Belize has taken a major step toward safeguarding one of the most important saltwater fly-fishing destinations in the Caribbean. On August 19, the Government of Belize and conservation partners signed the Turneffe Conservation Land Trust Agreement, a landmark deal designed to permanently protect approximately 17,000 acres of Turneffe Atoll, including critical flats habitat for bonefish, permit, and tarpon. According to the government, the agreement places the land into an irrevocable conservation trust under public ownership while strengthening protections for three essential flats-fishing habitats within the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve.
The agreement is being hailed as a win for conservation and Belize's guide-dependent flats fishery. In a separate announcement, Craig Hayes, owner of Turneffe Flats, said the deal was the culmination of eight years of negotiations and will ensure that more than two-thirds of the atoll remains in its natural state. The agreement also protects 99 percent of Turneffe's seabed by prohibiting dredging, overwater development, mangrove clearing, jet skiing, and other forms of unsustainable development that could negatively impact fish habitat.
"These lands remain Belizean lands," Prime Minister John Briceño said. "They remain under public ownership. And they are being secured permanently for present and future generations of Belizeans. May this agreement mark the beginning of an even stronger era of conservation, science, sustainable livelihoods, and responsible development at Turneffe Atoll."
Turneffe's hard sand and coral oceanside flats are spectacular in both their beauty and abundance of life. (Anna Purnell photo)
The initiative also includes BZ$2.2 million ($1.09 million USD) in funding for the University of Belize to establish a marine research facility at Turneffe, with additional fundraising support targeting approximately BZ$5 million ($2.47 million USD) more for marine science, fisheries research, climate studies, and long-term ecosystem monitoring.
For fly anglers, the conservation milestone represents one of the most significant habitat-protection victories in recent memory. Turneffe Atoll is widely recognized as one of the world's premier destinations for targeting permit, bonefish, and tarpon, and the new agreement seeks to ensure those fisheries remain healthy for future generations while supporting local guides, tourism businesses, and coastal communities. The announcement has been celebrated across conservation and angling circles highlighting the historic nature of the agreement and its importance to the future of the atoll's fishery.