Belize’s MPAs: A Valuable but Under-funded System Actions Needed Coastal Capital: Belize he Marine Protected Area (MPA) system of Belize is Unfortunately, the current situation is not sustainable. At oastal and marine ecosystems provide vitally 2) Plan and implement development sensibly: The Economic Contribution of Belize’s Coral Reefs and Mangroves well known and widely hailed as an example of most MPAs, management levels fall well below what is important goods and services to Belize’s economy. o Enforce land-use and development regulations in T forward thinking in marine conservation. The sys- needed to keep their reefs healthy and attractive to visitors CAs these resources become increasingly threat- the coastal zone. tem consists of 18 protected areas managed primarily by over the long-term. Visitation, investment, and manage- ened, it is critical to recognize the value they provide, and o Minimize the loss of mangroves along the shoreline the Fisheries and Forestry Departments in collaboration ment levels vary widely across the system. Many MPAs rely to incorporate them into decision-making. It is in the – they play an especially important role in fisheries with local NGOs. Belize’s MPAs are an important draw heavily on grant funding that may not be reliable from year long-term economic interest of Belize to: and shoreline protection. for divers, snorkelers and sport fishermen, and contain to year. Staff, fuel, and equipment limitations make it diffi- 1) Invest in management, monitoring, and compliance: no-fishing areas that, when well-protected, help to main- cult to curb illegal fishing and monitor visitation in most o Conduct and thoroughly evaluate Environmental tain stocks of key commercial species. of the reserves. If the condition of the reefs and mangroves o Reinvigorate the Coastal Zone Management Impact Assessments and subsequent compliance protected by the system continues to decline, visitors may Authority and Institute and build capacity for moni- plans for development in sensitive coastal areas, Belize’s MPAs provide an extremely good “value for decide MPAs are no longer worth the trip. This is especially toring the state and use of coastal resources. such as the cayes. money” — they generate economic benefits well beyond true for some of the most fragile sites, such as the rare o Tighten fishing regulations and invest greater o Incorporate sewage and solid waste disposal in plan- the amount invested in their protection. MPA managers mangrove and reef habitats in the Pelican Cayes in South resources in enforcement. ning for tourism development. The cost of appropri- reported approximately 115,000 visitors in 2007. Water Caye Marine Reserve, and Glover’s Reef, below. ate facilities can be compared to potential losses in Although some were likely repeat visitors, this is still a o Increase overall investment in MPAs. Improve fee reef services from further degradation. remarkable share of Belize’s total 250,000 overnight visi- Belize’s MPAs provide benefits well beyond what can be collection and monitoring of visitors. tors that year (very few MPA visitors come from the cruise measured in economic terms alone. Even with an o Build resilience to coral bleaching into the manage- o In planning a long-term tourism strategy, weigh lines). The average reef-related visitor spends approxi- increase in government support, they will continue to be ment and expansion of the MPA network. revenues from a growing cruise industry against mately US$150 a day. If we associate one day with each an extraordinarily “good deal” — and remain so much potential losses to the overnight sector from envi- recorded visitor, over US$17 million in direct spending further into the future. In recognition of both uncaptured ronmental impacts. can be associated with MPA tourism in 2007. Indirect potential at some MPAs and the threat of losses from eco- o Evaluate distributional effects (“winners” and “los- economic impacts contributed an additional $3.5 to 6.9 system decline at others, we recommend: ers”) of proposed coastal development projects. million to the economy. By relying solely on recorded o Committing additional resources to a permanent fund visitation, these figures significantly underestimate total for MPA management impact — almost all of the MPA managers note that a o Improving collection of basic indicators of human use significant chunk (sometimes as much as 30%) of visita- (e.g. visitation, recreation, and fisheries data) tion goes unrecorded. o Capturing missing revenue – improve fee collection across the board. Project Partners This project would not have been possible without the finan- cial support of the Oak Foundation, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SwedBio, the Campbell Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation. The