FCD Calls for Stronger Collaboration to Protect Chiquibul Forest

The Friends for Conservation and Development is seeking stronger collaboration with the government to better protect the Chiquibul National Park. Last week, the NGO met with Prime Minister John Briceño and Minister of Sustainable Development Orlando Habet to address growing concerns over threats to the park’s ecosystem. FCD, which co-manages the protected area, emphasized the urgent need for enhanced support and resources to tackle issues such as illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, and encroachments. Our newsroom heard from Minister Habet about the meeting and the discussions he had with the FCD. 

Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development: “We are at how the management effectiveness of the protected areas of the Chiquibul National Park can be improved and how collaboration can ensue  between the concessionary for the  Chiquibul Reserve and the National Park. So you have a long-term sustainable logging concession in the reserve and in the national park you have the protected areas which is the co-management done by FCD.”

Habet added that the government hopes to meet again with the FCD in the coming months.