Family planning and community health service delivery
Temporary octopus fishery closures
Locally managed marine areas
Community-based aquaculture
Processing enterprise
The small-scale processing factory produces fish and shrimp meal. The product is used as animal feed for poultry, pigs, cattle or farmed fish or shrimp, and as organic fertilizer. It is sold in local and regional markets.
The resources (1,000 tons of fisheries waste) was available for no additional costs
Existing local and subnational market
The management body realized the importance of capacity development in order to produce high-quality products that match common quality standards
It is possible to implement projects that generate income as well as having positive social and environmental effects
The project has been presented to other fishermen and communities in the Gulf of California, Mexico and the management body has been asked to advise the replication and implementation of this approach in other areas.
To receive federal government funding from the National Commission on Protected Areas and other supporters, the enterprise must demonstrate its environmental and social benefits (as detailed in the business plan) alongside the ability to be self-sustaining within a given period of time. The grant is used to purchase necessary equipment and train staff.
Subsidies by the Mexican government helped to hire a team and build capacities of the management body
It is important to explore different potential sources of funding
The project has to show that it can be self-sustaining at a certain stage and will not depend on subsidies for its implementation forever
A business plan for processing fish and shrimp waste into fishmeal is developed, defining the enterprise’s design and determining its costs. The plan incorporates the concept of operations, organisational structure, system design, production processes, training modules, marketing and sales as well as a feasibility analysis.
Definition of the organisation, administration and operation of the project
Technical assistance in the preparation of the business plan
Capacity building of the group that is managing the project
The business plan is the basis for the implementation and administration of the project
Defining the project’s feasibility needs to take the local conditions into consideration
Define the market potential and processes for commercialization
Cultural tourism provides an additional source of income for the local community. Guided tours promote community traditions, art of fishing and wealth of natural resources. However, if not well controlled and based upon with strong values and rules, recreational fishing can be unsustainable and a source of local conflict.
The Consorcio Por la Mar R.L developed guided visits to learn about the culture of being a small scale fisher in Costa Rica.
Cultural identity
Natural resource base recuperation
Traditional knowledge
Recreational fishing can be a new threat for the sustainable management of the marine area if it is not well controlled.
Cultural identity and traditional knowledge are very important for sustainable livelihoods
Norms and regulations need to be established before new activities start to function.
Recognition of women work in fisheries is important and very important for this process.
No training investment is really needed since fishers know by heart exactly what small scale fisheries is all about.
The fishers adopt voluntary standards for responsible fishing based on FAO recommendations. The Local Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries helps to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of coastal and marine resources and was applied once the Marine Responsible fishing area was recognized.
• A given tradition of environmental awareness with the locals
• Need to conserve natural heritage recognized.
• Collaborative governance model in place and participatory management plan developed.
Voluntary actions can be very effective if agreed and understood by all.
Each fisher records their daily fish catches, methods and site locations and feeds the information into a database. This information aids in monitoring the abundance and diversity of key species and serves as an important management tool. Data are analyzed by technicians/scientists, and the results are discussed with fishermen
Long term view of the process.
Data are gathered by fisher’s organization and are maintained as a collective asset.
Research questions adressed with the data base respond to the needs of fishers.
Information is power.
Participatory Information gathering is important for practical and immediate management of the fishery
Trustful relationship between technicians from institutions and fishers.
MRFA are defined as “areas where fishing activities are regulated to secure the sustainable use of resources in the long term and where the conservation, use and management action of INCOPESCA can count with the support of coastal communities and other institutions”. (Executive Decree No. 35502 of October 1st 2009).
This new legislation recognized the fishers effort for a collaborative governance model for the management of the marine territory.
The local community developed a Fisheries Management Plan based on their traditional knowledge. A commission, composed of members of the fishing cooperative and governmental authorities, is responsible for the further management of the area.
• A given tradition of environmental awareness with the locals
• Need to conserve natural heritage recognized.
• Respect for and inclusion of local and traditional knowledge for management.
Recognition of traditional knowledge is crucial for the management and conservation of a marine territory.
Fishers can do research as a process of learning new things.
It is better to do things than to say them with no practical implementation
Collaborative governance models recognition (as the Marine Responsible Fishing Areas) are crucial for the future conservation of the sea. Recognizing this other models of governance by the governments is a crucial issue for the future of marine conservation.
Identity, Participation and capacity strengthening of small scale fishers towards responsible fishing and a human rights approach to marine conservation is very important for conservation.
A participative process with artisanal fishers of Coope Tárcoles R.L., government authorities represented by INCOPESCA and CoopeSoliDar R.L. as a facilitator of the process, was initiated for the development of the MRFA fishing management plan.
Artisanal fishers and semi-industrial trawlers was agreed that semi-industrial trawlers would stay for 3 miles from the coast. During 2009 semi-industrial trawlers made the proposal to move out from water areas with a depth of 15 meters or less but requested that artisanal shrimp fishers had also to respect this no fishing zone so that the white shrimp population could recuperate faster.
There was also an agreement for a one-year ban on shrimp captures by artisanal and commercial fleets, which was transformed in year 2012 by the INCOPESCA Board of Directors into a national decree (AJDIP-193) as stipulated by the MRFA decree.
After the ban, Coope Tárcoles R.L. requested permits for shrimp fishing. This request was backed up by the INCOPESCA research department and approved and the shrimp semi-industrial trawlers were requested to permanently stay out of the agreed 15 meter zone. Later, shrimp trawlers agreed to move out of the area 5 nautical miles from the coast to support sustainable shrimp populations.
• Cooperation with and assistance by Coope Solidar
Government and shrimp fishing industry willing to dialogue
Prior informed consent is important
Capacity strengthening and respect of local views and cultural identity is crucial
