The Government of Belize through the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable and the University of Belize through its Environmental Research Institute will initiate Management Action Planning for the Central Belize Corridor through a launch event from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center on Thursday May 9, 2013.
Strategic partners in this initiative will include the Panthera Foundation, the German cooperation though GIZ, the Forest Department, the Fisheries Department, Department of the Environment, the Belize Zoo, Belize Audubon Society, Community Baboon Sanctuary, the Nature Conservancy and the Rancho Dolores Environmental Group as well as all private landowners and communities in the area.
The Central Belize Corridor is a critical segment of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor and connects the northern block of protected forests in Belize, including the Rio Bravo, with the southern block, the Maya Mountains.
Corridors facilitate the movement of terrestrial animals such as large mammals allowing for genetic mixing between populations and thus ensuring their long-term persistence. Securing the function of the corridor means securing the future and traditions of our communities, which depend on the forest for clean water and forest products such as timber and game animals.
The aim of developing a Management Action Plan for the corridor is to engage all stakeholders, including private land owners, communities and developers, in working towards a common vision for the long term maintenance of the Central Belize Corridor.
The Environmental Research Institute continuously builds national scientific capacity for the effective management, sustainable use and conservation of Belize’s natural resources. As the premiere environmental research institute in Belize and highly respected in the region, ERI provides sound science and creates a culture of evidence based decision-making in the public and private sector in areas relevant to Belize’s sustainable development. The institute’s work is focused on the Turneffe Atoll, the Central Belize Corridor and our National Protected Areas System etc.
Guest Speaker for the occasion will be the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development, Hon. Lisel Alamilla.
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