RANGERS
OF THE REEF

Improving the Health of Roatan's Marine Ecosystems

Our patrol program facilitates the application of Honduran environmental laws, regulations, and best practices. The program consists of five patrol boats manned by park rangers and the Honduran Navy. Our goal is for all 5 ships to monitor Roatán's water 7 days a week during daylight hours, in addition to conducting night patrols when necessary. Protecting key species such as corals, turtles, sharks, snails, lobsters, and parrotfish is vital to ensuring that our reefs remain healthy. Without our patrols, these species would surely disappear.

EYES ON
THE REEF

60K

Kilometers patrolled
-2023

Reports of illegal fishing activity
-2023

Public

Services
-2023

447

Lobster, Queen

Conch and Parrotfish Seized
-2023

With over 150 km of coastline, our patrols monitor Roatán's waters, support the Navy in enforcing fishing regulations, and respond to reports and requests as needed. In addition, we are implementing the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) with which we collect daily information on patrols, uploading coordinates, photographs, and detailed information on each of the maritime incidents that our park rangers report.

We are always open to community collaboration, please report if you suspect people are using rifles or pole spears (lionfish harpoon fishing permits are available to snorkelers and snorkelers), fish and lobster traps, and any other network other than the launch ones. The extraction of turtles, sharks, lobsters, conches, parrots, ears and corals is also prohibited and must be reported.

OVERVIEW

The year began with the challenge of a high frequency of illegal fishing incidents reported by the Roatan Marine Park rangers during their marine patrols, mainly the first months of the year (with a total of 64 illegal fishing incidents the first half of the year), but these illegal fishing activities were decreasing as the months progressed (with a total of 24 incidents of illegal fishing in the second half of the year), and they decreased even more with the opening of cruise ships to the island, this was probably due to the creation of new economic alternatives for the population of Roatán, however, hard work has continued to sensitize and educate the inhabitants of the island of Roatán and also visitors so that they contribute to taking care of our natural resources for the common good.

We are grateful to The West End Community for supporting the Patrol Program. 2021 was a year of much learning that has strengthened us a lot in all aspects and we consider that next year we will continue working for the conservation of our reefs and their associated fauna and flora, We will try to recruit more people to take care of the valuable natural resources that we have in order to live in harmony with nature and the recreational activities that take place in our biodiverse Marine Park.

DOWNLOAD
RMP IPATROL

By using this app, you become our eyes and ears and help us towards the protection or our precious natural resources and ecosystems for the future of our local community.