Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Seascape Collaboration in the Northern Belize Coastal Complex

Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (
Non-governmental organization (NGO)
)
#OceanAction46957
    Description
    Description
    The Northern Belize Coastal Complex (NBCC) is a river-to-reef seascape of connected protected areas in northern Belize that stretches from the Rio Hondo, New River and the coastal lagoons that flow into the Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (CBWS), to the reefs of Bacalar Chico, Hol Chan and Caye Caulker Marine Reserves. The area, 397,691 acres of estuarine and reef ecosystems, is important for its reef formations, shallow coastal seagrass beds, extensive inundated mangroves, its importance in maintaining a healthy, viable population of threatened species, and for supporting stakeholder livelihoods – those of local fishermen, tour guides, sport fishing guides and the tourism support industry (hotels, restaurants etc.) from small fishing communities of Sarteneja, Chunox and Copper Bank to the larger tourism destinations of San Pedro and Caye Caulker - the backbone of Belize’s tourism industry. The seascape collaboration seeks to build on the strengthened communication and cooperation between the site-level protected area management units of the Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve and Hol Chan Marine Reserve with the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development as the lead organization for this initiative. This will be achieved by four project objectives: 1) Strengthened, coordinated surveillance and enforcement 2) Development of a financial sustainability mechanism. 3) Coordinated monitoring to inform adaptive management. 4) Improved Governance and Management Effectiveness. In all, this innovative working model of collaborative management at system level will close the gaps in the seascape knowledge, build lasting partnerships, eliminate the duplication of efforts, improve local and transboundary communication as well as improve cost-effective conservation outcomes which benefits both the people and wildlife of the NBCC Seascape and beyond.
    Partners

    Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (Non-governmental Organization)
    Belize Fisheries Department (Governmental)
    Hol Chan Marine Reserve (Intergovernemental Organization)

    Goal 13

    Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

    Goal 13

    13.1

    Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries

    13.1.1

    Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population

    13.1.2

    Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030

    13.1.3

    Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies

    13.2

    Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning

    13.2.1

    Number of countries with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

    13.2.2

    Total greenhouse gas emissions per year

    13.3

    Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning

    13.3.1

    Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment

    13.a

    Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible

    13.a.1

    Amounts provided and mobilized in United States dollars per year in relation to the continued existing collective mobilization goal of the $100 billion commitment through to 2025

    13.b

    Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities


     

    13.b.1

    Number of least developed countries and small island developing States with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

    Goal 14

    Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

    Goal 14

    14.1

    By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution

    14.1.1

    (a) Index of coastal eutrophication; and (b) plastic debris density

    14.2

    By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans

    14.2.1

    Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas

    14.3

    Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels

    14.3.1
    Average marine acidity (pH) measured at agreed suite of representative sampling stations

    14.4

    By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics

    14.4.1
    Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels

    14.5

    By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information

    14.5.1
    Coverage of protected areas in relation to marine areas

    14.6

    By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation

    14.6.1

    Degree of implementation of international instruments aiming to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

    14.7

    By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism

    14.7.1

    Sustainable fisheries as a proportion of GDP in small island developing States, least developed countries and all countries

    14.a

    Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries

    14.a.1
    Proportion of total research budget allocated to research in the field of marine technology

    14.b

    Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets

    14.b.1

    Degree of application of a legal/regulatory/policy/institutional framework which recognizes and protects access rights for small‐scale fisheries

    14.c

    Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of "The future we want"

    14.c.1

    Number of countries making progress in ratifying, accepting and implementing through legal, policy and institutional frameworks, ocean-related instruments that implement international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources

    Name Description
    14.2 By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
    14.4 By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
    14.5 By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
    14.7 By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
    14.a Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
    14.b Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
    Establish NBCC Task Force for system level survelliance and enforcement
    Establish secure data sharing platform regularly updated by all partners
    Report on Management Effectiveness at seascape level
    Identified coordinated business opportunities at system level
    Financing (in USD)
    Surveillance equipment, research equipment, Patrol fuel, online platforms subscriptions, salary support, community research stipends, workshop support for community participation
    No progress reports have been submitted. Please sign in and click here to submit one.
    False
    Action Network
    Ocean conference wheel logo
    Share
    FacebookTwitterLinkedIn
    Timeline
    11 January 2022 (start date)
    30 December 2022 (date of completion)
    Entity
    Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development
    SDGs
    Other beneficiaries
    Women, Fishermen, Youths, Tourism Stakeholders (tour guides, tour operators etc.) Park Managers, Transboundary partners, Coastal Communities
    Ocean Basins
    North Atlantic
    Communities of Ocean Action
    Mangroves, Coral reefs, Marine and coastal ecosystems management, Sustainable fisheries, Sustainable blue economy, Scientific knowledge, research capacity development and transfer of marine technology
    More information
    Countries
    Belize
    Belize
    Headquarters
    Sarteneja Village/Corozal District, BELIZE
    Contact Information

    Joel, Executive Director