Reef Conservation International

How the minimum criteria of the responsible travel standard was met...

Economic responsibility

ReefCI are a not for profit organisation and ensure that all funding goes into conservation. We are located in a non touristy basic town in Belize where there is 75% poverty. We bring tourists to the area who spend money in the bars and restaurants, taxis, with tour guides for terrestrial trips and local stores.

All of our supplies are bought locally from the market and general stores. ReefCI also spend money on fuel and with various local businesses such as the mechanic who services and maintains our boat.

Environmental responsibility

Working alongside the Belizean Department of Fisheries and local NGO’s we monitor and maintain the marine environment of the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve, Southern Belize. The work includes the surveying and monitoring of commercial species such as lobster and conch, surveying and helping to protect the spawning fish aggregations, water quality testing, turtle conservation, MBRS surveys and Reef Check surveys for long term global studies.

Social responsibility

It is important to us that both our staff and our guests integrate into the local community. We employ Belizean people and we run a training program for the youths of Toledo where we give young people who have little or no opportunity the chance to become Dive Masters and thus obtain well paid jobs in the tourist resorts such as San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.