Conflict and Compliance in Belizean Fisheries Sophie Jones University of Edinburgh MSc Environment and Development 2016

Fisheries Regulations: Managing Fish Stocks Fisheries regulations are vital to ensure the survival of fish stocks now and in the future Organisations across the world are increasingly interested in how to foster compliance

Theories of Compliance Economic factors Likelihood of being caught breaking the law Costs of penalties or jail time Economic benefits of breaking/ following the law Social factors Personal morality Fishermen’s perception of regulation effectiveness Relationship with enforcement

Belizean Context A fisherman unloads his catch at Conch Shell Bay Market in Belize City Lobster traps onshore in Caye Caulker waiting for lobster season to open

Belizean Context Marine protected areas are an established conservation tool. Managed Access is a new policy designed to achieve sustainability in fisheries. (EDF, 2013)

What motivates compliance in the Belizean fishery? Research Question What motivates compliance in the Belizean fishery? Relationships between actors in the fishing industry Attitudes towards fisheries regulations

Methods Semi-structured interviews were carried out in a conversational manner to encourage openness Qualitative research is valuable to understand fishermen’s personal experiences and opinions Research carried out in coordination with: TIDE: Toledo Institute for Development and Environment TASA: Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association Belize Fisheries Department Chunox Fishermen’s Association

Finding 1: Conflict Ranger station in the Port Honduras Marine Reserve

Finding 1: Conflict “To be real, I know a lot of stuff but I can’t say. Sometimes they do good and sometimes they do bad.” “It don’t make sense that you go and talk and they still no don’t take care of what you are saying or taking that point that you are giving them. They only wanna make what they want. They got the laws so they’re the ones who is do whatsoever they want.”

Finding 2: Uneven Regulation “When [fish] come to have babies right there [in the mangroves], they get humbugged... The chemical is right there to mess them up... But those [farmers] are big million dollars people. You can’t tell them what to do.” “The time come when you are preserving for the future to come and you are dying for hunger... You wanna preserve for the future? It’s good, but you gotta feed yourself now too.”

Conclusions and Implications What motivates compliance in the Belizean fishery? Conflict undermines compliance Little consensus on fisheries regulations NGOs and the Fisheries Department do great work too. Fishermen have diverse opinions. Compliance should be considered in a holistic manner, and a multitude of programmes (social and economic) are required to encourage compliance in the Belizean fishery.

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