Belize is giving its beleaguered parrotfish, Nassau grouper, and
other reef fish a chance to recover from years of overfishing.
The national government and minister of agriculture and
fisheries signed a sweeping set of new laws to protect the
country’s extensive coral reefs, considered to be the most
pristine in the Western Hemisphere. Research by the Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS) helped lay the groundwork for the
laws, which set a new standard for coral reef protection in the
Caribbean. The first of the new laws will protect parrotfish and
other grazers, such as doctor and surgeonfish. These herbivores
keep algae growth in check, enabling corals to flourish. In the
past, fisherman did not target the grazing fish; rather, they
caught mainly snappers and groupers. It was only when these
species declined that they turned to the next tier of the food
web, and parrotfish began to disappear. WCS research from
Glover’s Reef show that parrotfish are now the most commonly
caught fish on this part of the Belize