Oak Foundation’s Mesoamerican Reef Eco-Region Programme Goals

To develop an ecologically representative network of marine reserves that maintain the health of the barrier reef ecosystem and its wildlife, and that support the food security and sustainable economic development of local coastal communities.

In the Mesoamerican Reef Ecosystem we support capacity building, research, communications, policy, advocacy and market-based activities that:

• Improve marine reserve management effectiveness
• Promote sustainable coastal and marine resource management, including sustainable financing
• Promote long-term, non-extractive, diverse economic development opportunities for coastal communities

Mesoamerican Reef Eco-Region Programme Grants (2008)

• Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations (APAMO)

  To ensure that the marine protected areas (PA) of Belize are effectively managed at both the site and system levels to maintain their long-term integrity. APAMO's main objectives are to strengthen its capacity to advocate for policies that provide for proper PA management, to improve the management effectiveness of PAs in Belize, and to improve its financial sustainability and that of its member organisations. (Over three years)

• Belize Audubon Society

  To secure the long-term conservation of Half Moon Caye Natural Monument and the greater Lighthouse Reef Atoll’s biological resources and safeguard their functional role in maintaining Belize’s Barrier Reef and the larger Mesoamerica Reef System. Specifically, this project will improve monitoring and management capacity at key Nassau Grouper aggregation sites; rehabilitate and protect key sea turtle nesting sites; and protect shark populations threatened by overfishing. (Over three years)

• Environmental Defense Inc

  To end overfishing of key marine species in Belize by incorporating incentive-based tools and other fishery management strategies into protected areas. This project seeks to create an enabling environment throughout Belize for incentive-based fishery management tools by reforming key policies and building capacity for reform, as well as creating models of sustainable multi-species fisheries at Glover’s Reef and Port Honduras Marine Reserve. These pilot projects will serve as replicable models to catalyse reform of Belizean fisheries. (Over three years)

• Mesoamerican Reef Fund (MARFund)

  To underwrite MARFund’s short-term need for funding its core costs and to encourage and attract donors who will be able to contribute the necessary project funds. (Over five years)

• Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT)

  To enable regranting to groups that undertake marine conservation initiatives throughout Belize. Through small grants, PACT will provide financial support for a maximum of 30 small-scale initiatives over two years in the field of science, community education and awareness, capacity building etc. This support aims to strengthen the grassroots environmental movement in Belize. (Over two years)

• Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM)

  To establish a development initiative that will focus on securing long-term funding to provide stable support for SATIIM which aims of carry out a multi-faceted lobbying campaign to instil indigenous rights and conservation into Belizean policy. (Over two years)

• Southern Environmental Association (SEA)

  To build on the strengths of two co-management non-governmental organisations to significantly improve the management of three critically important protected areas in the Southern Belize Reef Complex. Through nine objectives, SEA will effectively enforce laws and regulations and provide a management presence within and beyond park boundaries. It will further expand and establish no-take zones, conduct scientific monitoring and research, foster community participation in management, strengthen key stakeholder groups, implement adaptive management, strengthen human resources, and develop a long-term sustainability plan. (Over three years)

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