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 (2007)

• Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Mesoamerica Barrier Reef Systems

  To provide Park Managers with park-level information on the health of the reef and related ecosystems by producing individual monitoring baseline reports for each of ten marine protected areas in Belize that are involved in the National Synoptic Monitoring Programme.

• Coral Reef Alliance

  To measurably and rapidly increase the capacity of marine recreation providers, marine resource managers, and local communities to work collaboratively towards coral reef conservation in Mesoamerica. (Over two years)

• Environmental Defense Inc

  To undertake a detailed assessment of the role that fish-producing capacity plays in the economic, social and environmental sectors of the Mesoamerican Reef region and to determine the potential economic benefits that fisheries could have for these sectors.

• Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW)

  To build the capacity of public interest lawyers in the Mesoamerican Reef Ecoregion to strengthen and enforce environmental laws and protect natural assets. ELAW will work to empower local public interest lawyers to educate local communities about their rights to a healthy environment. Their efforts will aid in building strong local public interest organisations that enable citizens to use the law to protect natural resources. (Over two years)

• Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM)

  To continue multifaceted grassroots advocacy and community-based monitoring by SATIIM to improve the negative impacts of threats to the protected areas of southern Belize. With the help of EcoLogic, SATIIM will significantly raise public awareness and promote dialogue on issues of oil development, including the policy implications, risks and options for oil development in protected areas and indigenous lands. (Over two years)

• Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment (TIDE)

  To protect the natural resources of the Port Honduras Marine Reserve by implementing biological and socio-economic recommendations to improve resource management and the sustainable use of renewable natural resources. TIDE will continue to provide staff training, capacity building and outreach to local buffer communities to increase stakeholder involvement and participation in the management process. (Over two years)

• Wildlife Conservation Society

  To create a network of science-based, community-supported marine protected areas; effective national policies; and a well-informed and engaged constituency of government employees, NGOs, and the general public in Belize. At two globally significant world heritage sites (Glover’s Reef and South Water Caye Marine Reserves), the Wildlife Conservation Society will improve monitoring and adaptive management strategies and will provide support for advocacy and policy changes to protect the sites from external threats. (Over four years)

< Marine Conservation Programme