20210601 【 Belize, the Jewel in the Heart of the Caribbean Basin 】(16)

Belize, the Jewel in the Heart of the Caribbean Basin
When it comes to protecting our oceans' treasures, Belize leads by example

The story of the Belize Barrier Reef System inspires hope for the environment and provides an example for others to follow.

Over a million tourists experience its natural beauty every year, and Belize is preserving the reef for years to come.

The manificent Belize Barrier Reef System was officially declared a World Heritage site in 1996.

In 2009, however, it was added to the list of endangered World Heritage sites.

Logging, fishing and searching for oil in nearby waters were threatening Belize's marine ecosystems.

Belize responded in 2010 by becoming the first country to completely ban bottom trawling, a damaging and controversial method of fishing.

Then in 2015 the country banned oil drilling within one kilometre of the reef system.

In 2017 they stopped all oil exploration in Belizean waters.

They also strengthened regulations to better protect the native forests.

In June 2018 UNESCO removed the Belize Barrier Reef System from the list of endangered World Heritage sites.

They praised Belize's visionary plan for managing its coast.

The news was celebrated by environmental organisations all around the world.
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basin
a basin of water
in the sink basin
river basin
The world's water mostly drains into the 263 river basins found on Earth.

preserve
preserve many kinds of fruit
preservation
The preservation of this building is important to ...

inspire hope everyone in taiwan...

magnificent

rosewood trees

treasure trove
The divers found a treasure trove of gold in the shipwreck.

drill
He drilled her students on pronunciation....
drill down

vision
poor vision