The Antillean or West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) is native to the western tropical atlantic, but primarily found along the southern coast of Florida and along the eastern coast of Central America. Belizean waters are believed to provide habitat for 300 - 700 Manatees, the largest population in Central America and the Caribbean. Manatees are endangered throughout its range and are protected internationally under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Green Reef Environmental Institute is seeking to execute a national Manatee awareness campaign following the award-winning Promoting Protection Through Pride campaign model for target-species conservation pioneered by RARE Center for Tropical Conservation.
The Pride campaign envisioned for the present will be executed in four phases. Phase I of the campaign will entail formal training of the Education Coordinator in conservation education & awareness marketing in an intensive, 10-week program held at the University of Kent in the UK. Phase II of the campaign will entail the organization of community planning workshops & surveys to aid in tailoring of marketing activities to the target region of Coastal Belize. Phase III will entail campaign implementation and include more than 25 specific activities designed to raise public awareness of Manatee conservation needs, the legal basis for their protection, their economic value for tourism, and the importance of the protected areas that have been specifically designated for their protection in Belize. Phase IV will entail a 2-week campaign effectiveness evaluation and final reporting undertaken at the University of Kent.