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Citing impressive results from recent conservation efforts, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee voted to remove the Belize Barrier Reef system from its list of natural and cultural sites in danger of destruction.
the 298-kilometer (185-mile) reef is home to more than 500 species of fish, 106 species of corals, several types of sea turtles, a vertiginous assortment of marine invertebrates and West Indian manatee populations ( 19659002) The breathtaking formation – which contains more than 400 islands, three atolls, vast expanses of mangrove forests, numerous lagoons and estuaries – accounts for about 80 percent of the Mesoamerican barrier. Reef system (MBRS); a continuing expanse of reef ecosystems and the shallow sea that begins at the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula and winds along the waters off Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. The MBRS is the largest reef in the Northern Hemisphere and the second largest in the world behind the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Because of its incredible size and diversity of life, the system has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The committee wrote that the Belize Barrier Reef is "distinctive because of its size, variety of reef types and the luxuriance of corals that thrive in impeccable condition … The spectacular scenic natural setting of white sand and green green But in 2009, increased destruction by logging companies, oil drilling and unsustainable development of the waterfront led the committee to bring out the wonder of nature on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Fortunately, the Belizean government reacted to the classification – and the many warnings issued by environmental scientists. lawyers and lawyers. In the nine years that followed, a law was promulgated to restrict deforestation and establish marine reserves. There are currently seven such protected areas, although they cover only about 12% of the global barrier reef system, according to UNESCO.
Most impressively, in December 2017, legislators passed a complete moratorium on oil exploration occurring in the nation's waters. According to the BBC, only a short list of other countries has adopted this global position, giving priority to ecological health rather than the fossil fuel industry. (However, thanks to the income that tourism brings to the reef and the fishery from its stocks of seafood, protecting the system is not only noble but a wise financial gesture.)
Given of these actions on June 26 during the current meeting in Bahrain. The BBC reported that members praised the country's "visionary plan for coastal management" and said "the level of conservation we hoped for was achieved."
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