AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Hol Chan Marine Reserve Extension Approved!

Auugh...

And reserves can be and are, de-reserved

Yes and I believe a Minister can be de-ministered :-) by national assembly vote.

Are you announcing your candidacy elbert? I'm just asking because it seems like someone is announcing some sort of candidacy on a near daily basis these days...

The reef puts food on the table for everyone on the island no matter how unrelated they think their vocation is it's all about the reef, so my extreme intolerance for people that lack respect for the reef would get me thrown out by the General Assembly shortly after I jailed the majority of developers, realtors, and jackasses that lease the reef for environmentally destructive activities.

A most excellent but short lived tenure without a doubt; is capital punishment an option?

Mexico Rocks to slowly transition into a Marine Reserve

With Mexico Rocks now part of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, following the approval of the expansion by Cabinet, several steps are being taken to ensure users respect its protected status. While park fees and regulation will not be immediately implemented, certain measures have taken effect since the signing of the Statutory Instrument (SI) on March 28, 2015.

According to Hol Chan Marine Reserve Manager Miguel Alamilla, the area has been marked, which acts as an indicator to fishermen and tour operators that only recreational activities are allowed within the area, and no extraction of any kind of marine resources (alive or dead) is allowed. With the expansion, the area was sectioned off into two zonea. Zone G is the Mexico Rocks General Use Area, while Zone H is the Mexico Rocks No Take Zone. The Mexico Rocks General Use Area is a common snorkeling and dive destination here on Ambergris Caye, and is visited by hundreds every week.

"We are not going to rush into anything. For so long this was a free area, so now that it is a protected reserve, we first have to sensitize the community before implementing all the rules and regulations," said Alamilla. In due time, Mexico Rocks will operate similarly to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley, where a park ranger is stationed throughout the day to oversee activities, and tourists wishing to visit the area must pay a fee. "For now, everything is going to remain the same. The main thing was to mark the area. We are also working on installing buoys for vessels. We are working hand in hand with tour operators in every step we make. We have meetings where we discuss how Mexico Rocks will transition from what it was to where it needs to be," explained Alamilla.

In an effort to sensitize the community, Hol Chan will embark on educational campaigns to inform all dive shop on the new park regulations. "We do not have dates as to when we will set any regulation, but we will keep the community informed. Changes to Mexico Rocks will not happen overnight; it will take time to adjust," said Alamilla. For now, all can freely visit Mexico Rock but are urged to respect its protected area status, and to not tamper with the wildlife.

Click here to read the rest of the article and see more photos in the San Pedro Sun

And that is why so many of us would vote for you, Elbert!

Does anyone want to take a stab at explaining what "general use" is in Zone G. Quote from map:

Zone G is the Mexico Rocks General Use Area excluding the Mexico Rocks No Take Zone (zone H) comprising of sea and reef on the east of Ambergris Caye congaing approximately 15 square kilometers.

What does this mean? I have property that seems to bump up against this area.

I understand it to mean you can fish.