Officials thrilled as innovative program puts struggling creatures on road to recovery: 'They are seeing more and more'

While sharks might be considered one of the most feared animals on the planet, they still play an important role in the food chain, which is why the reef shark's absence in the Caribbean Sea became strikingly noticeable in the 2010s.

However, the enactment of a proactive solution by the Belize government in 2021 appears to have given the sharks a well-deserved second chance.

A 2022 study published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series found that in Belize, the Caribbean reef shark is "one of the most fished shark species." As a result of overfishing, the species saw a significant decline between 2009 and 2019.

In an effort to curb the steep decline, the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation teamed up with the Fisheries Department in Belize to create new conservation initiatives in June 2021. This measure established what is considered a "safe haven measuring 1,500 square miles" in the Caribbean.

According to Beverly Wade, policy and planning advisor for the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation, the solution was created with an eye on the future. "The group looked at the scientific data available and concluded that these regulations were a good investment to better protect some of Belize's threatened shark species," Wade said in a statement.

As apex predators, Caribbean reef sharks are crucial to maintaining the health and balance of reef ecosystems. These sharks prey on fish that could become overpopulated without a natural predator patrolling the waters, leading to the overgrazing of seagrass and coral reefs.

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Kirah Forman-Castillo, national coordinator of MarAlliance's Belize program, reveals that there has already been a noticeable difference in the water as a result of the conservation effort.

"As we talk to fishers, they are having the same experiences," Forman-Castillo told Mongabay. "Increased numbers of sharks. They are seeing more and more; they are seeing them in the back reef and in areas where they never saw sharks before."

With the reemergence of the Caribbean reef shark, marine ecosystems can enjoy a return to normalcy and the preservation of the coral reefs.

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