As summer 2026 unfolds along Belize’s sun-drenched Caribbean coastline, a new initiative is turning young screen users into budding environmental stewards. More than 30 children aged 6 to 12 from the Caribbean Shores constituency are swapping hours of digital device time for hands-on learning at the week-long Caribbean Shores Fishing Camp, hosted at Dolphin Park.
Sponsored by Kareem Musa, the Area Representative for Caribbean Shores, the camp is far more than a recreational diversion for school-aged children on summer break. Blending practical fishing instruction with core marine conservation education, the program is designed to foster lasting connections between local youth and the ecologically rich coastal ecosystems that define their community.
Leading the hands-on instruction is veteran fishing instructor John Clayton Burks, who frames fishing as a gateway to deeper environmental appreciation. “The main goal of my class is to teach them a better appreciation of the environment we have here,” Burks explained. “You know, part of the best way to experience the environment is to go out and enjoy it, and fishing is one of the best ways to do it.”
Instruction runs from foundational fishing skills to conservation-focused best practices: campers learn step-by-step how to prepare tackle, hook bait, cast lines, and throw casting nets. A core educational component centers on identifying protected and undersized marine species that should not be harvested, with guided training on how to safely free these animals from fishing gear and release them back into their natural habitat unharmed.
For Musa, the camp is a personal initiative rooted in his own childhood growing up along Caribbean Shores’ coastline, which stretches from Buttonwood Bay to BTL Park. “Growing up in Caribbean Shores, I can safely say that that [fishing] was one of the greatest memories that I had as a young boy,” he shared on the camp’s opening day. “It truly is a wonderful experience, and the kids are already having a great time this morning.”
Organizers say beyond building practical skills and creating core summer memories, the initiative aims to instill long-lasting environmental values. By engaging children with the ocean in a tangible, meaningful way, the camp hopes to inspire a new generation of conservationists committed to protecting Belize’s valuable marine ecosystems for decades to come.