The purpose of this building block is to provide Blue Ventures’ partner community members with positive experiences of marine management, demonstrating that it can yield tangible economic benefits in reasonable timeframes. The short-term octopus fishery closure model involves periodic closures of a portion of a village’s octopus gleaning grounds. At any communally agreed time, up to a quarter of a community’s fishing area may be closed for around three months. This approach has been shown to result in dramatic increases in octopus landings and improved fisher incomes when closed areas are reopened to fishing (Oliver et al., 2015), thereby sparking and building enduring support for more ambitious marine management efforts (including the creation of permanent marine reserves within locally managed marine areas) that are led by communities, for communities. By returning meaningful economic benefits in timeframes that work for traditional fishers, these temporary octopus fishery closures inspire local leadership in marine conservation. The approach depends on and benefits from broad support from the entire seafood supply chain, with fishers and buyers now contributing to the modest costs of establishing and managing the closures.

The purpose of this building block is to provide all of Blue Ventures’ partner community members with access to voluntary family planning and other basic health services. In collaboration with Population Services International we have trained and are currently supporting networks of local women to offer family planning information and short-term contraceptives (condoms, hormonal pills and injections) in their villages. We also partner with Marie Stopes Madagascar to offer long-acting reversible contraceptives (hormonal implants and intra-uterine devices) on a regular basis. Our community-based distributors of contraceptives are also trained and supported to provide antenatal and postnatal education, mosquito nets, water purifying solution, oral rehydration salts and antenatal medication.

The enterprise helps to raise community awareness on the need for proper management of fisheries waste by collecting their waste, which is then picked-up by staff of Grupo Crustil. Training on the production of fish and shrimp meal is provided to increase staff competency. The enterprise is also presented to other communities in the area to facilitate its replication.

The results of our demonstrative models provide us with recommendations to improve national public policy and strengthen public agencies. The components of this program are:

1. Identification of problems and potential solutions. We conduct participatory research that engages both experts and local knowledge.

2. Evaluation of working arena. We develop a stakeholder map and an assessment to have the political context and identify key allies, including our community partners.

3. Work plan design. We design a plan (strategies and actions) aligned with national goals and international agreements, using the most best information available.

4. Work plan implementation. We implement and evaluate our activities and strategies to ensure our impact is strengthening public policy and agencies.

Currently, we have five strategies: capacity building for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; the creation of the National Prize for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture; the strengthening public participation in fisheries management and research; and the alignment of local actions to international agreements and instruments (Aichi Goals, SDG14, and FAO SSF Guidelines).

Different communication tools increase the audience and options to share information and deliver transparency on issues that related to natural resources in order to make more equitable decisions and in order to get support from the different stakeholders, such as the residents, the private sector and the local governments.

The results of the ecosystem services valuation can be used in applications to raise awareness, support decision-making, develop sustainable financing mechanisms, for spatial planning and for damage assessments. With scenarios, the study can assess certain policy issues, such as the economic loss if natural assets are damaged by, for example, sewage run-off. The applications answer questions relating to current environmental management issues on the islands. Stakeholders and local experts provided input determining the most relevant management issues to be used in local relevant scenarios.

In collaboration with fishers and key local stakeholders, we design, implement, and monitor marine reserves to foster the recovery of fisheries and marine ecosystems, both within and beyond the reserves. This building block has three branches:

1. Design. We have workshops with resource-users to present the marine reserves theory and to design the map of uses and ecosystems. We then conduct acceptance and cost analyses. We define the objectives of the reserves, select the best sites to meet these objectives, and finally define operation procedures, financial sustainability plans, and formal agreements with the cooperatives.

2. Monitoring and evaluation. We select indicators and monitoring methodologies to collect the data. Then, we train the community in the monitoring techniques so they can collect data, evaluate progress, and engage in the process.

3. Management. We support our community partners in all the paper work to make the reserve official, as well as to elaborate and refine operational plans for the success and adaptive management of the reserve. 

We have 79,500 marine hectares protected, more than 300 species monitored, and 100 Mexican fishers (including 18 women) trained in submarine and oceanographic monitoring techniques.

We promote the adoption of international standards for responsible fishing in collaboration with fishing organizations, governments, academia, and industry. We use the Fair Trade (FT), Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) standards to frame our action plans. The four phases of the building block are:

1. Healthy stocks. We evaluate the status of the fisheries in order to determine the proper management methods and instruments to apply, depending on the fishery (e.g., catch shares, effort control, size limits).

2. Healthy ecosystems. We evaluate the effect of the fishery on

other species and habitats, as well as the effects of environmental change to fisheries and community. The latter to promote adaptation. 

3. Robust governance systems. We promote the formation of groups to

define management rules (both formal and informal) in a collective, transparent,

and democratic way. We also calculate investment costs in sustainable fishing and define sustainable financial plans.

4. Social justice.  We apply social justice principles and practices within the fishery: clear access rights, compliance with occupational, health standards, and access to fair prices.

We have three capacity building programs to pursue legal, sustainable and competitive fishing practices:

1. Capacity building for leaders: It focuses on human development at the individual level. We identify community leaders and provide the tools and knowledge to strengthen their leadership for the common good. The leaders develop sustainable fishing and marine conservation projects, to which COBI provides follow-up. We have had 38 fellows from 18 communities.

2. Capacity building for fishing cooperatives: It provides legal guidance and

training to fishing cooperatives to improve their operations, be more competitive, and ensure financial sustainability in the mid and long-term. 26 cooperatives have participated in the program.

3. Capacity building for fishery committees and alliances: Designed to increase collective action in working groups that represent different stakeholders

and interests within a given area or resource. The program provides guidance to define common goals, rules for decision-making and operations, working plans, and a follow-up strategy. Four committees and an alliance have participated in the program.