SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF EIGHT COASTAL COMMUNITIES TO THE LOBSTER FISHERY IN BELIZE Prepared and submitted by: CONSULTANT: Vincent Gillett Strategic Studies Consultancy Group Belize City, Belize This study was made possible through funding received from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations May, 2008 1 Contents Page 1. Introduction 3 2. Background 3 3. Methods 4 4. Results 5 5. Conclusions & Recommendation 19 6. Acknowledgements 21 7 References 22 8 Annexes 23 2 1. Introduction The Belize fishery sector contributes significantly to the Belizean economy and to those communities that are directly engaged in the activity. Fishing, which traditionally has been a source of subsistence in coastal communities, has now, over the years, become a commercial activity providing employment and income to support many families in coastal communities. Most of the fishing effort targets the spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) which is the most valuable fishery earning, in 2005, US$7.2 from the export of lobster tails and lobster head meat. This however, represents a decline in income derived from lobster tail export sales of about 8.7% and a concurrent decline in catch per unit effort as the fishing season progresses (Gongora, 2006). This decline is attributed to increase in fishing effort, or increases in the number of fishers, and fishing boats, that is typically experienced within the sector annually. In 2005, 2026 fishermen were reportedly licensed. This represents a 17% increase above those licensed in 2004. A more recent study (de Leon Gonzalez, 2007) suggest that the lobster resource is fully exploited and that caution should be exercised in monitoring and managing the fishery to ensure that the fishery does not become over-exploited. As part of the ongoing effort to manage the lobster fishery, the Belize Fisheries Department embarked upon a socio-economic study regarding the contributions made to the lobster fishery by several fishing communities. It is anticipated that the study will provide some of the insights necessary to assist the department in developing policies or preparing legislation that would, in the long term, lead to a continued profitable and sustainable lobster fishery. 2. Background Over the past four decades the Belize fishing industry was dominated by the lobster fishery. Belize is the third-largest producer of lobster in the Mesoamerican Reef with annual yields of 800 metric tons and annual revenue of approximately $6.5 million US (Gongora 2006; Hernandez 2007). Currently, the harvest of this species shows no significant signs of decline; production has stabilized at between 700 and 800 metric tons of whole lobster annually, with some spikes occurring in the last decade (Fig 1). Fishermen in Belize are organized into cooperatives. Presently, there are five fishing cooperatives that are operational. Two of these, Northern and National Fishermen Cooperatives, account for most of the 2500- 3000 plus lobster fishermen as members or affiliates. Both of these cooperatives are located in Belize and also, are the only cooperatives that have a processing plant that processes fishery products for export. Belizean cooperatives retain all of their production and export it themselves thereby benefiting directly from the commercial value of the product. Table 1 below list the fishing cooperatives and the number of fishers affiliated to them. The majority of the lobster harvesting is done in coralline habitats all along the coastline, using wooden traps, shades or “casitas” or diving using hooks. In the northern part of the country, the preferred gear is the wooden trap whereas the “hook-stick‟‟ is widely used in the south. 3 Fishing is normally carried out by fishers who reside in coastal communities along the coast of the mainland or from residents on the cayes or atolls (Annex 1). Fishers would normally travel to the fishing grounds or camp sites on the cayes or atolls to fish for lobsters (See Annex 11). The Fisheries Department has divided the fishing grounds into six fishing areas as depicted in the diagram in Annex III. The presence of the Belize Barrier Reef System and the diversity and richness of the coral reef ecosystem, where hundreds of species co-exist for feeding, nursing and reproduction, is largely responsible for the success of the lobster fishery. Fig 1: Record of spiny lobster landings in Belize from 1946 to 2002, converted to total weight (FAO, 2003) Table 1: Fishing Cooperatives Membership-2006 COOPERATIVE LOCATION PROD. NON-PROD. TOTAL Northern Belize City 373 342 715 National Belize City 324 170 494 Caribena San Pedro 15 121 136 Placencia Placencia Village 32 19 51 Rio Grande Punta Gorda 12 30 42 Source: Fisheries Department 3. Methods The study