Belize’s fast-expanding seaweed farming industry, which has operated in a legal grey area for years despite its rapid growth, is set to get its first formal regulatory framework after government officials confirmed that a long-awaited Mariculture Bill has entered its final drafting stages.
Speaking at the Fourth Blue Economy Climate Resilience Forum on Wednesday, Beverly Wade, Chief Executive Officer of Belize’s Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation, announced that following a recent public consultation period, the Fisheries Department is now putting the finishing touches on the draft legislation ahead of its formal submission to lawmakers.
Wade emphasized that the lack of clear industry rules has been a major barrier to unlocking the sector’s full potential, limiting not only the ability of small-scale producers to operate formally but also discouraging outside investment that could drive further growth. “Without the requisite regulatory framework, you cannot attract the kind of long-term, serious investment that transforms a small informal industry into a major contributor to the blue economy,” she explained.
Once enacted, the new law will put in place a clear, transparent permitting and application process for prospective seaweed farmers, grant formal legal tenure to producers over their designated cultivation areas, and establish structured oversight mechanisms to monitor and regulate all marine-based aquaculture operations. For the hundreds of producers already working in Belize’s waters, the legislation will end their status as informal operators and bring their activities under legal protection.
“What this bill does is lay out exactly what producers need to operate legally, from application to approval, and build an enabling environment that lets the sector grow responsibly,” Wade added.
Even without formal regulation, Belize’s seaweed industry has seen explosive growth in recent years, with a wave of entrepreneurs launching operations and developing a range of value-added seaweed products for domestic and regional markets. To ensure that the formalization of the sector translates directly to better livelihoods for producers, the ministry is simultaneously working to expand product development support and open new national and international market access routes. Wade noted that the government is prioritizing this work to avoid a scenario where newly legalized farmers have no outlet to sell their harvest after the bill comes into force.
“We’re not just putting a legal framework in place and walking away,” Wade said. “We’re making sure that when producers are able to operate formally, they have guaranteed markets to sell their crop and earn a sustainable income.”