Fishermen - Ecotourism Alliance

Fishermen & Ecotourism Alliance
Turneffe's commercial fishermen and eco-tourism operators, such as Turneffe Flats and Turneffe Island Resor,  have a common interest in seeing that Turneffe's marine environment remains healthy and undamaged by improper development.   These two groups have decided to work together through a new Alliance, The Fishermen & Ecotourism Alliance (FETA), to affect mutually beneficial protection of Turneffe's key habitats.

The two groups bring very different assests to the table and we feel that this alliance potentially offers a valuable symbiosis.  Commercial fishermen offer local expertise and influence while ecotourism businesses offers international connections and potential access to funding.  Together, our environmental advococy can be much more effectively than either group could offer alone.

In early 2016, Turneffe Atoll Trust  funded the formation of an official Alliance FETA between Turneffe's fishermen and Turneffe's eco-tourism sector.  We are very optomistic that the developement of this organization will bring have significantly positive impacts that neither group could achieve by themselves.   Both groups have recently committed to oppposing two new dredging and mangrove clearing developments at Turneffe.

This program will:
  • Form an offical entity for this purpose (underway).
  • Develop a Strategic Plan (underway) to define our  mutually beneficial efforts.
  • Develop a list of mutually beneficial concerns followed by actions to be taken.  Actions may include support of legal interventions, local lobbying and public relations.
  • Raise funds to support this effort and build its potential.