An Overview Of Our Solution
Fishers working together for Sustainable Development
Who is this solution impacting?
Ecosystem
Océanos/Costas
Community Type
Rural
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: América del norte
Problem
Describe the problem
A Community-based Marine Area for Responsible Artisanal Fishing is the solution that CoopeTárcoles R.L. -a fishers cooperative in Tárcoles, Costa Rica -with the support of CoopeSoliDar R.L, is implementing to sustainably manage the local fishery, promote the responsible use of resources and the inclusion of artisanal fisherfolk and community organizations in marine conservation. This initiative has entailed efforts for organizational strengthening, consensus-building, inter-sectorial alliance development and policy-making. The importance of this community marine conservation initiative lies in the legacy that a group of artisanal fishers wants to leave to the future generations that will depend on the sea for their livelihoods and life improvement.
Biodiversity Impact
The Marine Area of Responsible Fishing and the community of Tárcoles are located in a rich biodiversity and fishing area in the Central Pacific of the country. However the overexploitation of fisheries by the semi-industrial fishing sector and a lack of fisheries management and control by the government has had negative consequences on the health of the marine ecosystem and biodiversity- an example of this is the reduction of the availability of one of the most popular and representative species of shrimp of the area. The fishery´s depletion has impacted negatively the livelihoods and quality of life of the local fishers and their families. The Marine Area for Responsible Fishing of Tárcoles promotes control and regulated and responsible resource use. It creates and implements regulations, with monitoring and vigilance measures that enhance the enforcement of the regulations and therefore generate a healthier local fishery and a better quality of life for the community that depends majorly on the ocean and its resources. Its implementation creates sustainable fisheries and promotes and allows the recuperation of the ecosystem, by protecting important sites for species reproduction- such as the mouth of rivers and estuaries and areas near the shore, allowing the species to complete their reproduction cycle, implementing CoopeTárcoles R.L. Responsible Fishing Code (adopted in 2004) and allowing only responsible fishing gear and the elimination of destructive practices. The Marine Area, also, contains a trawling exclusion zone, where only line fishing is permitted.
Solution
The Marine Area of Responsible Fishing of T?rcoles involves a series of fisheries management regulations for artisanal fishing and semi-industrial fishing (trawlers). Moreover, a one-mile trawling exclusion zone has been created to prohibit damaging fishing activities that are the main threat to the local fishery. The other two key tactics that our Solution employs to protect biodiversity against local threats and promote ecosystem health are: i) the designation of a system of vigilance and patrolling of the area for regulation enforcement and ii) the collection and management of local fisheries information (CoopeT?rcoles R.L. Data-Base) for monitoring and decision-making. This detailed data-base, that includes a series of indicators and parameters endorsed by academic institutions and the government, has demonstrated since 2006 the state of the fishery and will be able to track and monitor the recuperation of the fishery and its resources, proving and justifying the results of the measures put in place, and prolonging the trawling exclusion seasons. The data-base and thus the information availability have been also important for the fishers to defend the responsible fishing practices and promote the sustainability and conservation of the marine resources. The local fishers are committed to fishing responsibly in order to protect the biodiversity and the fishery resources in the hope of a recuperated fishery and thus a better future. SEE VIDEO: http://vimeo.com/29975342 http://vimeo.com/20147792 // The Marine Area for Responsible Fishing of T?rcoles comprises of 3 miles off the coast, and 7 hectares along the coast. The trawling exclusion area is of one mile off the coast for the first year of implementation. This was the distance that was possible to negotiate with the industrial fishing sector. However the regulations can change to allow the expansion of the current exclusion zone when the data of CoopeT?rcoles R.L. proofs the effectiveness of this regulation for the sustainability of the fishery and the recuperation of species productivity. The Community-based Marine Area for Responsible Artisanal Fishing of T?rcoles is the product of the efforts and struggle of the artisanal fishers of CoopeT?rcoles R.L. to generate the sustainability of the fishery, rich in resources in this area, and promote the conservation of coastal and marine resources, that provide the livelihoods for many in the coastal community of T?rcoles.
Replicability
How many years has your solution been applied? 7 years // Have others reproduced your solution elsewhere? Yes // The Marine Area For Responsible Fishing of Tárcoles is managed by a participatory operational plan for small-scale fisheries, which has defined 6 different zones, each with specific regulations for the sustainable use of resources and that go accordingly with the ecosystem characteristics and the conservation needs. The fishers are the key stakeholders in this process, as daily users of the resources and ecosystem, and they have been the central resource managers and main actors in building this initiative. A locally adapted Code of Responsible Fishing, a locally managed data-base, and a participatory mapping of the fishing areas, have been all key processes that have enabled the recognition and management of this Community-based Marine Area. The information that is being used to generate the regulations and monitoring of the Marine Area comes from the local fishing Data-Base of CoopeTárcoles R.L. This data will be also central to evaluate the results of the strategy and its impacts in the local fishery and marine ecosystem. The decision-making and regulation monitoring for the Marine Area for Responsible Fishing of Tárcoles is engaging not only fisherfolk but as well local community organizations and governmental institutions. Meetings with all the involved stakeholders and sectors have been organized by CoopeTárcoles R.L. to follow up with the implementation and decision-making.
Human Well Being and Livelihood Impact
Fisheries are a source of human well-being and provide the livelihood to many poor coastal communities. The Marine Area for Responsible Artisanal Fishing, implements measures to allow the sustainability of the local fishery, and is also securing the artisanal fisherfolk´s rights of access to resources, food security, participation in decision-making, promoting equity and protecting their cultural identity. Moreover, the Marine Area for Responsible Fishing of Tárcoles has enhanced a process of community development, promoting the culture, knowledge and way of life of artisanal fishers; strengthening children, women and youth involvement in marine conservation and responsible use of resources, and strengthening the self-esteem of fish-workers, that include not only fishers, but all the others involved in the productive chain of the fishing activity such as mollusk collectors and lujadoras (men and women that work untangling the fishing lines and nets). Our solution is improving the livelihoods and benefitting a large number of fishers, fishworkers and their families: 35 artisanal fishers associated to CoopeTárcoles R.L., 30 (approximately) independent artisanal fishers from Tárcoles, 10 direct fishworkers, (approximately) 18 lujadoras, three other fishing communities (Pojeres, Pita and Playa Azul) with approximately 30 fishers, plus all the individuals involved in the productive chain of the fishing activity and each of their families; also more than 100 fishers from the province of Puntarenas that seasonally fish in the Marine Area of Tárcoles should be included. // A participatory governance strategy was built, based on the local voluntary responsible fishing regulations & on an innovative model, that includes a local structure for decision-making proposed by the fishers of Tárcoles. This local structure articulates various community organizations such as CoopeTárcoles R.L., independent fishers from other communities, other interested fishworkers, community organizations & institutions (such as the Association for Community Development, the local school) & representatives of the semi-industrial fishing sector. The governance structure engages also other stakeholders of the Marine Area of Responsible Fishing of Tárcoles-the private sector, local government bodies such as the Municipality and the Ministry of Environment (MINAET) & a Follow-up Commission responsible for supervising the correct & legitimate management of the Marine Area & the accomplishment of the objectives established. This Commission is integrated by members of the local structure for decision-making and by four governmental institutions. CoopeSoliDar R.L. supports and facilitates this local structure. The governance model is intended as an integral and dynamic process for adaptive & ecosystem management, based on equity principles and new knowledge generation (that incorporates local-traditional knowledge), and is also intended as a tool for the alternative management of conflicts. Most importantly, this governance structure gives voice to the artisanal fishers and enhances an active process of community development.