Friends of Nature - Enforcement

Protected Areas:

The Rangers who work at Friends of Nature have a really tough job or should I say jobs because we ask them to be jack-of-all-trades and master -of-them-all. One of the most important tasks is to enforce the Fisheries Law. Basically, Rangers patrol the area in and around our parks, stopping at any boat where folks are fishing. They check for proper licensing, safety equipment, and the catch. Friends of Nature is particularly concerned about use of gill nets.

Most infractions are for illegal fishing - undersize or out-of-season. They usually give a warning on the first offense, but the second time, they'll arrest. The Rangers have the power to arrest because they're all trained as Fisheries Officers.

In fact, each of the protected areas that Friends manages has different rules. In Laughing Bird Caye National Park, Fisheries Law specifically says that you cannot extract resources. In other words, no fishing allowed.

However in marine reserves like Gladden Spit, a variety of uses are allowed. According to precedents and statutes developed at Hol Chan in the 80s and 90s, zoning is used to establish guidelines for management. Gladden Spit & Silk Cayes Marine Reserve has four zones: General Use, a small No-take area around the Silk Cayes and one behind the reef as a conch nursery, and the Whale Shark Zone. Each zone has its own rules and regulations.

Of course, policing is only a small part of what we ask the Rangers to do. All are also PADI-certified. Often, they dive with the biologists to help them count fish, lobster, conch, or coral. They also install moorings and other buoys for which they need some pretty sophisticated equipment - underwater jackhammers, for example.

On top of all this, the Rangers are also our ambassadors for tourism. Besides taking tickets, they're responsible for making sure that all visitors to the parks have a safe and ecologically-sound experience. So they work closely with the tour guides to be sure that everyone follows the guidelines and has a great time. They answer a lot of questions.

Our Rangers have a fleet of five boats to carry out all their duties. They also have the gear that they need to do their work - radios, weapons, g.p.s. units. To house the operation, Friends found funding to buy a majority share in Little Water Caye, a small island strategically placed equidistant and close to both marine reserves. Its unique position makes the island an ideal base for patrols. Friends of Nature has put in a 300-foot pier, dive gear shed, and a beautiful and solid Ranger Station. We want to be sure that they have a nice place to live out there. After all, the Rangers are our most valuable employees.