Belize is known for its vast array of wildlife and multicultural identity—a country full of adventures at every corner. I remember being in primary school and visiting the Maya ruins for a class trip. Walking up to the top and seeing all the flora and fauna around me made me say, “Wow! This view is UNBELIZEABLE!”*9 Belize boasts inland beauty as well as pristine beaches. It is home to a UNESCO World Heritage site, the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, along with the Great Blue Hole. These are just part of the countless magnificent landmarks we have been blessed with. Unfortunately, over the past years, we have experienced many obstacles with reckless people damaging Belize’s natural resources.
My dream is to help create initiatives that will protect Belize’s landmarks and preserve our natural beauty. I want to achieve something that will benefit the future of Belizean youths that they will be proud of when speaking about our country.
I would love to put a complete ban on gillnet fishing, as we have seen that it has brought great danger to our sea creatures such as manatees and sea turtles. Gillnet fishing is a quick and efficient way for fishermen to get their income, but they don’t consider all the harm it causes. I would also like for poaching to be taken more seriously, as most poachers that come into Belize damage forests by cutting down the trees and/or burn parts of the forests to capture poor defenseless animals. Belize is home to some of the most exotic and endangered birds, such as scarlet macaws, and is one of few countries with sanctuaries for jaguars, baboons, iguanas, raptors, and several others.
I would like for us to keep on flourishing. We may be small, but one thing we can definitely do is to strive with the magnificent beauty of nature. Strive for our children because they are the tomorrow, and they are the ones that will take on the task of keeping our beautiful Belize alive. They are the ones that will keep on promoting Belize and encouraging tourists to keep on visiting. But without our drive to enforce movements and laws to protect our natural resources, we will not achieve this goal. Luckily Belize has begun to make this dream a reality. Very recently, in November 2020, we passed a ban on gillnet fishing. I believe that if we citizens continue to fight and speak up together, we will get there.
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