I’m currently in Belize at Blackbird Caye running our Thanksgiving Kids Sea Camp trip. We provide ocean education to all our families, adults and kids alike. Tom and I arrived a day early, and yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking on behalf of TASA during their regulare presentations at this resort. I love what they are doing for this comunity and for Belize, So Im giving them a big shout out.
One question several adults asked really stood out: “Why doesn’t TASA just completely ban shark fishing or ban fishing certain species that need more protection?”
I loved the question. Being of Portuguese descent and growing up in Provincetown, Massachusetts—a small fishing village that depended on commercial fishing and tourism—I completely understand where it comes from. Here’s the reality many visitors don’t see: Belizean fishing communities rely on the sea to feed their families and have for hundreds of years. It is their culture and way of life, passed down generation after generation. These are the same people who vote legislation in or out—they will never vote away their own livelihood.
That’s why TASA works with the fishing community and includes them instead of working against them. Through education, TASA teaches sustainable practices: closed seasons, quotas, site rotation, and full protection of spawning and aggregation areas during critical times. They show fishermen why these practices help and how they benefit everyone long-term. Shark finning is completely banned, and long-lining is banned, but responsible traditional fishing is managed with education and science-based limits.TASA also focuses heavily on educating children in local schools—the future voters and leaders—so the next generation grows up understanding why these fragile ecosystems must be protected.
The simple truth is that marine animals are worth far more alive than dead to the Belizean economy. When fishermen, rangers, dive operators, and even park staff (many of whom have family members who fish) all understand this, real progress happens through compassion and shared knowledge.
Blackbird Caye Resort is proud to be a financial supporter of TASA and to include their education programs in every Kids Sea Camp we host here. I’m honored to speak on their behalf and introduce families from around the world to this important work.
The Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA) is a Belizean non-profit NGO established in 2013 and serves as the official co-manager of the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve—the largest marine reserve in Belize. For more information, please visit:
https://www.turneffeatoll.org
or the Belize Fisheries Department website.From Belize with a very grateful heart—Happy Thanksgiving.
From Belize with a very grateful heart—Happy Thanksgiving.
Proud supporter of TASA
Margo Peyton
Founder, Kids Sea Camp & Family Dive Adventures
Proud supporter of TASA
