THE HISTORY OF BICA
In 1987 and 1989, the forests on Roatan was ablaze from out
of control burning. Many fires were set, scars of which are
still on the island. It was part of the practice of slash
and burn agriculture, where the land is set on fire to
clear it for cattle grazing. There was a mistaken belief
that cleared land was more valuable. Around that time,
there was a growing awareness that the reef was
deteriorating due to sedimentation from the land and
overfishing and physical anchor damage
BICA opened its first office in Coxen Hole in 1991. We
immediately began community outreach and education on the
importance and fragility of our island's ecosystem.
In 1995, BICA agreed to manage the Sandy Bay-West End Marine
Reserve, which
it still manages.
As a private organization, BICA relies on contributions
from its members, along with grants raised from
governmental and private sources. Although we are a small
organization, our work has brought us recognition both
nationally and internationally.