Belize

Repair of hurricane damage, Port Honduras Ranger Station (July 2002)
In December 2000, Seacology supported the Belizean organization Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) in constructing a ranger station for the monitoring and patrol of the Port Honduras Marine Reserve. In its short history, the ranger station has led to a dramatic decrease in the illegal poaching of manatees. On October 8, 2001, Hurricane Iris, a Category IV storm carrying winds in excess of 140 mph, struck the Toledo District in Southern Belize. Thousands of homes were lost and millions of dollars in property damaged occurred. The Port Honduras ranger station withstood the storm but suffered some damage. Seacology assisted TIDE in its efforts by providing materials necessary to repair the damage done to the ranger station, thus ensuring a functioning base of operations for ranger patrols of the Port Honduras Marine Reserve.

Construction of a ranger station at the Port Honduras Marine Reserve (December 2000)
Belize is a small Central American nation facing the Caribbean Sea. The Toledo district in southern Belize contains some of the country's most pristine natural areas. After many years of effort, the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) recently succeeded in persuading the government to establish the Port Honduras Marine Reserve. The management of the 847 square kilometer, 133-island reserve is the responsibility of TIDE, a small non-governmental organization with very limited resources. Since opening, there has been significant poaching within the reserve by outside fishermen. Seacology's support has enabled TIDE to build a highly visible ranger station on an island, Abalone Caye, near the reserve's most sensitive area.