BELMOPAN, Belize – In a significant move toward sustainable ocean governance, the Belizean government has been awarded a US$300,000 grant from the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Fish Fund. The funding, announced Thursday, is earmarked for enhancing the nation’s legal and institutional frameworks to responsibly manage emerging fisheries subsidy programs. This strategic initiative aims to balance economic support for local livelihoods with the critical need to prevent subsidies that could inadvertently promote overfishing and other detrimental practices. The approved project, titled ‘Building Legal Understanding and Enforcement Capacity for Fisheries Subsidies Reform in Belize’ (BLUE-CAP), is designed to integrate seamlessly with the country’s existing Blue Economy agenda. This includes a complementary program backed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) focused on expanding artisanal fisheries, as well as the national Blue Economy Development Policy and Strategy. Government officials highlighted that the grant application’s success was a direct result of a cohesive inter-agency collaboration. Key contributors included the Directorate General for Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation, the Fisheries Department, and the High Seas Fisheries Unit, working in concert with the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM). This partnership underscores a regional commitment to shared marine resource challenges. With the new funding secured, Belize anticipates strengthened collaboration with both national and regional partners. The overarching goal is to implement robust management practices that ensure the long-term health and sustainability of marine ecosystems, safeguarding them for future generations while fostering an economically empowering blue economy.