Feb 9, 2021
Piracy at Sea – Fishermen are Robbed at Gunpoint!
There is a spike in piracy at sea. Since mid-January and as recent as this morning, fishers have been the target of armed robbers. The thieves have been taking advantage of their vulnerability and robbing them of their products and their engines. It is a perennial problem that law enforcement agencies have been trying to tackle. Today, News Five found out more.
Duane Moody, Reporting
As early as six this morning in the area of South Water Caye in southern Belize, after spending several days on the waters, a group of fishermen returning to the city with their catch was robbed at gunpoint. The thieves took their cell phones, the boat engines, and their fish products. It is the most recent incident of a series of piracy at sea. Investigators believe that the attacks are orchestrated by criminal elements from the south. Commander Gregory Soberanis of the Belize Coast Guard says that there has been an uptick
Feb 9, 2021
A Monitoring System for Fishers at Sea
One year ago, in February 2020, the Fisheries Resources Bill was passed in the House of Representatives. The legislation allowed for a framework to be put in place for vessel monitoring systems. Its objective was to monitor that vessels were in-keeping with the fisheries regulations within and outside the marine reserve. It would also increase safety at sea as onboard each vessel; a panic button would be used in emergencies – be that piracy, mechanical failures, or accident at sea. Satellite technology would then be used to pin the vessel’s location and alert the port of Belize and other authorities. But, there hasn’t been sufficient interest in the program. Executive Director of the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association, Valdemar Andrade, says that of approximately three thousand fishers, less than a hundred have bought into the plan that in his mind can save lives.