Fishing Gear Slowly Kills Enormous Critically Endangered Crocodile in Belize

After a large, critically endangered crocodile died slowly and painfully from a fishing gear injury, it was discovered floating belly-up.

A local fisherman in Belize found the 11-foot crocodile on November 5 in the Placencia Lagoon. The Crocodile Research Coalition (CRC), a neighborhood nonprofit conservation organization, was notified and discovered that the reptile had passed away 48 to 72 hours earlier as a result of ingesting a baited hook.

Slow and Agonizing Death

It is widespread practice for fishermen to opt for baited hooks to catch grouper, but this method of fishing is indiscriminate, which means other wildlife can be caught and killed, according to a Facebook post by the CRC. The crocodile can suffer a slow and agonizing death if the hooks pierce through its stomach as well as other internal organs. This approach is comparable to gill nets.

American Crocodiles, Critically Endangered in Belize

One of the biggest crocodile species is the American crocodile, which can reach a length of 20 feet and a weight of 2,000 pounds. They can survive in both brackish and fresh waters and are found in coastal lagoons, river estuaries, and mangrove swamps. According to the CRC, they are critically endangered in Belize and are listed as vulnerable globally on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Because of habitat loss, illegal hunting, and pollution, Belize has a very small population of genetically pure American crocodiles. The remaining population is largely made up of hybrids.

According to National Geographic, only 1,000-2,000 American crocodiles exist in Mexico, Central America, and South America. The survey data is severely constrained for all of their habitats, except for Florida. Only 250 crocodiles were found in Belize at the time of the most recent survey, which was conducted in 2000.

Nearly the entirety of the American crocodile's range in North, Central, and throughout South America is regarded as being at risk, despite recent population trends showing an increase.

The majority of the nations in the range of the American crocodile have passed protection laws, but sadly, few of them are effectively enforced.

Illegal Activity

Marisa Tellez, a crocodile specialist and CRC founder, said that the most recent instance of this occurred in 2019 using a baited hook, as CRC also noted in their post. Crocodile hunting is forbidden in Belize, but it's highly unlikely that anyone who did it will be caught.

She said that it is common to hear fishermen and hunters argue that people from Honduras and Guatemala are primarily responsible for the illegal activity taking place in this area.

Tellez added that It cannot be proven in every instance, but given that fishermen and hunters from Honduras and Guatemala are frequently detained for interfering with our wildlife, it is not improbable that some of the problems in the lagoon are not native to Belize. However, a large number of immigrants are also arriving who are either unaware of Belizean laws or do not share Belizeans' affinity for the natural world, Newsweek reports.