Marine Species Integration in Chetumal Bay: ECOME-14 Insights

Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras are collaborating to establish multilateral partnerships. Their goal is to plan and implement regional management of marine species within the Mesoamerican Reef area. As part of this initiative, the fourteenth Exercise of Connectivity in the Mesoamerican Reef (ECOME-14) is scheduled for September. The event will take place in the Zaragoza Channel area within Chetumal Bay.

The Institute for Biodiversity and Protected Natural Areas of Quintana Roo (IBANQROO) is organizing the exercise. They are coordinating with the South Border College Unit Chetumal (ECOSUR) and local “Flyfishing” fishing guides from the town of Xcalak. Javier Alberto Carballar Osorio, the general director of IBANQROO, reported on the event.

The ECOME-14 Monitoring is a regional effort within the Mesoamerican Reef System (SAM). It involves 12 Marine Protected Areas from Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the connectivity of reef fish during their early life stages, according to Tomás Sánchez, the director of Protected Natural Areas.

This effort also increases knowledge about the functionality of the system. This will help propose conservation measures and sustainable uses like "flyfishing". This activity is a source of income for dozens of families living in the southern part of the state, said Miguel Mateo Sabido Itzá, the head of the Department of Protected Natural Areas in the southern zone of IBANQROO.

IBANQROO has released information about the species found in the Manatee Sanctuary Chetumal Bay. Notable species include snappers, jacks, and barracudas, which are all important for the region's artisanal fishing. Additionally, the influx of tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) and bonefish (Alvula vulpes) larvae was recorded. These species are significant for the catch-and-release or “flyfishing” sports fishing activity, reported Lourdes Vásquez Yeomans, a researcher from the South Border College (ECOSUR).