Renata Ferrari Interview

For the latest issue of The Rising TIDE e-news, our Development Director interviewed our newest team member, Ms. Renata Ferrari, who will lead our marine science work as our new Senior Marine Biologist.

Jonathan (JLa) - Greetings and blessings, Renata. Please let me officially welcome you to the "Rising TIDE". We are so excited to have you aboard as our new Senior Marine Biologist!

Renata (RF) – Thank you Jonathan, I am eager and exited to be TIDE’s new Senior Marine Biologist.

JLa - You have lived and worked in Belize for a number of years. What is it about Belize that excites you?

RF – Indeed, I have worked and lived in Belize for over 3 years now. I must confess I fell in love with Belize’s amazing coral reefs and associated tropical ecosystems since the first time I did research here with the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System Project. I believe a big reason for Belize’s coral reefs’ pristine state is the fact that there are only 300,000 people living in the whole country. However, it is now that we need to act in order to prevent large scale unplanned development and unsustainable fishing and tourism practices. It is now that we need to protect and manage Belize’s most precious natural resources. I still see so much can be done for Belize’s conservation, opposed to other parts of the Caribbean, where for example, industrial tourism has conquered the coasts driving their reefs to death (i.e. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic).

RF – I am pleased to see that Punta Gorda is still a small village which mainly relies on fishing for its revenues. I can see a lot of potential in this area of the country for sustainable tourism. On the other hand, I am sad to realize that most locals (Belizeans) think the reef and fisheries are ONLY being depleted by foreigner poachers (Guatemalan and Hondurenian fishermen mainly). I am also unhappy to learn that many locals again believe that management rules (like closed seasons and no-take zones) do not apply to them, and were not made for them to respect nor follow. I think there is still so much work to do in terms of community-based education here. If our local fishermen continue to extract during closed seasons, or from the no-take zones of the Reserve, there will be no replenishment.

As for the Port Honduras Marine Reserve and its surrounding areas I must say it is satisfying to discover that it is still as pristine as the studies that were made almost 10 years ago describe so. It is probably one of the largest, if not the largest protected area of mangroves in the country. Therefore, the socio-economic and ecologic value of this area is priceless. This encourages me to provide TIDE with high quality applied research and monitoring of the area; hoping these will be excellent tools for conservation.

JLa - What will you expect to do most in your new job, and how can local people get involved in your work?

RF – I expect to do mostly monitoring and data analysis of the key marine-coastal tropical ecosystems of the area. I also expect to monitor and research key species such as Queen Conch and Spiny Caribbean Lobster. I will also be working on a fisheries stock assessment along with The Nature Conservancy, one of TIDE’s partners. I will rely a lot on community members to help with research, such as diving and monitoring species. Lucky for me, the locals know the sea inside and out, and will be a huge help. TIDE will continue to provide training to build capacity and provide opportunities for their professional growth.

JLa - If you could think of one reason why someone should support TIDE's work, what would it be?

RF – There are so many reasons I can think of, the first ones that come to mind are:

The huge area managed and protected by TIDE, which is the only Mountain - Marine corridor protected in Belize, and probably one of the few in Mesoamerica.

The enormous need for management and consent across borders, noticing that the area managed by TIDE is probably the major fisheries nursery not only for Southern Belize, but also Guatemala and Honduras. Given that so many international fishermen come to TIDE’s waters to obtain their daily share of fishing; this complicates enforcement efforts to a much higher level than other NGOs could face along the northernmost part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.

The robust belt of mangroves encompassed by the protected areas managed by TIDE is directly related to the Southern Belizean Barrier reef’s health. The Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve relies on the ecological services (clear water, temperature regulation, fish nursery, etc.) provided daily by the Port Honduras Marine Reserve and the Payne’s Creek National Park.

Ha! That’s a good one. Personally, I usually think of myself as a dolphin, although this is a marine mammal not a fish. This is also probably because dolphins are my favorite animal. But if I was a fish… I would probably be a Blue parrotfish,Scarus coeruleus (Bloch, 1786), these fish are all females when they are born, later on the biggest one transforms into a male and lives with an average of 6 to 7 females, until he dies and then the biggest female takes his place. Parrotfish are very social and have such an important role in the reef; they are not only the gardeners but also the sand producers. One adult parrotfish can produce over a ton of sand per year. Furthermore, they are the strongest herbivore and feed mainly on macroalgae, leaving space for new coral recruits to settle. Last but not least, they are the only fish that produces a mucus cocoon to sleep in every night, I think that’s really cool!