Recognition of the traditional knowledge and socio-cultural role of fishers in monitoring, surveillance, and waste management activities.

It is based on the explicit recognition of traditional knowledge and the socio-cultural role of fishers in the management and conservation of natural protected areas. The approach is organized around the three pillars of the conservation agreements: recognition of traditional knowledge, vigilance, and waste management, within the framework of a participatory and co-responsibility process. Their empirical experience on the high seas is valued to identify species, ecological interactions and environmental changes, strengthening their participation as ecosystem watchdogs. Citizen science is promoted to record biodiversity and encourage integrated waste management from departure to return to port. 

  • To rescue the traditional knowledge of the artisanal fisher in his knowledge of the environment, of the resources, understanding the level of risk of the activity. 
  • To know and share the experience of the activity and the offshore marine environment. 
  • Articulate the experience to the tasks and goals to be achieved in the management of the NPA. Citizen research or monitoring, surveillance actions and care of the marine ecosystem with the management of solid waste and recovery of abandoned fishing gear. 
  • Include in the training package, topics that are of genuine interest to local stakeholders, which help with the certifications required by PRODUCE or SANIPES, articulating these to the conservation goals. 
  • With the passage of time and technological progress, traditional knowledge is being lost. 
  • Conservation tasks such as waste management require a gradual adaptation and the involvement of other institutions to guarantee the effectiveness of the collection and final disposal system.
  • Failure to comply with agreements or to keep stakeholders informed of changes generates mistrust. 
Multi-Sector Partnerships

Strong collaboration between government agencies, research institutions, local farmers, and private sector partners mobilizes resources, enhances project sustainability, and empowers local communities. 

 

Community Engagement and Capacity Building

Women and youth are prioritized for training, ensuring equitable access to new agricultural technologies and leadership opportunities. 

Field Testing and Demonstration Plots

Testing these microbial formulations on coffee farms ensures their effectiveness and builds local capacity in sustainable agricultural practices. 

Science-Driven Sustainable Agriculture

The project uses genomic sequencing and metagenomic analyses to identify effective bioactive pest control agents. These lab-based solutions are translated into practical, farmer-friendly products through farmer field schools and demonstration plots. The project’s microbial formulations were developed with a plan to optimize and re-test the most effective formula for broader adoption. 

Participatory Planning and Indigenous Knowledge Integration

Recognizing that local communities hold deep environmental knowledge, the project conducted household surveys and community dialogues to map perceptions and practices around soil, water, and land use. This building block answered “what” (the lived experiences and practices of smallholders), “why” (planning must reflect cultural context), and “how” (engaging farmers in co-design). Farmers shared observations about decreasing water availability, shifting rainfall, and soil degradation. These insights complemented scientific models. In response, the project promoted culturally rooted practices like terracing, organic fertilization, and home gardening. Gender-sensitive approaches empowered women as leaders in ecological restoration and household resilience.

Deep-rooted cultural knowledge, community trust, and strong leadership enabled inclusive planning. Facilitators fluent in local languages and customs built bridges between science and tradition.

Respecting indigenous knowledge fostered ownership and sustainability. Creating space for women and youth increased innovation and resilience. The process strengthened community cohesion and built confidence in local solutions. Replication requires long-term engagement and respect for socio-cultural norms.

PAMS Dashboard + Community Co-Design

The Protected Area Management System (PAMS) by NOARKTECH is a centralized, intuitive dashboard aggregating data from edge devices. Co-designed with forest officials and community members, it delivers predictive analytics, real-time alerts, and supports evidence-based decision-making.

  • User-focused design through participatory field engagements
  • Integration of remote sensing data and satellite overlays for broader context
  • Offline functionality and multilingual interface increase usability across regions
  • Adaptive interfaces tailored to specific users (rangers, farmers, analysts) increase engagement
  • Alert fatigue can be reduced by dynamic thresholding and contextual relevance
  • Sustained use requires continued training and localized support channels
Promoting artisanal fishing with good practices and banning industrial fishing

Industrial fishing causes serious impacts such as the destruction
of the marine food chain -especially when catching key species
such as shrimp- and the use of fishing gear that affects dolphins,
turtles, sharks and even whales, which suffer injuries or stress
due to noise and blows. The purpose of the ban on industrial
fishing has been to reduce these impacts. In addition, responsible
artisanal fishing is promoted, avoiding altering the ecological
balance and using more sustainable methods, such as the use of
curved hooks that protect vulnerable species by preventing them
from being easily hooked. Their fishing is based on selective
techniques such as hand-lining or spinning, which conserves
species and ensures a viable fishery in the long term.

The existence of specific regulations to regulate the ZEPA and to
establish prohibitions, together with the obligation that these
regulations be respected and accepted by the different
stakeholders.

For the proper implementation of the ZEPA, it is necessary to
work with the actors in charge of surveillance and control
processes so that the established prohibitions are actually
respected.

Technical assistance and scientific monitoring focused on artisanal fisheries

Several organizations and researchers have carried out
monitoring work focused on artisanal fisheries, generating
valuable information that highlights the importance of this area.
These data, complemented by technical assistance, have served
as a fundamental basis for establishing and sustaining the ZEPA.

The support of civil society organizations working in the area and
public entities that have been responsible for conducting studies
and generating technical information.

Technical assistance and scientific monitoring require different
types of resources that are not always available, which is why
action routes must be identified to obtain these resources.

Local leadership processes leveraged by local governance schemes

The local leadership process began between 1997 and 1998,
when a group of artisanal fishers identified a growing conflict
with industrial fishing that affected their practices and territories.
The most critical point of the conflict occurred between 2002 and
2005, when the industry intensified its presence, generating loss
of equipment and greater pressure on the resources. This
prompted the community to organize to represent their interests
and seek solutions from the government. Leveraged by local
governance schemes, these leaders were able to support each
other in order to advance the process of establishing the ZEPA.

The existence and support of consolidated civil society structures
such as the Interinstitutional and Community Group for Artisanal
Fishing, which contributed to representing community initiatives
and the interests of fishing communities.

It is essential that the leadership processes remain organized and
with clear objectives in order to continue defending the ZEPA and
advance in greater guarantees for its protection.