Belize Barrier Reef removed from endangered list

BELIZE CITY, Belize, CMC – The Belize Barrier Reef has been removed from the list of endangered World Heritage sites after nine years.

In a statement, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said the government had taken “visionary” steps to preserve it.

UNESCO added the reef to its list of world heritage sites in 1996 but said it was in danger in 2009 following plans by the government to allow oil exploration in nearby waters.

At its meeting in Bahrain on Monday, UNESCO praised Belize’s “visionary plan to manage the coastline”, saying that “the level of conservation we hoped for has been achieved”.

The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest in the world after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

It is home to many threatened species including marine turtles, manatees, and the American marine crocodile.

The decision to remove it from the endangered list comes just under a year after UNESCO opted not to place the Australian Great Barrier Reef on its danger list, as Australia had taken steps to preserve it. 

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