REPORT #14 1998
SNAKES, FROGS, FISH DISAPPEAR IN BELIZE
Produced by the Belize
Development Trust
Belizean snake product exporters are in big trouble in the cane fields of
the north.
Gramazone a chemical used in cane fields, kills rats. Without rats
there are fewer snakes. An unscientific survey, but subjective study
done by snake collectors and exporters from northern Belize, say that the
snake population has severely declined. Also that fish in Corozal Bay, a
nursery for the whole northern half of Belize's fisheries system, from
English Caye northward have similarly disappeared. Chetumal Bay around
Corozal and the rivers flowing into it, are the crustacean, micro
plankton and shrimp nursery which are at the bottom of the food chain for
all other species in the northern half of Belize, that breed and grow up
in the swamps, rivers, creeks and lagoons of northern Belize then migrate
southward during the rainy season runoffs, via Chetumal Bay when water
salinity changes.
Frogs are also gone in the northern districts, so say the snake
collectors.
This ecological disaster is blamed on the chemicals used in cane farm
production. These chemicals filter into the ground water, then to the
streams and then the rivers that flow into Chetumal Bay; which in turn
send all the baby juvenile fish species and lobster out to the lower
cayes and northern fisheries of Belize. Or they used to!
Snake buyers are paying $10 a pound for fresh whole snake, $20 a pound
for dead snakes and $150 a pound for dried snake. Most wanted is the
Tzabcan rattler. The demand from Europe is increasing exponentially, for
this snake's anti-cancer remedies.
Snake exporter/buyers are now wondering if they can get anybody
interested in snake ranching, in particular the Tzabcan rattler? The
market is unlimited they say.
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