Cross-border poachers continue to infringe on the boundaries of Belize’s Bladen Nature Reserve:
The Bladen Nature Reserve, comprising nearly 100,000 acres of prized natural forest in southern Belize, is described as “the crown jewel of Belize’s protected areas.” Its status is so high among the nation’s protected areas that by law, it is ascribed the greatest level of preservation; and the area is reserved only for the work of scientists and other researchers. Although that is what the Laws of Belize say; the Ya’axche Conservation Trust (YCT), who co-manages the reserve, has again found evidence of illegal harvesting of the native xaté palm, presumably by Guatemalans who continue to come unchecked across the Belize-Guatemala border, to set up their working camps in the area.
The most recent camp was found 20 kilometers or 12.4 miles inside Belizean territory, well inside the Bladen. The Guatemalans left food: rice and flour, footwear, clothes and cans of Super Cola, a soft drink common in Guatemala.
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The [YCT] reports that, “The camp was discovered during a 10-day research expedition, funded by PACT [Protected Areas Conservation Trust], which was intended to help the managers (Ya’axche Conservation Trust) get a better picture of the natural value of the previously undisturbed area of Snake Creek.”
[YCT’s Programme Manager Bartolo Teul] told Amandala that although their patrols are not frequent, when they do go, they would find evidence of xatéro activity.
He said they are requesting more frequent security patrols of the area.
See the full article from Amandala Online for more.
Previously on Green Antilles Nature reserve on Belize-Guatemala border threatened by poachers and hydro plant proposal.
[Photo: Chris H]
Thanks for posting this Green Antilles. This has been an issue for a several years now and one that is impossible to solve from Belize alone. International organizations need to get involved, but are hesitant to seem biased in the territorial dispute between Guatemala and Belize. Because of that nature suffers and suffers tremendously. Where these Xateros setup camp for long periods of time in the more northern jungles of Belize there are not as many birds singing, monkeys in the trees, tapirs in the streams or peccary in the bush. They literally hunt and eat everything they can. If this happens to Bladen Nature Reserve it will be a tragedy.
Thanks for reading and thanks for your comment; it really helps to highlight why this transboundary poaching is a serious environmental problem.