June 13, 2025
“Protected” in Name Only: Belize’s Marine Reserves Under Threat
Written by Turneffe Atoll Trust
The turquoise waters around Cayo Rosario sparkle with life and beauty. It is part of Belize’s Hol Chan Marine Reserve, a place many consider sacred ground for biodiversity, fishing, and tourism. So when an overwater development project was approved inside the reserve and commenced construction, it sparked national outrage. How could something so destructive be allowed in one of our most treasured marine protected areas?
The uncomfortable truth is that Belize’s marine protected areas (MPAs) are not as protected as most of us think. Behind the label of “protected ” lies a complex and often toothless system that can allow the very threats these areas were meant to stop. The problem is the permitting process itself.
Belize is home to an impressive network of MPAs, covering the country’s most valuable marine areas, including coral reefs, backreef flats, mangroves, seagrass beds, and coastal lagoons. According to the ‘Marine Protected Areas Atlas of Belize,’ these areas fall into four official categories: marine reserves, national monuments, national parks, and wildlife sanctuaries. On paper, these designations suggest strong safeguards. Marine reserves, for example, are meant to protect biodiversity, promote sustainable fishing, and conserve habitats.
But the reality is quite different. Development is allowed in more than 95% of MPAs. No development, including dredging, mangrove deforestation, and overwater development, is off limits. This is why evaluating the type and extent of development is so crucial. Environmental Impact Assessments are a critical tool for ensuring that the most valuable habitats (including our World Heritage Site) are not destroyed. EIAs must continue to be required for all developments in MPAs and in the World Heritage Site. Community input must be heard and carefully considered.
The Real Threat: Development, Not Fishing
While commercial fishing warrants regulation of marine protected areas, the far greater threat is unchecked coastal development in its various forms. From dredging and landfill operations to sprawling resorts marketed as “eco-tourism,” these projects often disrupt fragile marine ecosystems beyond repair.
The Cayo Rosario case is a prime example. The proposed construction of dozens of overwater structures would sit right inside Savannah Flat, well-known for its fly-fishing flats and seagrass meadows—critical habitats for bonefish, tarpon, and permit. Despite public outcry and expert warnings, the project was approved. The threats to marine ecosystems have gained further amplification recently due to the efforts of the Belize Flats Fishery Association, which called on the government in a May 19, 2025, press release ended demanded ‘permanent protection, clear leadership, and real accountability’ in the enforcement of MPAs, a call touted by Turneffe Atoll Trust for many years.
Developments like those at Cayo Rosario or the Will Bauer Flats in the south slip through the cracks not because they are illegal, but because the permitting system allows them. The problem is that our system too often allows destructive development such as dredging, mangrove deforestation and overwater development in our MPAs. This is destroying our most precious habitats.
Who’s Protecting the MPAs?
Belize’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process is supposed to be the firewall against this kind of destructive development. In theory, any project proposed in an MPA must undergo a detailed review to assess environmental harm. But in practice, the EIA process allows dredging or overwater development in our most sensitive Marine Protected Areas
Public consultations are often poorly advertised or held at inconvenient times. Environmental Impact Assessments are conducted by firms hired by the developers themselves and are frequently biased. And even when serious environmental damage is anticipated, such as at Cayo Rosario and Wil Bauer Flats, projects are often approved.
To fix this, we need more than minor tweaks. The Environmental Protection Act and the Environmental Impact Assessment process must be reformed. The review process must be transparent and genuinely participatory. Habitat-damaging activities currently permitted inside MPAs must be reassessed with conservation, not short-term benefits for a few, as the guiding principle.
At present, the tide is in danger of turning even further away from conservation principles guiding the nation’s MPA management. With the EIA regulations under revision at the moment, Belize risks the possibility that development within protected areas may be allowed without an Environmental Impact Assessment or public comment being required. Our protected areas are our most cherished natural resource to be preserved for us and future generations. Any development in protected areas must continue to be properly vetted through the EIA process, allowing public input and consideration of all consequences.
A National Priority
Belize’s marine protected areas are more than lines on a map. They are the backbone of our fishing industry, the crown jewel of our tourism sector, and a crucial buffer against climate change. But their future hangs in the balance.
If we allow poorly planned development to continue, we risk losing the very ecosystems that make Belize unique. This isn’t just about the environment—it’s about our national sovereignty, our economic resilience, and the legacy we leave for future generations.
Belizeans must demand better. Better laws, better oversight, and a better definition of what it means to be “protected.” Because in the end, a protected area open to destruction is not protected at all.
Let’s make sure “protected” means something real. The time to act is now.
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