festival Held?

The three-day festival is always held in August on a weekend but the dates vary from year to year. In 2016, the festival will be held from August 4-6.

How to get to the International Costa Maya Festival

The festival is always held in San Pedro Town, the capital of Ambergris Caye. There is regular domestic air service with Tropic Air between Belize City and other locations in Belize to the airport in San Pedro. Private watercraft services also offer connections to the island.

Best way to experience the International Costa Maya Festival

Bring your party hat with you as the International Costa Maya Festival is a raucous celebration of beauty, culture, art, food, music, and fun.

Follow this story and more with BelizeHub!

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will present the 2016 Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award to a group of extraordinary women from around the world tomorrow at the U.S. Department of State.

The Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award annually recognizes women around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment, often at great personal risk. Since the inception of this award in 2007, the Department of State has honored nearly 100 women from 60 different countries.

The 2016 awardees are:

• Sara Hossain, Barrister, Supreme Court, Bangladesh
• Debra Baptist-Estrada, Port Commander, Belize Immigration and Nationality, Belize
• Ni Yulan, Human Rights Activist, China
• Latifa Ibn Ziaten, Interfaith Activist, France
• Thelma Aldana, Attorney General, Guatemala
• Nagham Nawzat, Yezidi Activist and Gynecologist, Iraq
• Nisha Ayub, Transgender Rights Advocate, Malaysia
• Fatimata M’baye, Co-founder and President of the Mauritanian Association for Human Rights, Mauritania
• Zhanna Nemtsova, Journalist and Activist, Russia
• Zuzana Števulová, Director of the Human Rights League, Slovakia
• Awadeya Mahmoud, Founder and Chair of the Women’s Food and Tea Sellers’ Cooperative and the Women’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative for Khartoum State, Sudan
• Vicky Ntetema, Executive Director of Under the Same Sun, Tanzania
• Rodjaraeg Wattanapanit, Bookstore Owner and Co-founder of Creating Awareness for Enhanced Democracy, Thailand
• Nihal Naj Ali Al-Awlaqi, Minister of Legal Affairs, Yemen

Ms. Baptist-Estrada’s courageous contributions are highlighted as follows:

[blockquote style=”1″]In an institution largely dominated by men, 20-year Belize Department of Immigration veteran Debra Baptist-Estrada has consistently refused bribes and other incentives to look the other way. As Port Commander of Belize’s only international airport, Ms. Estrada worked with U.S. officials last spring to crack open a drug and human smuggling operation to the U.S. and Europe. After being transferred to Belize’s northern border this summer, Ms. Estrada continued to bring her incorruptible style to the job, enforcing immigration laws that had not been enforced for a very long time, and rejecting bribes to look the other way. While many might shrug off corruption as “the human condition,” Ms. Estrada is quietly and courageously effecting change and strengthening the rule of law.[/blockquote]

Full biographies and photos are available here.

On April 1, the honorees will travel to cities across the United States to engage with the American people through anInternational Visitor Leadership Program. They will visit Missouri, Kentucky, Alabama, California, North Carolina, Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania on their individual programs. The women will reconvene in Los Angles to reflect on their visit and discuss ways to work together to improve the lives of women and girls around the world.

To mark the milestone of honoring nearly 100 women from 60 countries over 10 years, the State Department will host a forum following the ceremony.

The International Women of Courage Award ceremony and forum will be open to credentialed members of the media and livestreamed at www.state.gov. Please click here for more information.

Use #WomenOfCourage for news and updates about this year’s award.

For more information on these events, contact Rachel Wallace at [email protected].

Source: state.gov

Marie Sharp is officially part of the New York City Hot Sauce Hall of Fame!

She was presented with an award over the weekend at the New York City Hot Sauce Expo and received a red jacket, commemorating the occasion along with a class ring engraved with her name and the present year, 2016.

The award and her induction into the Hot Sauce Hall of Fame is a milestone achievement for long time Belizean entrepreneur Marie Sharp. She started preparing her now famous hot sauce in her very own kitchen in 1981 using only the best local ingredients.

Fast forward to over three decades and what started as a micro business in a household kitchen has grown into an award winning and acclaimed Belizean product under the trade mark, Marie Sharp Fine Foods. Today, Sharp has perfected an entire line of hot sauces that feature exquisite flavours and heat levels as well as jams and jellies.

Marie Sharp Fine Foods has become a household name and has long been gaining international recognition in countries like El Salvador, Honduras, Canada, USA, Japan and Europe to name a few.

Sharp was the only woman entrepreneur to receive the award and only foreigner to have been selected for induction into the New York City Hot Sauce Hall of Fame.

She was accompanied to the event by her Sales and Marketing Manager, Jody Williams and General Manager, Rocio Aguilar.

Congratulations to Mrs. Sharp! Belize is proud!

By Dalila Ical of Breaking Belize News

The Football Federation of Belize (FFB) elected a new Executive Body during its 9th Ordinary Congress, held at the Ramada Princess Hotel on Saturday, April 30, 2016.

The Congress included an election process in which 14 District Football Association members and 6 members from the Premier League of Belize voted to elect the new Executive Body as follows: Marlon Kuylen – Senior Vice President; Shane Orio – Executive Member; Darlene Vernon – Executive Member.

Following 22 rounds of voting resulting in a tie each time, a new president and vice president for the FFB could not be elected. Vying for the post of president were former President, Ruperto Vicente and former Vice President, Sergio Chuc. The vice president post was contested by Jaime Perdomo and former Executive Member, Cruz Gamez.

Having been unable to break the tie, invited CONCACAF and UNCAF representatives conducted consultations with FIFA, after which Senior Vice President Marlon Kuylen was selected as Acting President of the FFB. He will remain in this post for one year, when the next Ordinary Congress is scheduled to take place and an election will be held to elect a president and vice president.

The FFB congratulates all new elected members and thanks all participants and members of the District Football Associations for being a part of this process.

(Ed. Note: Five (5) executive positions were contested – president, senior vice-president, vice-president, and two members. Three (3) individuals were elected, and they will serve as the FFB Executive until the other two posts are decided at the next Ordinary Congress.)

Source: Amandala