In a significant step forward for environmental conservation in Central America, the government of Belize has introduced legislation to repeal and replace its decades-old Wildlife Protection Act, promising sweeping upgrades to enforcement, penalty structures and wildlife management frameworks.
Sustainable Development Minister Orlando Habet unveiled the planned overhaul Saturday during opening remarks at the 2026 Wildlife Ambassador Conference and Wildlife Hero Awards, an event hosted by the Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic at San Ignacio Resort Hotel. Habet confirmed that the new bill was tabled in Belize’s House of Representatives Friday, replacing the existing Chapter 220 Wildlife Protection Act with expanded legislation that addresses every facet of wildlife stewardship, from protection and conservation to restoration, sustainable use and systematic management.
According to Habet, the revised legislation is designed to close critical gaps in the current framework by bolstering law enforcement capacity, increasing financial penalties for wildlife crimes, and improving institutional coordination for wildlife governance across government agencies and stakeholder groups. The minister also sounded a note of caution, noting that shifting climate patterns are expected to put growing pressure on Belize’s rich biodiversity as the country prepares for 2027, making updated protections more urgent than ever.
Beyond the legislative announcement, the annual Wildlife Ambassador programme convened a broad cross-section of stakeholders for three days of training and collaborative discussion. Attendees included appointed wildlife ambassadors, leading conservation researchers and practitioners, government officials, and representatives from local and international non-profit partners. Key agenda items included advancing community-centered wildlife conservation strategies, mitigating rising human-wildlife conflict, cracking down on transnational illegal wildlife trafficking, integrating One Health approaches to human-wildlife coexistence, and improving emergency response to wildlife crises such as natural disasters and disease outbreaks.
As part of the conference, five individuals were honored with the 2026 Wildlife Hero Awards for their outstanding contributions to protecting Belize’s natural heritage. This year’s recipients are Craig Gair, Jen McKnight, Mercedes Valdez, Ranai Gonzales, and Thomas Pop. The five winners were selected from a pool of 15 nominees through a multi-stage process that included more than 1,000 votes from the Belizean public, evaluation by past Wildlife Hero recipients, and final review by a panel of experts from the Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic.