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- [Narrator] Beautiful Belize. 
Abundant tropical rainforests, 
towering jungle mountains,

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and vivid coral reefs. With 
nearly 36% of its land and 20% 
of its ocean territory 
safeguarded within

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protected reserves, this small 
developing country stands out as 
a world leader in conservation.

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- We have had a long 
history of conservation,

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both from the terrestrial side 
and also from the marine side.

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- [Narrator] Belize recently 
made a bold commitment to 
preserving its stunning offshore

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ecosystems for future 
generations with a pledge to 
extend marine protections to 30% 
by 2026.

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This move marks more than four 
decades of sustainable 
management informed by science.

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- [Demian]

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In the late '80s and '90s they 
established the world's first 
Jaguar reserve, the Cockscomb 
Basin

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Wildlife Sanctuary, that was 
based on research by several 
people, including Dr. Alan 
Rabinowitz.

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- [Narrator] Using data 
collected from remote cameras 
and animal tagging,

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Panthera founder Alan 
Rabinowitz, a world expert on 
wildcats, inspired

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the Belizean government to 
protect its critical jaguar 
habitat in 1986.

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Today, marine scientists are 
using similar methods to inform 
management decisions about

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critical shark habitat, 
effectively creating the 
Cockscomb of the Sea.

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- [Demian] So we do all those 
same things here on the atolls,

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but for sharks, sort of 
the jaguars of the ocean.

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- [Narrator] Shark populations 
here serve not only an essential 
ecological role in the reef 
system,

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but they are paramount to the 
country's tourism industry and 
national fisheries,

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requiring the government of 
Belize to strike a delicate 
balance between stakeholders.

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- [Fisher] Conservation goes 
hand-in hand with the 
livelihood. If you conserve 
something, it doesn't

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mean you cannot fish it. It just 
means that you need to now 
operate in a more sustainable 
manner

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to ensure that you have this 
fishery for a very long time not 
just for you, but for your kids.

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- [Narrator] In a pioneering 
collaboration, marine scientists 
and local fishers work

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together to collect data on 
shark abundance inside and 
outside of protected areas.

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- [Researcher] 173.

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- [Narrator] These long-term 
surveys provide the

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fisheries department with what 
they need to manage shark 
populations sustainably.

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- [Researcher] The most 
efficient and most effective 
management plan

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that you can have is one where 
the people who actually use the 
resource,

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want to be involved, care about 
it, and want to protect it.

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- [Researcher] Alright, 
tag number 836.

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- [Narrator] More than 20 years

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in the making, these 
collaborative efforts to better 
understand shark

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behavior have already resulted 
in marine conservation 
successes. How are

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scientists, fishers, and 
managers working together to 
build more sustainable fisheries 
in Belize?

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And what does the future hold 
for local shark populations, the 
Jaguars of the Sea?