Belize Fund Awards $643K for Blue Economy Projects

The Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future has disbursed more than six hundred and forty-three thousand dollars in grant funding to support fisheries, coastal livelihoods, and blue business initiatives across the country.  The announcement came during the Fund’s fourth awards ceremony held in Dangriga on Wednesday, where four projects were selected to receive financial support aimed at strengthening Belize’s blue economy and promoting sustainable use of marine resources.  Program Manager Josue Oliva explained that the Belize Fund was established as a direct result of the Blue Bonds Loan Agreement, and plays a critical role in financing both governmental and non-governmental initiatives tied to marine and coastal protection.

Josue Oliva, Program Manager: “This is our fourth call for proposal every year the fund, around the month of August the fund does a call for proposals inviting all eligible non-government entities to apply for funding. So this year it’s four of them that will be receiving funding. It is the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association, Barranco Botanics and two fishing associations Wabafu Fishermen Association and Yugadan Fisher Folks Association. The total envelope is for about $650,000 of which it is being given through the regular grants for the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association and the other three are from the community grants meaning these are community types of projects right. The Barranco Botanics looks at providing alternative soap products that are based from seaweed. So trying to branch out from their regular soaps and venturing into the use of seaweed as a new product for their their soap making. It’s providing opportunities for the women there especially from Barranco to be able to access job opportunities and also be able to get into the marketing of these soaps. Wabafu Fisherman Association and even Yugadan Fisher Folk Association these are fishing associations that will be looking at strengthening the organizational capacity of the association, strengthening their governance structure, providing them with training on sustainable fishing but also looking at how they can build their capacity, especially with the changes that we have in the economic and in the environmental field as well. So providing them with the financial trainings to how to better manage your finances.”

At yesterday’s ceremony, funding was officially disbursed to four recipients: Barranco Botanics, the Wabafu Fishermen Association, the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association, and the Yugadan Fisherfolks Association. The projects range from expanding seaweed-based products and improving fisher livelihoods, to strengthening fisheries management and enforcement mechanisms.  Oliva also highlighted the importance of supporting a diverse group of stakeholders, noting that the selected recipients reflect a balance between community-based organizations and conservation-focused entities working to protect Belize’s marine ecosystems.

“This will be our second grant now. We’re getting this grant from Blue Fund which we’ll do deep sea fishing with that money we are getting. We’ll be doing training with a couple fishers and we’ll be getting equipment so we can continue on the work there after the program has completed.”

Reporter: How much money do you guys intended to receive today ? 

“I think we are getting something like about $70,000 more or less. In a whole, we’ve been doing training, we’ll been doing continuing training, thinking about creating a syllabus of books so that we can keep on teaching other members of the community. We work along with the community, we promote sustainable fishing and also we do major work with youth cleaning our community in a whole.” 

The Belize Fund says the initiative is part of its broader mandate to ensure that conservation financing translates into tangible benefits for Belizean communities, while safeguarding the country’s valuable coastal and marine resources for future generations.