Hurricane Dean which made landfall along the East Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula on 21 August 2007 resulted in extensive damage to northern Belize. Hurricane Dean was ranked a Category Five hurricane on the Saffir Simpson Scale and registered maximum sustained winds of 165 mph with gale force winds extending up to 60 miles from the centre. Information contained in a Preliminary Report on Damage Assessment & Needs Analysis, carried out by the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), points to significant damage to the agriculture and fisheries sectors which have direct implications on the livelihoods of those persons living in the impacted areas.

The fisheries sector damage assessment indicates extensive loss of equipment by fishermen in the northern part of the country and predicts loss of stock and future revenue due primarily to impacts of the storm on crucial supporting habitats.

This project seeks to re-establish the fishing capacity of affected fishermen through the acquisition and replacement of lost and/ or damaged fishing gear and equipment. Participating fishers will be trained in sustainable fishing through their participation in a one day sustainable fishing workshop. The project also aims to reduce potential negative impact on the marine resources particularly potential over-fishing and unsustainable fishing within the marine reserves which make up the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System ? World Heritage Site.

UNDP is spearheading an initiative to support the recovery of the fisheries sector by channeling disaster recovery assistance to affected fishermen. UNDP has secured financial support for this effort from the Singapore Government, the Czech Government, and UNDP TRAC funds. The total project budget is BZ$ 235,700.00 of which BZ$ 95,500.00 is requested from the COMPACT Programme. This COMPACT project is therefore part of a larger initiative being administered by the Belize Fishermen Cooperative Association with technical support and financial oversight provided by the Belize Fisheries Department.