Family planning and community health service delivery
Temporary octopus fishery closures
Locally managed marine areas
Community-based aquaculture
Integration of ecosystem valuation into management
The results of economic valuation studies make a great argument for the establishment of protected areas and the management of endangered ecosystems. Taking the results to the community, presenting them at community meetings, discussing them with fishers or other stakeholders can gain their support in the planned management. Especially when presenting the (economic) importance of healthy marine ecosystems to decision makers, this can be a powerful tool to reach and eventually influence political agendas to integrate and focus on marine conservation and the sustainable management of resources.
Management plan forms basis for management decision of MPA
Transparent and result-driven communication to all stakeholders
Identifying ecologically important areas before incorporation
Using data as a solid part of the Marine Park Management Plan
Communication of results to stakeholders is a key to effective management
By interviewing stakeholders who are depending on the ecosystem in question for their income (e.g. dive shop owners, fishers, tourists and other tourism industry) and the use of complementary data, a compelling picture of the importance of healthy marine ecosystems for the economy can be painted, e.g. through displaying the expected annual revenues in the different commercial sectors related to the coral reef. This valuation method is based on an approach developed by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and the World Resource Institute’s (WRI) Coastal Capital Project. Moreover, the use of questionnaires supports awareness building among the various stakeholders being interviewed and initiates a dialogue about the importance of conservation and sustainable management.
Identification and pre-analysis of the relevant stakeholder groups
Personal interaction with different stakeholder groups while running questionnaires
Well-considered communication about the survey’s purpose
Knowledge of the best and most appropriate valuation tool
A personally performed interview is crucial to success and the receiving of data. A simple delivery of the questionnaires does not activate enough responding.
The software used was adjusted by the St. Maarten Nature Foundation to reflect St. Maarten’s unique ecological and economic situation.
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.
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
Results, achievements and learning experiences of the program were disseminated among different audiences to illustrate the impact of the innovative business model. This implies communications with the end users about arrangements for conservation and sustainable management, ethics and fair nature of trade agreements for suppliers, and the results and impact of this business model, so that their consumer decisions become effective support to it.
Communication of lessons learned during implementation of the project taking into account the different target audience, to share the results and achievements of the project visible to the players that make possible the design and EcoGourmet initiative, organize or disclose the stories and experiences, so that not only results count as facts and figures, but changes, perceptions and learning that have a greater qualitative component, especially those involved in the project (organizations, beneficiaries, etc.).
The previous experience with WOK restaurants and Red de Frio, gives a good example how to improve the conditions of community-based organizations and the perceptions on consumers in Bogotá and Cali.
The dissemination of impacts and results is easy via social networks such as twitter and facebook.
The communication process for the program has generated some notes regarding the business model, however the disclosure will be more when the program starts with the market agreement.
Customers of associated EcoGourmet restaurants are sensitized on responsible consumption via workshops and restaurants's placemats containing information about sustainable fishing and responsible consumption.
Commitment of participating restaurants to sustainable fishing.
The tendency of consumers is changing, so are willing to try and know more about the origin and production process of their food.
The project allowed to reach thousands of consumers with messages emphasizing the importance of preserving marine resources.
Trade agreements between restaurants and local organizations promote a fair compensation that recognizes the actions taken by grassroots organizations in favor of conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Restaurants and local organizations sign and implement these agreements to sustainably manage coastal and marine ecosystems. They establish a strategic network to engage in a process whose priority is the sustainability of natural resources.
Commitment of local producers and consumers (restaurants) to produce and offer high quality fish products.
Following a code for responsible fisheries (i.e. compliance to minimum sizes of fish) leads to high quality of fish products, generate economic benefits to local communities and positive impacts on the environmental status.
The communities are willing to generate conservation mechanisms such as protected area, but to organize and implement the agreement takes time and resources.
Strengthening administrative and accounting considering the weaknesses identified under two diagnostic tools Interagency Conflict Assessment Framework (ICAF) & FOCO.
Implementing best fishing practices with investment in fishing gear, boats and engines, as well in the handling and processing during the post capture handle adequately in the collection centres, according to the quality standards and procedures. This component involves investments in infrastructure, equipment and tools for their processing area.
Establish and implement logistic processes internally and externally to ensure the cold chain and distribution.
The replacement of nets, hooks, fishing gears, boats and engine it´s been a process with the national authority Autoridad Nacional de Acuicultura y Pesca (AUNAP) since 2012.
The community based organizations have been establish and functioning for more than 3 years. Most of them have done projects with different entities.
Community-based organizations need a lot of following up for the administrative and accountable progress.
The logistic process needs to be an effort of all the value chain to guarantee the quality of the products.
Good practices for fishing, manufacturing, storage and marketing of fish products were implemented together with artisanal fishing communities in the Colombian Pacific coast. A way of measuring the proper implementation of these good practices is also being developed. Results and impacts were measured through biological and socioeconomic monitoring of key variables to as to evaluate the changes achieved by the project, both in ecosystems and in organizations or executing agencies.
Communities are aware of their ecosystems and the pressure on it, so are available for a solution.
The communities know and understand the importance to register information of the species, frequency of capture and size for guarantee a sustainable fisheries.
With the previous experience, we have learned the importance of measure results and impacts in the long run to be able to follow up changes at the organization and ecosystem level.
The communities are willing to generate conservation mechanisms such as protected area, but to organize and implement the agreement take time and resources.
The monitor system and data collection demand lots of time and expenses. Also to be representative it´s necessary to have serious of time for a statistical analysis and species pressure simulation.
