Belizean NGO Warns of Rising Manatee Deaths in Chetumal Bay

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — A Belizean conservation group has warned that manatee deaths in Chetumal Bay have increased over the past two years, and that authorities have yet to determine what is killing the animals.

Joel Verde, a representative of the Belizean civil association Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD), said the trend is especially concerning because the bay is a shared body of water, meaning environmental damage on the Mexican side directly affects the ecosystem in Belize.

“Over the last two years we have noticed an increase in the number of manatee deaths, and the causes have not been determined. There is speculation that pollution is responsible, but it is not yet confirmed,” Verde said.

He described the lack of continuity in studies and in the collaboration agreements set up to monitor the species as alarming.

Funding gaps and uneven cooperation

Verde said SACD has worked with the Quintana Roo Institute of Biodiversity and Protected Natural Areas (IBANQROO) to secure resources for monitoring manatees in the bay. He noted that Belize’s government coordinates directly with civil associations on this kind of work, a model he said does not exist on the Mexican side.

“We have to follow up on these cross-border collaborations, including to attract financing that can support the system,” he said, adding that Mexico’s government should push for more concrete public policies and binational agreements.

SACD has raised donations and funding from international organizations and foundations to support studies carried out by the Quintana Roo agency. Verde said the next step is to formalize diplomatic agreements between Mexico and Belize that would allow pending monitoring work to continue.