First Manatee Slaughtered in Seven Years in Port Honduras Marine Reserve, Southern Belize

The Toledo Institute for Development & Environment (TIDE) was incorporated as a non-profit conservation organization in 1997 to stop the senseless slaughter of West Indian manatees in the Gulf of Honduras.  Back then, fishermen from neighboring countries would set up camp for days and weeks in Belize waters to capture and kill as many of the gentle giants as possible, whose meat fetched a high price in Guatemala and Honduras where they were eaten. 

Ever since TIDE and the local community successfully lobbied for creation of the Port Honduras Marine Reserve (PHMR) in 2000, and TIDE and the Fisheries Department assumed co-management responsibilities, there have been no intentional manatee killings in the 160 square mile reserve.  The success is due in large part to a committed and educated local community, vigilant and steadfast patrols and surveillance by TIDE & Community Rangers along with help from the Belize Defense Force, Police Department and Fisheries Department, and education and outreach efforts to a national and international community. International media attention helped force the Government of Belize to take the issue seriously and levy harsh fines for offenders.

Belizean waters may be the last strongholds for this gentle mammal, which is also known as the “sea cow” because of its size and herbivore diet.

In fact, in 2000, the number of Manatees remaining in the Gulf of Honduras was frighteningly low, and many thought they would become extinct.  Today, healthy groups of manatee can be found in the waters of PHMR and its tributaries alone!  Unfortunately, the mammal is still threatened in most of the world, including neighboring Guatemala and Honduras.  Manatees are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and endangered under Belize's Wildlife Protection Act of 1981.

WHY WAS THIS MANATEE SLAUGHTERED?

Mario Muschamp, Manager of Payne’s Creek National Park and Acting Manager of PHMR, was the first on the scene, along with a group of TIDE donors from the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT).    The manatee carcass’s scant remains, and bones stripped of their meat, were discovered along the coastline within PHMR in an area that was once heavily poached (adjacent to Garobo Point, an area south of Deep River).

During an interview with national radio station, LOVE FM, Mario made the following statement (edited for length):

“After carrying out our investigations, we have concluded that the manatee was likely slaughtered during the first week of September while Belizeans were under the threat of Hurricane Felix.  The offender(s) risked their lives to seize on this opportunity to hunt illegally in the Reserve while we were busy preparing for a deadly hurricane, boarding up our buildings, offices and homes and caring for our families.  We will pursue every lead to find the offenders and continue our work to prevent any further slaughters of these magnificent, gentle mammals.”

During the approach of Hurricane Dean and Felix, the National Advisory Committee warned against staying out at sea because of the life threatening dangers posed by the powerful storms. During that time, TIDE did not carry out its normal twice-daily patrols of PHMR.

TIDE rangers are almost certain that the perpetrators are not Belizeans, but foreigners from a neighboring country. Belizeans do not eat manatee meat, and have been working closely with TIDE to conserve not only manatee, but all of the important marine creatures that we all depend on for survival.   This, and other incidents, shows us that we must increase our efforts to work in neighboring countries, with local partners and community groups, as well as Government.

Often, deaths of the West Indian manatee are attributed to boat strikes - propellers of fast moving vessels clip the animals while they are grazing on the sea grass beds in near shore estuaries, or sleeping near the surface. Many of the 400-800 pound herbivores carry scars as evidence of unfortunate but lucky encounters.

Please join TIDE in our efforts to protect the remaining manatees, and remove them from the endangered list.  Become a member of TIDE today!  Visit our home page to sign up for our e-newsletter and make a donation to our continued effort in protecting Belize’s natural resources. 

You can also take advantage of the many resources of the Rainforest Alliance’s Kid’s Program. The unit for first-grade students in the United States teaches about manatees and Belize.

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TIDE’s mission is to foster community participation in resource management and sustainable ecosystem use in the Maya Mountain Marine Corridor of southern Belize for the benefit of present and future generations.