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Marlon Williams is the Official Youth Messenger for Belize’s Participation in Go4BioDiv

The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) and the Community Management of Protected Areas for Conservation Program (COMPACT)  in collaboration with the Go4BioDiv International Youth Forum invited marine conservation partners (non-governmental and community based organizations) to make nominations for a qualified Belizean to participate in the third Go4BioDiv International Youth Forum to be carried out parallel to the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD-COP) 11 in Hyderabad, India from October 6 to 19, 2012.

Go4BioDiv is an International Youth Forum which gives young adults the opportunity to express their opinions about biodiversity conservation, to exchange with other young experts from all over the world, to learn about marine conservation and protected areas management and to engage with decision-makers and the wider public at CBD-COP. The theme of Go4BioDiv International Youth Forum 2012 will be ‘Conserving coastal and marine biodiversity for sustaining life and livelihoods’. This year, 35 youth messengers will participate from the different crown jewels of marine conservation: Marine and Coastal World Heritage Sites around the world, including the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System World Heritage Site (BBRRS-WHS). For the young messengers, Go4BioDiv can be a milestone in their lives, encouraging them to support biodiversity conservation efforts in their region and an opportunity to promote the Belize Barrier Reef.

PACT and COMPACT jointly nominated Marlon Williams of Punta Gorda Town, Toledo District and he was selected by Go4BioDiv as the official youth messenger for Belize. Marlon is the son of a fisherman and is a young marine biologist who knows the situation of resource use and conservation, first hand. He was recommended by the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE). James R. Foley (Science Director, TIDE) said in his recommendation:

"Marlon has excelled as a TIDE Ranger, and moved quickly up the ranks to become the Marine Biologist for TIDE. He is a dedicated and long-standing member of staff, and has become a true role model to others in his field. He now runs the fieldwork operations for all TIDE’s Marine Monitoring Programs in Port Honduras Marine Reserve, which include monitoring of Water Quality, Seagrass, Lobster, Conch, Coral Reefs, Fish Stock, Sea Cucumber, Turtle and many others. He is now an expert field researcher in a position of leadership, managing TIDE’s Community Researchers to complete the necessary fieldwork."

PACT congratulates Marlon on his achievements!

A few words from Marlon:                                                                        
"Coming from a fishing family has given me the opportunity to see the negative effects that certain fishing methods like nets and trawlers can have in the Marine Ecosystem and even worse on the Belize Barrier Reef. My life changed completely after the Port Honduras area was declared a Marine Reserve in early 2000. At that time I was living on the Rio Grande River with my parents and was still attending High School. This became a huge problem for us because the fishing methods we were using became illegal. I managed to finish High School and I applied for a ranger position at TIDE. I was an excellent ranger and years later I was head Ranger for the PHMR. Two years later I was offered the position to work along with the Marine Biologist as I have always expressed special interest in that field.  Now as TIDE’s Marine Biologist I conduct all of the organisations marine field research and I am attending UB to obtain a degree in Natural Resource Management. I now see things from a different point of view, fishermen are not the problem; they are part of the solution for a better fishing industry in the Mesoamerican reef and worldwide. Now I try to change the negative minds of many local and foreign fishers so they can understand the importance of conservation and resource protection to enhance healthy stocks for now and future generations.”  

For general information on the forum, you can visit www.go4biodiv.org.