The Gulf of Honduras
27
al. 1997). Logging and cattle ranching are also major industries, especially
in Guatemala. When lands are cleared for logging and cattle ranching, the
result is often extreme climatic and hydrologic alterations. Flood retention,
watershed discharge, and evapotranspiration are depressed, resulting in
increased droughts and accelerated flooding. Small-scale, slash-and-burn
agriculture is common and is an important contributor to both the overall
economy and to local subsistence. This practice is common among the
Mayans, and is accompanied by a minimum of environmental damage as
long as riparian areas are respected and fallow periods sufficiently long
(5-7 years). Increasing population and land pressure, however, are minimizing the sustainability of this method of farming.
Industrial shipping is one of the largest, and potentially most environmentally damaging industries in the Gulf of Honduras. The largest ports
are Puerto Cortes in Honduras and Puerto Barrios ( Cobigua Port and
Santo Tomas de Castilla Port) in Guatemala. Big Creek is a smaller but also
important shipping port in Belize. About 90% of all imports to Guatemala
enter through these two ports. Each month, one to three ships enter and
exit with petroleum products, while four to seven ships move chemicals
(FUNDAECO, unpubl. data). There is a high risk potential for a catastrophic spill, which quickly could cover all of Bahia de Amatique and cause
severe ecological damage with impact on coastal tourism and fisheries.
Fishing represents an important contributor to the regional economy
and a source of protein for subsistence-based coastal communities. Based
on interviews of fishermen around the Gulf of Honduras, the artisanal and
small-scale commercial fisheries harvest over 7,200 tons of fishery products, representing US$ 12.6 million of landings (TIDE 1998; FUNDAECO
1998; PROLANSATE 1998). Spiny lobster (Panulirus argus), conch (Strombus gigas), shrimp (Paneaus sp.), and sardines (Anchoa sp.) are the major
earners. In addition, finfish, including snappers (Lutjanidae), groupers
( Serranidae ), mackerels ( Scombridae ), and jacks ( Carangidae ), have a high
landing value. However, the uneven regional population distribution (Guatemala 95 inhabitants km- 2 , Honduras 49 inhabitants km- 2 , Belize
9 inhabitants km- 2 ; Windevoxhel et al. 1999) has led to the depletion of the
fisheries resources of Guatemala and Honduras, so fishermen from these
countries cross illegally into Belize, where fisheries resources are less
exploited. The decline in commercially important species has been recognized by fishermen who are now in favor of increased management in the
form of declaration of protected areas, bans on gill netting and shrimp
trawling, increased enforcement, and closed fishing seasons in certain
areas (TIDE 1998; FUNDAECO 1998; PROLANSATE 1998). Sustainable
economic alternatives to fish harvesting may be sport fish guiding, which
is a small but growing industry in the region.
27
al. 1997). Logging and cattle ranching are also major industries, especially
in Guatemala. When lands are cleared for logging and cattle ranching, the
result is often extreme climatic and hydrologic alterations. Flood retention,
watershed discharge, and evapotranspiration are depressed, resulting in
increased droughts and accelerated flooding. Small-scale, slash-and-burn
agriculture is common and is an important contributor to both the overall
economy and to local subsistence. This practice is common among the
Mayans, and is accompanied by a minimum of environmental damage as
long as riparian areas are respected and fallow periods sufficiently long
(5-7 years). Increasing population and land pressure, however, are minimizing the sustainability of this method of farming.
Industrial shipping is one of the largest, and potentially most environmentally damaging industries in the Gulf of Honduras. The largest ports
are Puerto Cortes in Honduras and Puerto Barrios ( Cobigua Port and
Santo Tomas de Castilla Port) in Guatemala. Big Creek is a smaller but also
important shipping port in Belize. About 90% of all imports to Guatemala
enter through these two ports. Each month, one to three ships enter and
exit with petroleum products, while four to seven ships move chemicals
(FUNDAECO, unpubl. data). There is a high risk potential for a catastrophic spill, which quickly could cover all of Bahia de Amatique and cause
severe ecological damage with impact on coastal tourism and fisheries.
Fishing represents an important contributor to the regional economy
and a source of protein for subsistence-based coastal communities. Based
on interviews of fishermen around the Gulf of Honduras, the artisanal and
small-scale commercial fisheries harvest over 7,200 tons of fishery products, representing US$ 12.6 million of landings (TIDE 1998; FUNDAECO
1998; PROLANSATE 1998). Spiny lobster (Panulirus argus), conch (Strombus gigas), shrimp (Paneaus sp.), and sardines (Anchoa sp.) are the major
earners. In addition, finfish, including snappers (Lutjanidae), groupers
( Serranidae ), mackerels ( Scombridae ), and jacks ( Carangidae ), have a high
landing value. However, the uneven regional population distribution (Guatemala 95 inhabitants km- 2 , Honduras 49 inhabitants km- 2 , Belize
9 inhabitants km- 2 ; Windevoxhel et al. 1999) has led to the depletion of the
fisheries resources of Guatemala and Honduras, so fishermen from these
countries cross illegally into Belize, where fisheries resources are less
exploited. The decline in commercially important species has been recognized by fishermen who are now in favor of increased management in the
form of declaration of protected areas, bans on gill netting and shrimp
trawling, increased enforcement, and closed fishing seasons in certain
areas (TIDE 1998; FUNDAECO 1998; PROLANSATE 1998). Sustainable
economic alternatives to fish harvesting may be sport fish guiding, which
is a small but growing industry in the region.