Dr. Vincent Gillett, CEO, Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute
"We have several ideas but prominent among those are for research activities, monitoring activities and certainly for education. In the first instance I believe in terms of our research it is an opportunity that we have longed hoped for and I think that the ownership of this boat is going to allow us to expand the areas that we have been working in and certainly give us an opportunity to do certainly some more substantial marine research. But I think I am a little bit more excited about the educational uses. Here we are going to partner with the NGO community, with the schools, the colleges, universities and take advantage of the vessel to inform and educate our young people and people who are in college and schools."
Meanwhile, Matura-Shepherd said that the vessel is one of two that OCEANA acquired to help people learn more about the vast marine eco-systems.
Audrey Matura-Shepherd, VP, OCEANA, Belize
"When we bought over the trawlers from the Northern Fishermen Cooperatives we knew that we wanted to put it to use for something positive. There were options that we could have just sunk them or we sold them for commercial purpose but that was not something we would have done because that is not in keeping with the work we do. We had issued out invitation for different organizations to bid and to say if they would want it one, and what they would want it for. We got several entities that sent in recommendations and then we narrowed it down to two that is the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute and CYDP but the only one we were able to close off today is Coastal Zone Management. They sent in this proposal saying we would want the vessel and we would use it for a research education vessel, it is something that is very important because of the kind of work we do. We are still hoping that we will be able to close a deal with the Conscious Youth Development Program because they said in their proposal that they would have used it to help disenfranchised youths, they would have used it to do different programs or projects that would get kids off the street and to learn more about marine issues and they would also see how they would refit it for a restaurant."
Since the government put a ban on trawling in Belize, OCEANA came up with ways in which it could have put the trawling vessels to use and today's donation was an example of that effort.
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