Saving the world of underwater wonders of Belize Reef

Steps away from the Belize coast, brightly colored tropical fish mingle with sharks, manta rays and sea turtles around a sprawling reef beneath the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.

The Mesoamerican Reef, an underwater world whose survival has been considered endangered for years, can now be removed from the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites thanks to the bold steps taken by environmental activists and the United States. Belizean Government.

The second reef of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Caribbean Reef was named in 1996 on the prestigious World Heritage List, but was endangered in 2009 because of Belize's plans to allow exploration. oil nearby and the general lack of laws the site.

The warning also encompassed mangroves that help protect the reef and serve as breeding grounds for most of the hundreds of fish species that populate the area.

This prompted the activists to take action. They held an informal referendum in 2012 in which 96 percent of Belizeans voted against offshore oil exploration, choosing the reef on potential economic gains for the poor Central American country.

While the threat to one of its major tourist attractions was beginning to be felt, the Belizean government has passed a series of laws to protect the reef, including that of December which imposes an indefinite moratorium on the reefs. oil exploration.

He arrived just in time for this week's UNESCO meeting in Manama, Bahrain, where the UN body should consider removing the reef from its list of endangered heritage sites.

Extending from the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico to Guatemala and Honduras, the reef comprises 380 kilometers (nearly 240 miles) in waters off Belize, the part covered by the Statute. World Heritage.

A popular spot with divers, it stretches over 96,000 acres and is home to one of the largest ecosystems in the Atlantic.

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