was conducted following the methods described by Bunce et al. (2000) in the GCRMN Socioeconomic Manual for Coral Reef Management. Additionally, discussions were held with the Fisheries Department to identify and prioritize key coastal communities for inclusion in the study. The department also reviewed and approved the survey questionnaire 4 instrument and, identified staff who would participate in conducting the survey. The survey team also refined the draft questionnaire following “piloting” and uniform interpretation and agreement on protocol for conducting the interviews. Interviews were conducted primarily in June, July and August 2007. Some interviews were conducted in January of 2008, particularly in Belize City, as some of the fishers targeted were often unavailable. Importantly, the complete survey team participated in the exercise in the coastal communities in the northern part of the country. This was strategically important as many of the fishers in the north speak only Spanish. A copy of the questionnaire is attached as Annex III. The coastal communities targeted included Sarteneja, Chunox, Placencia, Independence/Mango Creek, Hopkins, and Belize City. These communities represent approximately 26 % of the total coastal fishing communities (See Annex 1). They are however, communities that have historically, relied on coastal resources as a primary means of livelihood. In Belize City interviews were conducted at Northern Cooperative, National Cooperative, the Fisheries Department and the Belize City Market. These latter two locations were done just prior to the opening of the lobster season at which time fishers congregate at these points preparing for the season or renewing fishing and or boast licenses. A total of 83 fishers were interviewed. At the conclusion of the interviews, the data were coded and entered into a spread sheet and analyzed using the SPSS statistical software package. 4. Results 4.1 Overview of the data The overarching purpose of the study was to get a sense of the contribution that lobster fishing was making to the socio-economic well being of fishers in Belize while the survey targeted specific fishing communities, the view was that these villages was highly representative of the importance of fishing to the economic well being of most coastal fishing communities. A brief description of the geography of the communities highlighted elaborates upon the socio economic importance of harvesting marine resources (lobster) in these communities. The location of the fishing communities are shown on the map of Annex 1. Using the division of geographic areas defined by Palacio (2006), the first sub region is the “Extreme South” which includes the town of Punta Gorda and four villages including Monkey River and Punta Negra. The region is adversely affected by overfishing, largely influenced by Guatemalan and Honduran fishers. Coastal communities in this region are among the poorest with minimal job opportunities; the economic impact of tourism is minimal relative to other parts of the country. Next is the „Southern‟ sub region, which includes six villages including Independence/Mango Creek, Placencia, and Hopkins. The predominant livelihood derives from mainland sources, primarily fruit agriculture and shrimp farming. Within recent years the Placencia Peninsula, which is the marine resource heartland of this sub region, has experienced the heaviest growth in 5 over-night tourism in the country1. One of the four remaining fishing cooperative “Placencia Fishermen Cooperative” is located on the peninsula in the village of Placencia. Further north there is the „Central‟ sub region characterized by two urban communities, Belize City and Dangriga. Dangriga is the administrative and commercial district capital of the Stann Creek District, whose main economy consists of fruit and shrimp agriculture, and tourism. Belize City is the administrative and commercial centre for the Belize District as well as for the whole country. The exploitation of marine resources is a cash earning source for a minority of the Belize City population. Slightly northeast of Belize City there is the „Cayes‟ sub region dominated by San Pedro Ambergris and Caye Caulker. Fishing was the primary income earner in both of these communities. This activity has however been overtaken by tourism as the major source of employment. Finally, there is the „Northern‟ sub region, which includes the three villages – Chunox, Copper Bank, and Sarteneja. Fishing is the major economic activity of Sarteneja fishers who travel long distances along the entire coast of Belize in search of lobster and conch. Villagers in Chunox and Copper Bank also engage in fishing though less so than those from Sarteneja. 4.2 Fisher Survey Population and Distribution From the survey,