Uhulumeni waseBelize namuhla umemezele ukusungulwa kwendawo yokugcina imisebe yokuqala ezweni lonke, okugqugquzelwe, ngokwengxenye, ngemininingwane evela kososayensi beGlobal FinPrint eFIU.
Emhlabeni jikelele, imisebe isongelwa ngokuqothulwa ngenxa enkulu yokudoba ngokweqile, ukulahleka kwendawo yokuhlala nokuguquka kwesimo sezulu. Basengozini enkulu ukwedlula oshaka. Izinhlobo ezingaphezu kwemi-20 zemisebe ziyaziwa zigcwalisa amanzi agudle iBelize.
Njengengxenye yeGlobal FinPrint, abacwaningi be-FIU bathumele ama-video angaphansi angaphansi kwamanzi (ama-BRUVs) ukuqapha ubuningi nokusatshalaliswa koshaka nemisebe, benethemba lokugcwalisa izikhala ezibucayi zedatha nokuqondisa amasu okongiwa emhlabeni wonke. Ngenkathi behlanganisa amakhulu wamahora wezithombe zevidiyo ukwazisa osomaqhinga baseBelize ngoShaka, ososayensi bathola imisebe ekhulayo yemisebe. Umcwaningi we-Global FinPrint kanye ne-FIU Ph.D. isitshudeni iKathryn Flowers sabelane ngalokhu nezikhulu zoMnyango Wezokudoba waseBelize.
"Kwangimangaza ukuzwa ukuthi imisebe isongelwa kangakanani emhlabeni wonke futhi ngathatha isinqumo sokuthi iBelize ingaba yisakhamuzi esihle somhlaba wonke ngokuyivikela," kusho umphathi weBelize Fisheries Administrator uBeverly Wade. "Amazwe angomakhelwane asebenzisa imisebe, kodwa lapha eBelize, imisebe ibalulekile embonini yethu yezokuvakasha."
Yize kunezindawo ezingokoshaka ezingxenyeni ezithile zomhlaba, izithandani kuphela ezifaka imisebe, futhi ngaphambi kwesimemezelo saseBelize, ayikho eyayenzelwe imisebe. IBelize iyikhaya lesisekelo sesibili esikhulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni esinemisebe ehlukahlukene kusuka emisebeni emincane ephuzi nxazonke kuya emisebeni emikhulu ye-manta. I-sawfish yamazinyo amancane asengozini enkulu kanye ne-Ticon cownose ray esengozini yokuqothulwa kusolakala ukuthi isemanzini aseBelize.
"Ukuqhubekela phambili, sifuna ukuqinisekisa ukuthi lokhu kuhlala kuyindaba yempumelelo yokongiwa kwemvelo," kusho izimbali. "Sizoqhubeka nokusebenza noMnyango Wezokudoba waseBelize ukuqapha oshaka nemisebe futhi sizibandakanye nemiphakathi edobayo nezokuvakasha."
IGlobal FinPrint iyinhlolovo yeminyaka emithathu yoshaka bamakhorali nemisebe emhlabeni jikelele futhi iholwa ngabaphenyi beFIU ngokubambisana neJames Cook University yaseAustralia, Curtin University kanye neAustralia Institute of Marine Science, kanye neDalhousie University yaseCanada. Le phrojekthi ithole uxhaso oluyisisekelo kumuntu osiza umphakathi uPaul G. Allen futhi ungenye yezinhlelo eziningi zezempilo yolwandle ngaphakathi kwephothifoliyo yabasunguli beMicrosoft.
"Ukusungulwa kwezindawo ezintsha zikashaka nemisebe enjengalesi yiso kanye isizathu esenza sabambisana neFIU ukuqalisa ucwaningo lweGlobal FinPrint," kusho uJames Deutsch, umqondisi weBiodiversity Conservation kaPaul Allen. "Besinesiqiniseko sokuthi imininingwane evela kwiGlobal FinPrint izosiza ekulondolozeni inhlanzi ukuze kusetshenziswe oshaka abasabekayo nemisebe yamakhorali emhlabeni wonke."
Ososayensi be-FIU sebekhathazeka ngokwandayo ngabantu abasengozini yoshaka nemisebe emhlabeni jikelele futhi ikakhulukazi eBelize, lapho iGlobal FinPrint ingusosayensi ohola phambili kanye noprofesa we-FIU uDemian Chapman asebenze cishe amashumi amabili eminyaka ekongweni koshaka. I-Earthwatch Institute, iRoe Foundation, neMays Family Foundation nabo banikele kulezi zinhlelo zocwaningo.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- Global FinPrint is a three-year survey of reef sharks and rays throughout the world and is led by researchers from FIU in collaboration with Australia’s James Cook University, Curtin University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, as well as Canada’s Dalhousie University.
- FIU scientists have become increasingly concerned about the vulnerable populations of sharks and rays around the world and especially in Belize, where Global FinPrint lead scientist and FIU professor Demian Chapman has worked for nearly two decades on shark conservation.
- As part of Global FinPrint, FIU researchers have deployed baited remote underwater videos (BRUVs) to monitor the abundance and distribution of sharks and rays, hoping to fill critical data gaps and guide conservation strategies throughout the world.
