The Belize Barrier Reef is the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere, second in size globally only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (BBRRS) was the first marine World Heritage site in the Caribbean region when inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996. It is home to almost 1,400 species of flora and fauna, a complex of reef, mangrove and seagrass ecosystems, and over 300 cayes. These ecosystems are treasured by the Belizean populace for their economic and socio-cultural values. The aim of this scorecard is to assess how the Belizean government is currently performing in protecting the reef and to provide some recommendations in the lead-up to the WHC in July 2017 and beyond. WWF will use this scorecard to track future policies and actions by the Belizean government (WWF Description and Introduction).