By Breaking Belize News Staff: Three fishermen, including a father and son, were convicted in the Independence Magistrate’s Court after they were caught fishing inside a conservation zone at the Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve.
The men were identified as 52-year-old Jorge Espinal Diaz and his son, 21-year-old Obed Daniel Espinal, both Belizean fishermen of Magoon Street, Dangriga Town, along with 49-year-old Miguel Angel Miranda Corea, a Honduran national with permanent residency in Belize, of the New Site Area, Dangriga Town.
The bust was made on Monday, June 29, 2026, during a joint patrol by officers of the Southern Environmental Association and the Belize Coast Guard. Around 10:18 p.m., officers reportedly observed a fiberglass skiff named Dame Linea inside Conservation Zone II, the spawning area of the Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve.
Obed Espinal reportedly identified himself as the captain of the vessel. Officers later searched the vessel and found fishing lines, bait, three Jimmy hinds, two dog teeth snappers, one grey snapper, one rock fish, and one Nassau grouper. The Nassau grouper measured 19 inches, which is below the legal size limit.
The three men were taken to the Independence Police Station, where they were formally charged.
They appeared in the Independence Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, before newly appointed Magistrate Jana Peccoo, where they each pleaded guilty to possession of undersized Nassau grouper and fishing without a valid special fishing licence.
For the undersized Nassau grouper charge, each man was fined $500 plus $5 cost of court and an additional $50 penalty, for a total of $555 each. They have until September 28, 2026, to pay, in default two months imprisonment.
For fishing without a valid special fishing licence, each was fined $1,000 plus $5 cost of court. They were also ordered to pay an additional $800 penalty, representing $100 for each of the eight fish found on board. That brings the total owed by each fisherman to approximately $2,360.
Their fishing licences were also suspended until October 1, 2026.
The post Three fishermen fined $2,360 each after fisheries bust inside Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Three fishermen, including a father and son, were convicted in the Independence Magistrate’s Court after they were caught fishing inside a conservation zone at the Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve. The men were identified as 52-year-old Jorge Espinal Diaz and his son, 21-year-old Obed Daniel Espinal, both Belizean
The post Three fishermen fined $2,360 each after fisheries bust inside Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
