Belize Expedition, 2011
I have some great news to share: Belize has just banned trawling. Yes, that's right, there is now a ban on ALL trawling, from inland rivers to lagoons to the reefs to the deep sea. This clearly demonstrates the commitment of the Belizean government to protecting their aquatic resources.
Trawling is a particularly harmful form of fishing because it can destroy large tracts of the benthos (the bottom), including sessile invertebrates, seagrasses and other forms of complex structure.
An example of bottom trawling (Photo: Brian Skerry)
As we head to Belize to investigate the impacts of marine protected areas, it's nice to know that Belize is simultaneously taking additional steps to protect its resources.
To read more about the trawling ban, click here.
Back to packing--we leave soon!
-Randi
0 comments:
Post a Comment