For many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) balancing the economic benefits of sustainable tourism and the protection of natural resources is a difficult task. In Belize, thirteen per cent of its maritime areas, including immense portions of its magnificent coral reef system, are protected. These marine protected areas are co-managed by NGOs like the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association, which safeguards the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve. But TASA like many other members of the Belize Marine Protected Areas finds it difficult to fund its operations without the support of the tourism industry. Valdemar Andrade, TASA’s Executive Director, explains.
