From INDIEGOGO

Choose Life. Save the Caribbean with Reef Conservation International!

I’m Polly Alford, CEO and Founder of ReefCI. After years of grinding it out with a large, multinational corporation, I followed my heart and relocated to Belize to open a conservation organization. Selling my home and using my life’s savings, I founded Reef Conservation International, ReefCI, a registered Belizean Non-Profit organization.

An avid diver and PADI Instructor, I created a unique program in which ReefCI’s multifaceted conservation efforts could be shared and experienced by everyone from professionals to students to tourists.

By exposing more people to the beauty of our oceans and reefs and educating them on the importance of keeping them healthy and alive, we are creating a strong community of advocates who will help insure the ocean and it’s many creatures and inhabitants will continue to provide sustenance, income and enjoyment for generations to come.

While ReefCI has many important initiatives, none in recent years is more critical than the eradication of the Lionfish.

The Lionfish invasion is arguably the worst marine disaster in history! Not native to Caribbean waters, Lionfish were first spotted in Belize in 2009, and they have multiplied at frightening rates ever since. They have no natural enemies and are systematically killing off key species of fish, crustaceans and coral.

No other organization in Belize has done more to address the Lionfish problem than ReefCI.

Unless we wish to face a natural disaster from which we can never recover, the extinction of fish species and the death of the second largest barrier reef in the world, we must expand our efforts now.

Our needs are financial and without your support, we will be faced with the harsh reality of being unable to continue. With your support, we can go on. We can educate more people and expand the efforts in Belize and other parts of the Caribbean and the United States. With your support, we will save the beautiful ocean and reef for our children and their children and the generations beyond.

What We Need & What You Get
The number one expense for ReefCI is the maintenance and running of our boats. Fuel is very pricey and our engines are old and inefficient.

To replace the old engines with new, fuel and energy efficient 4-stroke 250 Yamaha’s, we need to raise $50,000 US. Reaching this level of funding will be sufficient to allow us to continue our efforts in a manner similar to what we are doing today.

If we are able to raise more money, we can invest in relocating our business from Punta Gorda to Placencia where we will realize incredible savings in fuel by being 17 miles closer to the reef and our operations based in the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve.

Additionally, with more funding, we can purchase much needed equipment such as spears, fish bags, dive gear and tanks. On the island, solar power energy and an additional compressor could be purchased and some upgrades to the property could be realized. While our accommodation is clean and basic, small improvements would be helpful in attracting more and more people to our program.

If we do not reach our goal of $50,000 or more, we will use whatever funds we have to replace an engine at a time and continue to look for ways to operate in the bootstrapping method we’ve always employed. We will do this, but time is of the essence and the Lionfish problem is growing rapidly. Please consider helping us move more quickly by giving today.

If you choose to help, we will have some great benefits and perks available! Please see perks for detail.

The Impact
Lionfish are indigenous in the Indio Pacific oceans and the Red Sea but not the Atlantic-Caribbean belt. In their natural environment, they have a diet that is not a threat, and they have natural predators. However, In the Atlantic and Caribbean oceans, they are feeding on species that are key to our environment such as juvenile wrasse, parrotfish, and crustaceans. Lionfish are voracious predators and can consume huge percentages of juvenile fish recruits. And, they breed rapidly releasing around 20,000 eggs every 4 days!

Our coral reefs and oceans have an important role in the world economy and in world health. Over 42 million people make their living from the coral reefs primarily through fishing and tourism. If the reef dies, what will happen? Additionally, commercially important species will reduce or disappear making the price of fish skyrocket for everyone. This could easily force fisherman out of business and create the need for millions of people to alter the way they eat and their primary sources of protein.

But, it’s not just the fishermen who are in danger. With no fish or reef, there will be no divers and far fewer tourists. Diving alone is a $2.1 billion business in the Caribbean. Hotels, restaurants, dive operations, and other tourist attractions will close and local economies will tank.

A single Lionfish may reduce the number of juvenile native fish on any given reef by approximately 79% in just 5 weeks! Removing 20 Lionfish on a single dive equates to saving approximately 300,000 juvenile fish over a one-year period. ReefCI, on average, removes 50 Lionfish on every dive, and we can multiply that with each diver we educate and teach to help.

Additionally, ReefCI has been instrumental in teaching local restaurants the value of putting Lionfish on the menu. They are delicious and, by creating a demand for them as food, we can increase the desire of the fishing community to participate in our efforts.

ReefCI also works with local women who use the Lionfish spines to make beautiful jewelry. ReefCI is helping empower them by creating a sustainable source of income.
Risks & Challenges

Certainly every organization could potentially face financial ruin and dissolve. We believe this risk, for ReefCI, is mitigated by our 11 year history of success in Belize. Our experienced staff is efficient and hard working and we stretch each and every dollar to the limit. We are committed to ongoing success and to making a positive impact in the world.

Other Ways You Can Help

While our primary needs are financial, if you cannot afford to give, there are other ways you can help.

First, develop a passion for our oceans and coral reefs. Educate yourself on their importance and enjoy the beauty and vitality.

Second, take that passion and turn it into action! Tell your family, friends and contacts about the marine disaster accelerating in the Atlantic-Caribbean basin and ask them to help. Post the link to our Indiegogo site on your personal social media pages and help us spread the word and expand our community of supporters.

Finally, come to Belize, visit us at ReefCI, and see for yourself. Once you’ve experienced the beauty and majesty, you will want to join us in our conservation efforts.

Thank you for your consideration and gift of time or money. You can be part of the solution!

Help make it happen For Help ReefCI Save The Caribbean! and the team!

To donate and view video go to: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-reefci-save-the-caribbean#/story