Belize: The adventure traveler’s dream that’s committed to conservation!
This Central American destination is the adventure traveler’s dream, from its jungle-covered peaks to a coastline dotted with more than 450 islands stretching across the world’s second-largest barrier reef. The country intends to keep it that way: Belize was named the WSTHA’s Leading Sustainable Destination for 2024, celebrating our commitment to sustainable tourism and environmental preservation! Worth the visit for its marine wildlife wonders, pristine beaches, and unforgettable seafood, fishing is vital player in Belize’s economy and cultural heritage. Add in the familial warmth of fishing guides happy to share their “secret” spot with guests and the perfect conditions to do it at any time of the year, there are many reasons why Belize is an unparalleled English-speaking sportfishing destination. Bringing the best catch of the Caribbean and Central America, we’re proud to welcome the Belize Tourism Board knows that as a Platinum Sponsor for the 15th Annual Belikin Blue Water Classic this October 17-19, 2024!
Why Belize is WSTHA’s Leading Sustainable Destination for 2024—and a sportfishing angler’s dream
Just offshore lies the Belize Barrier Reef: the second-largest barrier reef in the world that, in truth, is a major but bright beacon of our biodiversity as Belizeans. Tiny but mighty, our less than 9,000 square mile country is no larger than Massachusetts. However, our adventure—and conservation efforts to ensure their continuation—far outweigh just our landmass at 180 miles long and 68 miles wide! More than 40 percent is protected as a park or preserve, and our country continues to make the very best of headlines with landmark policies, including a 2017 moratorium to ban oil exploration in Belizean waters. Not to mention, Belize became one of the first countries in the world to end gillnet fishing in its territorial waters in late 2020—an initiative the BGFA joined under the Coalition for Sustainable Fisheries in 2017.
Image via Oceana Belize.
Even internally, during the 2010s, the BGFA took on much more of a conservation focus than it had in prior years—successfully transitioning all tournaments to a mandatory catch-and-release of billfish below 250 lbs. Among our members, this release initiative also extended beyond tournaments to recreational fishing, where fishermen across the country rapidly transitioned to releasing Billfish outside of tournaments and into everyday practice.
BGFA prides itself on implementing a catch-and-release policy on all billfish within our tournaments.
Add in the Fish Right Eat Right program and the Belize Tourism Board’s ongoing Reef With A Beef voice—a tongue-in-cheek campaign to “trash talk” threats to the Caribbean Sea and our Belize Barrier Reef, which includes marine litter and more. As a 10,000-year resident of the ocean, who else but the Belize Barrier Reef would be a natural spokesperson to represent the frustrations of those who see what’s happening?
“Conservation has always been part of Belize’s DNA.”
“Conservation has always been part of Belize’s DNA,” says Hon. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations in an interview on the launch of the Reef With A Beef campaign for World Oceans Day 2023. “Through intensive efforts spanning decades, nearly half of the entire nation has been protected as either a nature preserve/reserve, wildlife sanctuary, or national park. Our Belize Barrier Reef is the greatest illustration of our drive and passion for conservation, being a UNESCO World Heritage Site it is the premier natural landscape that serves as one of our most visited eco-tourism attractions that draws thousands of snorkeling and diving enthusiasts to our nation every year.”
Now, Belize is considered one of the most biodiverse and environmentally conscious destinations in the Caribbean and Central America—most recently awarded in September as WSTHA’s Leading Sustainable Destination for 2024! In sum, the government has reined in illegal fishing while expanding its offshore conservation areas into no-take marine protected areas, where hundreds of islands are dotted with resorts catering to anglers, paddlers, and divers. A momentous step to protect invaluable marine environments and safeguard the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Belizeans! So whether you prefer deep sea fishing, inshore fishing, or are into freshwater fishing, Belize has what you are looking for. Join the thousands of travelers from all over the world who come to Belizean waters to practice this sport, unearthing the curiosity within every Belizean adventure!
Start planning your Belize adventure here with the help of the Belize Tourism Board. Thank you to the BTB for their Platinum Sponsorship of our 15th Annual Blue Water Classic Fishing Tournament!
