Recommendations for sustainable management of theChamaedorea (xaté) resources of the Chiquibul ForestReserve, Belize

The existing regulations drafted by the Belize Forest Department (BFD) governing the granting of xate concessions provide an excellent basis for the development of a sustainable national industry and should be maintained. These include: (i) the harvesting of adult palms only; (ii) the harvesting of one leaf per individual palm per year; (iii) entering the harvesting area once per year in order to minimize disturbances; iv) the development of a verifiable management plan based on inventory data which stipulates annual allowable cuts, (iv) the remove of only market-quality leaves from plants; (v) payment to xateros by quality of leaves rather than by quantity of leaves. The BFD should consider further restricting the harvesting of leaves from reproductively active individuals.