AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye For those coming to fish....

No Fishing would not be an effictive sign. I do like the "If your guide has you fishing here - get a better fishing guide" idea.

We love that idea too! Thanks! We'll let you know if it works this coming high season. If not, I'll let you know who the 'lazy' guides are.

Sorry, I have to disagree with some of my good friends here. If you look at this in a larger context, it could be viewed as someone buying a peace of land, building a pier and then telling the rest of the people that they can no longer use that part of the ocean. That they have turned it into their own private marine reserve. Now the goverment has designated marine reserves, but what would the consequences be if everyone that builds a pier tries to tell the rest of the world that that part of the ocean is now off limits?

The beach is public and the water in front of it is also.

Don't try and solve the problem of a lazy fishing guide by trying to tell everyone else that you want to confiscate public waters. If the guide is not satisfying his customers, that issue is between them.

PS: I am not trying to overlook your concerns JZB. I can understand them and they are valid. I just am not sure the approach to the concerns takes into consideration the whole picture.

Just because you don't like the way a quide fishes, you can't tell him that part of the public water is off limits to him.

I'm not telling anyone the water is off limits. I'm simply making a request. Plenty of folks come here fishing and just simply do whatever their guide does and do not realize they have an option. If they insist on fishing here from their boats, I have to let them. I have no problems with people swimming or snorkeling out there. It wouldn't even bother me if they fished responsibly. Throw back the babies and keep the eating sized ones. Keep your garbage IN the boat. If your hook gets caught on my dock, go pick it up! Don't leave 20 feet of fishing line stuck somewhere. Surely, I'm not asking for too much?

In the US, I'm sure if someone hangs out on the street in front of your house doing something you don't like (blaring music, throwing trash, whatever)you would ask them to move on even though you don't own the street. No?

I agree that it not unreasonable to ask the guides not to leave fish hooks and line attached to your dock. I do not think it is right to net off part of what is public water or to declare it your own private sanctuary. Further, I might have different views on what size and kind of fish should be kept, but as long as there are no legal size or quantity limits, I have no right to try and impose my views on others.

It doesn't hurt to ask and let your view be known. I would never net or mark off the water out front unless it was to keep swimmers safe from boats. And I do firmly believe the fisheries dept should put some sort of guidelines in place to protect the future of this island and Belize.

I agree with all of the above.