German Cooperation and Journalist Delegation Visit Project ‘Conservation of Marine Resources in Central America’

German Cooperation and Journalist Delegation Visit
Project ‘Conservation of Marine Resources in Central America’

By initiative of the German Embassy in Guatemala, a field trip was organized on July 27-28 to visit two of the protected areas supported by the German Cooperation through KfW, via the Project “Conservation of Marine Resources in Central America”. The participants traveled to Port Honduras Marine Reserve, in Belize, and Rio Sarstun Multiple Use Area, in Guatemala.

The following people were part of the delegation:

1. Ambassador Harald Klein, German Embassy in Guatemala
2. Ambassador Alexis Rosado, Belize Embassy in Guatemala
3. Thomas Cieslik, Chief of Cooperation of the German Embassy in Guatemala
4. Luis Verde, First Secretary of the Belize Embassy in Guatemala
5. Lydia Andler , Director of KfW Regional Agency for El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, BCIE and SICA
6. Rigoberto Quintana, Senior Fisheries Officer of the Fisheries Department in Belize
7. Elder Figueroa, Executive Secretary of the National Council of Protected Areas – CONAP in Guatemala
8. Iván Cabrera, Northeastern Regional Director of the National Council of Protected Areas – CONAP in Guatemala
9. Darrel Audinette, Vice President Representative of the Board of Directors of the MAR Fund and Associate Director – Grants of PACT in Belize
10. Yvonne Ramírez, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the MAR Fund and Executive Director of FCG in Guatemala
11. Marco Cerezo, National Member of the Board of Directors of the MAR Fund and Executive Director of FUNDAECO in Guatemala
12. Celia Mahung, Director of TIDE in Belize
13. Joe Villafranco, Project Administrator of TIDE in Belize
14. Silja Ramírez, FUNDAECO Coasts Coordinator
15. María José González, Executive Director of the MAR Fund
16. Claudio González, Technical Coordinator of the MAR Fund
17. Enrique Escalante, Focal Point of the MAR Fund for the Project in Puerto Barrios

Journalists:

18. Andrea Polanco, Channel 5 – Belize
19. Will Maheia, PGTV – Belize
20. Patrick Jones, PGTV – Belize
21. Ligia María Herrera Orellana, Guatevisión – Guatemala
22. Héctor Manuel Xutuc Castillo, Guatevisión – Guatemala
23. Jessica Cristina Gramajo Argueta, Prensa Libre – Guatemala
24. Oscar Estuardo Paredes, Prensa Libre – Guatemala
25. Evelyn Boche, El Periódico – Guatemala
26. José Luis Pos, El Periódico – Guatemala
27. Byron Mazariegos, Contrapoder – Guatemala
28. David Asturias, Contrapoder – Canal Antigua in Guatemala

The participants were audience to the presentations made by the project implementers and were also able to observe concrete outcomes. For example, during their visit to Abalone Caye, the ranger station for Port Honduras Marine Reserve, they saw the infrastructure that has been supported by the project as well as the erosion control around the caye. This last activity has been successfully carried out with the construction of a rock wall. As a measure to consolidate reclaimed soil, TIDE planted mangrove trees that are already doing their work. The visitors learned about the protected area’s control and surveillance strategy, also strengthened and improved with project support.

In Guatemala, the delegation visited some of the beautiful touristic sites of Rio Sarstún that will be supported with the construction of infrastructure such as docks and guard houses. Participants were also able to attend the inauguration of the restaurant of the Barra Sarstun Fishers Committee, supported by the project as an economic alternative to this group.  This fishing group has declared a fish replenishment site within the protected area to recover fish stocks and restore mangroves.