The Authority's Overview
The Belize Port Authority (BPA) is a statutory body established in 1980 and currently falls under the portfolio of the Ministry Public Utilities, Energy & Logistics. The Authority is administered by a Board of Directors.
The Ports Commissioner oversees the daily operations of the Belize Port Authority (BPA), supported by a team of 66 staff dedicated to strengthening capacity and serving the maritime community. The BPA is headquartered in Belize City, with 24-hour marine offices in San Pedro, Big Creek, Punta Gorda, and Placencia.
As Belize’s principal maritime agency, the BPA regulates and develops ports, harbors, and shipping, ensures the safety of vessels navigating Belizean waters, conducts regular patrols in inland, coastal, and offshore areas, and clears and inspects foreign vessels to ensure compliance with national and international regulations.
Quarterly inspections are conducted at the various port facilities to ensure that the ports are safe, operational and are in compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code of the International Maritime Organization.
Mariners are urged to practice safe boating and familiarize themselves with all relevant laws and regulations!
Help us serve you better by reporting incidents such as:
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🚤 Speeding in no-wake zones
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💡 Sabotage of navigational lights in the harbor
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🚫 Non-functional navigational lights
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⚠️ Boating violations
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⚖️ Overloaded vessels
Please report accidents/incidents by emailing 📧 vto@portauthority.bz or by calling our emergency hotline 📞 (number listed below).
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National Maritime Communication Center:
Toll Free Emergency Number: 966
Duties and Responsibilities of the Authority
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Operate the port in a way that best serves the public interest.
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Regulate and control navigation within national waterways, harbors, ports, and their approaches.
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Maintain, improve, and regulate port facilities and services as needed.
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Provide pilotage services, beacons, buoys, and other navigational aids for ports and their approaches, as required.
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Exercise duties and functions related to shipping and navigation as outlined in other laws.