project WRI and Economic Valuation of Coastal Resources oastal and marine ecosystems provide vitally looming on the horizon. Fish populations, including was implemented in collaboration with the Belize office of important goods and services to countries in the commercially valuable sport-fishing species and colorful The World Resources Institute (WRI) launched the Coastal WWF-Central America. Many other partners in Belize also Caribbean. This study looks at only three out of reef fish, will diminish if they lose the mangrove forests Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve, an atoll system enclosing Capital project in the Caribbean in 2005. The project works provided data, reviewed the analytical approach and results, C the many culturally and economically valuable services they rely upon as critical nursery habitats. Coastal proper- over 800 patch reefs, is especially popular with divers and with local partners to produce national and sub-national and guided outreach. These include: assessments of the economic contribution of coral reefs and provided by these ecosystems in Belize. Even within this ties will become increasingly vulnerable to storms and hosts a world-renowned research facility. It was designat- Melanie McField, Armeid Thompson, Venetia Hargreaves- mangroves. WRI aims to increase local capacity to perform narrowed scope, this study finds that the country’s coastal erosion, and reef-related tourism will suffer as reefs and ed a World Heritage Site in 1996. Guests visit from the ecosystem valuations, to raise public awareness of the eco- Allen, Belize Tourism Board, Fisheries Department, Forestry resources are extremely valuable. Belize’s coral reefs and mangroves decline. mainland or come for a week at a time to kayak, snor- Department, Department of the Environment, Belize mangrove-lined coasts provide critical protection against nomic and social benefits of marine resources, and to pro- Belize’s government, NGOs, and private sector have vide dollar value estimates that can be used to inform plan- Hydromet, Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT), erosion and wave-induced damages from tropical storms; kel, and dive from one of the five resorts inside the begun to recognize the importance of coastal ecosystems ning and decision-making. Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations they have supported artisanal fishing communities for reserve. We estimate that between on-site resorts and to the economy. Nevertheless, the amount currently (APAMO), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Toledo generations; and they stand at the center of vibrant tour- day-trip visitors, reef-related tourism in Glover’s con- invested in protecting Belize’s coral reefs and mangroves For More Information Association for Sustainable Tourism and Empowerment ism industry, drawing snorkelers, divers and sport fisher- tributes US$3.8–5.6 million a year to the economy. is very small when compared to the contribution of these (TASTE), Toledo Institute for Development and Environment men from all over the world. Glover’s also support critical habitat for key commercial Visit http://reefsatrisk.wri.org or contact: (TIDE), Belize Audubon Society, Hol Chan Marine Reserve, resources to the national economy. The World Resources species, including lobster, conch, and grouper. Fisheries Emily Cooper Lauretta Burke Nadia Bood GreenReef, The Nature Conservancy, Friends of Nature, Despite their importance, these benefits are frequently Institute (WRI), in collaboration with WWF Central revenues from inside the reserve—not counting potential WRI WRI WWF-CA University of Belize, Galen University, and the Caribbean overlooked or underappreciated in coastal investment America, assessed the economic contribution of these ser- spillover if spawning sites are well managed—are estimated [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Community Climate Change Center. and policy decisions. Unchecked coastal development, vices at the national level and within individual Marine at US$0.7 to 1.1 million for 2007. By comparison, the typi- overfishing, and pressures from tourism threaten the Protected Areas in Belize. For the full report and method- cal management budget allocated to the Fisheries country’s reefs, with the additional threats of warming ology, please visit www.wri.org/project/valuation-caribbean- PHOTO CREDITS seas, fiercer storms, and other climate-related changes reefs. Department per MPA is $US100,000 a year, plus occasional Yellow Tail Jacks: © WWF / Ítalo BONILLA; Coral Polyps at night: Krishna Desai; Reef breaking waves: Corel Photo CD; supplements for fuel. Mangroves: © WWF / Gilda ALBERTO; Fishing boat: © WWF / Nadia BOOD; Beach and boat: Mito Paz; Diver at Glover’s: Uwe Deichmann; Turtle: Mito Paz Key Findings