An Overview Of Our Solution
Implementation of sustainable fishing practices for biodiversity conservation and market improvement
Who is this solution impacting?
Ecosystem
Oceans/Coasts
Community Type
Rural
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: South America
Problem
Describe the problem
Fisheries on the Colombian Pacific Coast are over-exploited, an issue detrimental for the natural resources and the livelihood of local people. CIMAD started to establish sustainable standards for artisanal fishing as means of conserving biodiversity and increasing economic benefits for fishermen. Circular hooks are replacing traditional J-hooks, and fisheries zonation is in place. With our backing, local fishermen will apply other sustainable practices adding value to their catch. Also, we have identified restaurants are interested of green initiatives and committed to support direct market opportunities for environmentally friendly products. CIMAD is working at both ends of market chain to promote awareness of biodiversity conservation and equitable commerce for local communities.
Biodiversity Impact
Implementation of sustainable fishing practices will protect biodiversity and bring new economic opportunities for local communities of the Colombian Pacific coast. Our goal is that local fishermen apply high standards of sustainable fishing including: use adequate fishing gear, reduce by-catch, respect size limits, avoid nursery areas and reproductive seasons and eliminate capture of endangered species. For the last four years CIMAD has been working with local fishermen of Guapi on the replacement of hooks to reduce by-catch of endangered sea turtles species. Results indicate that use of circular hooks helps reducing the accidental capture of sea turtles and increases the size of fish caught. This project has been very successful among fishermen who continue to bring rescued sea turtles to our rehabilitation center (CERETOMA) and they now prefer to use the circular hooks for all their benefits. We will continue to work with local communities to implement the other sustainable fishing practices mentioned to promote ecosystems health and secure long-term fishing. Additionally, global markets are increasingly favoring products obtained through environmentally friendly practices. We will help fishermen find new markets for sustainable fished products by reducing intermediate dealers thus increasing the income they receive. We will also launch a campaign to promote consumption of environmentally friendly fished products in Cali, the largest city in Colombia close to the Pacific coast.
Solution
A recent assessment of artisanal fisheries in the Colombian Pacific coast shows that most commercial species are over-exploited. Decreasing patterns in the abundance and capture size of are reported for some of the most important species. Similarly, research carried out by CIMAD in the southern Pacific coast indicate that current fishing practices do not follow standards for responsible fishing; fishermen are catching juveniles of vulnerable species such as sharks and endangered species such as sea turtles and groupers. On the other hand, operation costs for fishermen are high and they usually depend on loans from the local commercial intermediary, making their fishing practice unsustainable from the economic perspective and promoting indiscriminate fishing (any size of any species) to make ends meet. By training fishermen on responsible fishing practices and providing markets for the products obtained in such way, our solution will make fisheries healthier and bring higher profit to local communities improving their livelihoods. // The implementation of sustainable fishing practices among local communities in Guapi and nearby localities is affecting an area of ca. 30,000 ha. Total fishing area comprises the entire coast of Cauca Department, an area that we have started to divide, in collaboration with fishermen, into distinctive fishing zones. Fishing area zonation is important in the application of sustainable practices. Fish catch this way and delivered with the minimum of intermediaries to the urban consumers will benefit not only local fishermen and their families but very important for us, the diminishing oceanƒ??s natural resources.
Replicability
How many years has your solution been applied? 4 years // Have others reproduced your solution elsewhere? No // As part of the capacity building stage, we are and will continue to train fishermen about conservation issues of the marine environment, responsible fishing practices and their benefits and monitoring methods of fisheries indicators. CIMAD will support a local artisanal fisheries association to design and implement a systematic monitoring program that helps them assess stock's trends and produce valuable information for seafood retailers and consumers. Monitoring results will help fishermen understand and adapt to climatic changing conditions (e.g.: seawater temperature). It is expected that in two years time the fishermen association will be capable of carrying out the monitoring on their own. Regarding monitoring costs, a higher value of sustainable fished products and a shorter market chain will generate a higher income for fishermen that can be partially used to finance monitoring activities in the future. We will implement an outreach and education campaign to raise awareness among consumers about current status of marine ecosystems and the importance of sustainable fishing. As it has occurred in other countries, we expect to start a citizen's movement supporting sustainable seafood consumption. CIMAD wants to begin building a bridge between fishermen and consumers so that, not only consumers are influenced by the dynamics of artisanal fisheries, but also fishermen comply to demands from consumers for more sustainable products. In the long term, we foresee that restaurants and supermarkets will also be involved and engaged in outreach activities.
Human Well Being and Livelihood Impact
Artisanal fishermen in Guapi currently depend on local commercial intermediaries to sell the fishing catch and these products go through several layers of intermediaries before reaching the final consumer. Along this market chain, middle intermediaries gain the largest share of the profit while the fishermen receive a relatively small profit. By finding new and direct markets and creating direct links between responsible fishermen and final consumers, our solution will improve fishermen income and increase awareness among seafood buyers. We plan to suppress commercial intermediaries so that the fishermen receive a higher price for their products and final consumers support environmentally friendly fishing. Our local fishermen group is composed of 40 people, each one of them supporting a family of 2-3 members. // CIMAD has been working towards empowering fishermen associations about preserving their natural resources and improving their livelihood. By identifying natural leaders among the fishermen we are building capacity among local communities to manage their resources in a sustainable manner. CIMAD through initiatives such as Conservation Agreements has empowered groups of local fishermen who receive financial benefits by helping preserve sea turtles. Through the continuing effort of CIMAD in the region environmental conscience has risen among locals. CIMAD also supported the creation of the group “Tejedoras de Vida†(Life Weavers) among the wives of fishermen who make handcrafts from recycled plastic collected in beach cleaning campaigns; this group has received extra income for this activity and most importantly are organized around activities good for the environment and good for the local economy. Through these small but significant steps CIMAD has supported the formation of stronger leaders in the local community. CIMAD efforts in capacity building for natural resource management are an ongoing endeavor. In implementing sustainable fishing practices CIMAD will work hand by hand with local communities, generating new skills to commercialized their products in a direct manner, we expect that once commercialization is under way local leaders will be able to continue taking advantage of this newly created market on their own.