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Joined: May 2011
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If you have hotel guest or other friends onboard it is big time against the law.


Hi Coop,

Ragman mentioned that he has a friend who will not pick him up from his dock for snorkeling so as to preclude accusations and reprisals against his friend (not a guide) from tour guides. He stated this practice was not to hide any infraction of law. Tour guides appear to be fairly jealous of their trade. Cant say that I blame them.

So far I have never seen any citation limiting passengers to family only; whether you're in the reserve or not. You would simply need to pay the fee when in the reserve. The only requirement I can find is that a daily use fee must be paid either by obtaining a ticket at the offices or from a ranger when in the reserve. Failure to pay that use fee would be a violation.

I note that people have complained ahere and elsewhare about the application of that fee requiremtnent when it comes to its applicablity to residents/citizens of Belize. Whether I would argue the legal basis of either citizen use fees or non family members in my boat with a Ranger on the water is another matter. If I deemed that discretion were the better part of valor and retired from the field so to speak, I would proabably take it up with the reserve's manager. Diplomatically of course, and in a fashion which afforded maintaining face.

Based on the laws I found: If you operate a boat you must have your Captain's license. You have to have a Captain's license to operate a boat whether you have a Tour Guide's license or not. You must have a captains license if you fish from your boat, commercially or otherwise. Only a citizen resident of Belize can obtain a Tour Guides license.

As usual, I'm more than willing to be shown my errors. In fact at this point I'd love it if someone could show me where the requiremnt to hire a guide for HCMR is coming from. I suspect there may be something out there but its pretty well hidden...

180 out from what I thought yesterday...



Joined: Dec 2006
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http://www.sanpedrosun.com/environm...to-make-turneffe-atoll-a-marine-reserve/
I'm sure you guys heard about this.
We're gona need mo tour guides :-)


White Sands Dive Shop
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Ha! Yes Elbert, thats great! Two birds with one stone, a plus for resourse conservation and employment. Maybe they'll correct the omission we've been talking about and add language requiring that you hire a licensed tour guide to accompany you at all times. I just hope they word it correctly otherwise that room for two just became a suite for three...

Joined: Nov 2000
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I read the article. As with all the other reserves this is very interesting. There are a number of resorts out there and I personally know of one fishing camp. How will this affect them? Will there be no more commercial fishing allowed?


Harriette
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Commercial fishing and sport fishing are not the same thing.

" It will allow for the support of catch and release sport fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling and other sustainable tourism activities. "

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Actually in regards to commercial fishing within a Marine Reserve I was intrigued to see language that provided the demarkation of a zone within the HCMR specifically for the continuation of historic commercial fisheries (lobster and queen conch) by natives of Ambergris Caye. I know historic is not the actual term used I just cant think of it at the moment. Indigenous? I thnk its Zone D but thats from a hazy memory don't shoot me if I'm wrong. smile

IO could have sworn that the TAMR language involved the terms sustainable use for commercial and sport fisheries. I'll have to check that out...

Still looking for TAMR Mgt Plan but I di find this hella good study

http://www.turneffeatoll.org/app/webroot/userfiles/66/File/a%20management%20plan%20for%20MPA's%20Turneffe.pdf

Joined: Apr 2005
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Bear,
Things here always seem to be on a day to day basis. A few years ago we were stopped with friends on the reef at Caye Caulker, we actually had park permit tickets purchased for them and at Shark Ray park boat came and collected tickets and told us we could not bring people to the reserve without a guide, it was just a warning. A friend was caught taking friends out fishing and spent two years in court. He did not have a guide or the additional license for fishing tours and for awhile actually had his home here seized. I dont know what the actual laws are. It seems anyway that in alot of cases actual laws dont matter here. On a whole other topic, there are 12 pages of laws pertaining to dogs. Its called the Dog Act Law, The Police wont inforce it. Again 2 days ago I had to take the laws into the Police station because we have new police, they had never heard of it, so of course it wont be enforced. I think it was overkill with those snorklers, we travel worldwide with snorkle stuff in hand, and have never been stopped, but being on a boat seems to be a different thing.


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I can appreciate that Coop, hence my statement about not debating legalities with a Ranger in the field. Ad hoc enforcment is a well known problem and I can see where arguing would get you nowhere.

Joined: Oct 2012
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faggamuffins seems more concerned they didn't get paid by 3 tourists. "3 un-named tourists thought that it would be a clever idea, to get out of paying for a licensed snorkeling trip. " As if any law is designed just to protect their own business interests and "THEIR" or "OUR" reef. While there are obvious advantages to a guide. It would seem silly to me to have a law that requires one. Maybe the 3 guys were not cheap - but just adventurous taking the kayak out to the reef. Please don't argue that "tour guides" will protect the reef and sea life. Raggamuffins probably called the cops, why else would it be so funny? Great way to kill your tourism.

Joined: Nov 2011
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well this has got me slightly worried. Is there any maps of the boundries for the reserve areas, we are planning a visit in july and we would want to do a couple of guided snorkel trips to the reef. but for the rest of the 2 weeks we have 2 inflatable kayaks. and on usual holidays spend time on the water daily. as a family of 4 we could not afford to hire a guide for a day, never mind a few days.

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