Toledo, Belize - Protected Areas

TIDE’s role in conservation goes far beyond simply providing ecotours. They also co-manage, along with the government, various protected areas in Toledo . In effect, the government does little and leaves the management and administration of these protected areas to TIDE. The main protected area under their management is the Port of Honduras Marine Reserve , which contains abundant fish stocks and coral reefs, and is managed co-operatively with the neighbouring governments of Guatemala and Honduras . The Gulf of Honduras was previously heavily over-fished by fishermen from all three countries, but TIDE has managed to reduce over-fishing and replenish some fish stocks [TIDE & TRIGOH publication, 2000]. Miss E.Diamond, TIDE’s ecotourism co-ordinator, says that “The idea is to pull people away from practices that are environmentally unsustainable” – they have done this by providing some fishermen with alternative employment as either tourist guides or rangers who patrol the waters for illegal fishing and confiscate illegal nets. However, these rangers are not vigilant – one local tour guide saw illegal fishing regularly. My research suggested that the rangers, all of whom are Belizean, regularly turn a blind eye to illegal fishing by their fellow compatriots and friends but happily confiscate the nets of Guatemalan and Honduran fishermen.

Throughout Toledo there are many other protected areas, some managed by TIDE, some by the government and some managed independently. Woods et al. [1994, p.17] notes that “ Belize must be willing to charge market-based user fees for entry to tourist attractions” including protected areas. Wallace and Pierce [1996, p.849] believe that the payment of entrance fees is important if ecotourism is to contribute to the conservation and management of legally protected areas. Such entrance fees are only applied to some of the nature reserves in Toledo such as Aguacaliente Nature Reserve and Blue Creek Reserve – income that would contribute to the conservation of other protected areas is lost.

Various problems were noted concerning the management of the protected areas. In Laguna, the manager of Aguacaliente Nature Reserve noted the constraints imposed by bureaucracy and the technical language required by donor agencies. The TEA chairman in Medina Bank noted problems with the funding for the La Sierra Nature Reserve that was being established – he believed that various corrupt individuals took a cut of the funds as the money travelled through a chain of organisations, having originally been provided by American conservation agencies.

My interviews revealed that the local Mayas of Toledo now give much support to the various protected areas around their communities, despite their initial lack of support. However, some people still resent their imposition and continue to fish and hunt illegally inside them. Support for the protected areas is often based on the belief that they are valuable tourist attractions (see appendix A).

Cohen [1978, p. 215] notes “Two major types of measures for environmental protection…: those protecting the environment for tourism and those protecting it from tourism”. He emphasizes the need for the second type, “Particularly in developing countries” [p.215]. However, in Toledo ’s case the environment is being protected for rather than from tourism. Not enough emphasis is placed on minimizing the impacts caused by tourism – a problem that will need to be addressed if visitor rates increase and tourism’s sustainability is not to be compromised.

Eco tours and adventure tourism in Ecuador at Piedra Blanca