Belize leaves Hawaii and Florida in the dust.

Belize beat Florida and Hawaii to the punch, enacting new statutes that make it against the law to keep bonefish, permit or tarpon.  They have seen the light (that light  being the 1,800 jobs created by the sport fishing industry and the $60M that comes with it).

The Belize Sports Fishing industry is applauding the action taken by Fisheries Minister Rene Montejo, to protect high value sports fish like Tarpon, Bone Fish and Permit from exploitation, by insisting on a catch-and-release policy.

A new statutory Instrument states that “no person or establishment shall have in his possession any bone fish (albula vulpes) Permit (trachinotus falacutus) or tarpon (megalops Atlanticus), save and except in the act of catch and release.”

The Belize Sports Fishing Industry notes that several economic studies have been conducted in Belize, focusing on these three species for sports fishing tourism. The studies indicate the high economic value of these species for the local economy.

It has been estimated that these three species – bonefish, tarpon and permit together  bring in some $60 million a year and create some 1800 jobs.

(the above is from The Reporter)

Ya know, it’s good news.  Of course, there is the matter of enforcement, which is where this sort of thing falls down in practice.  Gotta  pay someone to go out and catch poachers.   Still, this step is more than has been done in Florida or Hawaii.  So, I say to Belize, “job well done!”

In California, with our small and geographically limited bonefish population, I don’t even see mention of bonefish in the CA regulations.  Might have to ask someone about that.

I would read the Puerto Rican bonefish regulations, but… I don’t speak or read Spanish.  If you do, you can find those regs here.

This says that bonefish and tarpon are Catch and Release only in the US Virgin Islands… that’s good.  I have no idea if that is enforced or  not.

Preach it, brotha!

Find that shirt here.