By Breaking Belize News Staff: The House of Representatives on Thursday approved the Belize Sustainable Ocean Plan 2026–2036 and five statutory instruments intended to expand biodiversity protection zones to cover 30% of Belize’s ocean.
The vote advances a conservation commitment under Belize’s Blue Bonds agreement. The plan establishes a national framework for managing Belize’s ocean and coastal areas, including where activities such as fishing, tourism and shipping can take place and where stronger conservation measures apply.
The five instruments include amendments affecting the Lighthouse Reef Atoll and Sapodilla Cayes marine reserves. As BBN previously reported, Prime Minister John Briceño said provisions relating to flats fishing areas were removed from the revised motion. He also told the House that protecting 30% of Belize’s ocean does not mean closing that entire area to public use, as different zones allow different activities.
The motion calls for the government to formally sign and publish the statutory instruments in the Gazette and take the steps needed to implement the plan. Thursday’s House vote did not itself complete those steps.
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By Breaking Belize News Staff: The House of Representatives on Thursday approved the Belize Sustainable Ocean Plan 2026–2036 and five statutory instruments intended to expand biodiversity protection zones to cover 30% of Belize’s ocean. The vote advances a conservation commitment under Belize’s Blue Bonds agreement. The plan establishes a national framework for managing Belize’s ocean
The post House approves Belize Sustainable Ocean Plan and measures to protect 30% of Belize’s ocean appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.