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San Pedro (Belice) (AFP) – Under the crystal clear waters of Belize's coast, colorful fishes sneak into the arms of the world's second-largest coral reef, an environmental treasure that UNESCO has removed from its list of World Heritage sites.
Second in size only at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Mesoamerican reef has spent nearly a decade on the list, spurred by concerns over Belize's plans to allow nearby oil exploration and development. General absence of laws to protect the site.
Recognized for its breathtaking biodiversity and its proximity to the shoreline – just a few hundred meters away – the Caribbean reef system was named in 1996 on the prestigious World Heritage List, but in 2009 it was endangered .
The warning has also encompassed the mangroves that help protect the coral reef, and serves as breeding grounds for most of the hundreds of fish species that inhabit the turquoise waters of the area.
Mangroves had disappeared at an alarming rate as urban development encroached on the coast.
Worried about the fate of one of its major tourist attractions, the Belizean government began adopting a series of laws to protect the reef, culminating in a moratorium on offshore oil exploration passed by parliament in December .
This was applauded by UNESCO at its meeting this week in Manama, Bahrain, where the UN body hailed the "visionary" measures of Belize to protect the reef.
The legislation came after ecologists convened 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 country of America Central.
"We saw an incredible turnaround when the reef was threatened by seismic testing for oil eighteen months ago," said Marco Lambertini, director of the World Wildlife Fund, who helped preserve the reef. .
"Belizeans stood up to protect their reef, with hundreds of thousands of others joining the campaign to save our common heritage … Belize has shown that it is possible to reverse the loss of nature and create a sustainable future.
– Teach tourists to behave –
The reef extends from the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico up to Guatemala and Honduras, including 380 kilometers (nearly 240 miles) in the waters off Belize, the covered part by the World Heritage Declaration.
Tourism and fishing are vital for communities along the coast.
"We live off the reef," said Chef Jenni Steines, owner of a fusion restaurant that blends Mayan and Belizean indigenous cuisine in San Pedro, a small sand town popular with divers.
"Many years ago, that's all we did … And now it's the biggest attraction for tourists."
Belize estimates that 20% of the country's 367,000 people depend directly or indirectly on the reef for their livelihood. That brings in about $ 37 million a year.
Karen Waight Canul, who runs a dive shop with her husband, said it's up to the locals to teach tourists to take care of the reef, too.
"Tourists are the children of the industry, we are the caretakers, we are the teachers," she said.
"Because we know the ecosystem, we know the destination, so we can teach them, you know, that's how Belize is, that's how the reef is."
– The guardians of the reef –
"We are pleased that in this case, the government and the people have decided that we can not risk this risk," said Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber to AFP.
But the battle to protect the reef is far from over.
Other threats remain: garbage, cruise ship waste and the potentially deleterious effects of too many tourists.
"It does not stop there, we have to hold the government accountable," said Nadia Bood, National Director of the World Wildlife Fund.
"We have to make sure that they do not do anything that contravenes the actions that allowed the site … to be removed from the list of endangered species."
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