An Overview Of Our Solution
A Participatory Environmental Impact Assessment Process for Responsible Small Scale Fisheries In the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve
Who is this solution impacting?
Ecosystem
Oceanos/Costa
Community Type
Suburbano
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: América do Norte
Problem
Describe the problem
The legal framework for fisheries regulations in Mexico outlines management for target species, incidental catch, species at risk of extinction, & ecological processes in the Upper Gulf of California. Enforcement of these regulations is low, however, & compliance by fishermen is lacking. Through our participatory project, we are defining & implementing measurable objectives (short, medium and long term) for reducing impacts with fishermen. Our goal is to create a scenario where fishermen are well-informed about their privilege to fish & assume the responsibility and liability related to the use of natural resources and biodiversity conservation. We believe this will give them the moral authority to report illegal fishing, which they already identify as a primary threat.
Biodiversity Impact
The environmental impact assessment procedure (EIA) can be used as a legal instrument to enforce the co-management of fisheries resources. The project consists of five programs with clear and measurable objectives. The data collected during the implementation of these objectives also will be used to evaluate their effectiveness in biodiversity conservation and will provide evidence to adapt objectives as part of a process to achieve responsible fishing. Programs include: 1) Program to Build Capacity and Raise Awareness, 2) Fisheries Monitoring Program, 3) Onboard Monitoring Program, 4) Social Participation Program and 5) Solid Waste Management Program. To maintain the legal authority to conduct an economic activity inside a Marine Protected Area, fishermen must provide evidence of the level of compliance with legal regulations and with voluntary impact mitigation measures. Ecological model simulations and common sense suggests that change from a low compliance state to a full compliance scenario will produce positive effects on biodiversity and biomass of endangered and target species. Our focus is to make existing regulations work.
Solution
The primary threat to endangered species and biodiversity is incidental catch. By increasing compliance with fisheries regulations already in place (which include closed geographic areas and fishing gear restrictions), the probability of endangered species mortality will be reduced and proportions of target species-to-bycatch will be maintained under the limit of 1:1. Working directly with artisanal fishermen through educational workshops and informational gatherings, in combination with increased community involvement, will create a synergistic effect for promoting compliance with current regulations, thereby reducing bycatch rates. Developing an ethos of compliance, supported by community awareness and engagement will encourage fishermen to self-regulate and report wrong-doers. // 1,334,937 ha. Or 540,460 acres, approximately 845 square miles
Replicability
How many years has your solution been applied? 1 year // Have others reproduced your solution elsewhere? No // CEDO has a team of people working with fishermen in the three communities of the Reserve. One person is responsible for coordinating the entire Impact Study process. In each community there is one “Monitoring Coordinator†and two “Community Monitors†in charge of collecting data and implementing many of the objectives. There is also a full time Social Participation Coordinator and an education team working in each community. CEDO’s fishery staff contributes to the analysis of the data and creation of the reports.
Human Well Being and Livelihood Impact
Currently almost all fisheries resources in the Upper Gulf of California (UGC) are exploited at the maximum level or are overexploited. By increasing the compliance with fishing regulations (which establish in some cases catch limits and effort control) the “race for fishing†will be reduced, and therefore a recovery of target species abundance is expected. This will benefit approximately 2,190 fishermen that work on 819 boats in the three main fishing communities of the UGC. Moreover, the implementation of the Impact Study will strengthen access rights to local fishermen, more readily exposing illegal fishing conducted by outside fishermen. This process which involves fishermen in monitoring, understanding their resources, their impacts, and must prove compliance, are key to developing a functional fisheries system, responsible behavior, and social wellbeing. // There are two persons that are the legal representatives of all fishermen involved in the project, one for the fishing community of San Felipe and another for the communities of El Golfo de Santa Clara and Puerto Peñasco. We meet with them periodically to coordinate the execution of meetings and workshops in which fishermen convene to openly discuss issues related with the Impact study process and make decisions about those issues. All meetings and workshops are documented by an agenda, written minutes, and a list of assistants. Our goal with the project is to increase participation of fishermen in the decision making process. In the coming year we are looking to establish advisory committees of 30 fishermen in each community who will take the primary responsibility for making decisions for the larger fishing community. Training programs will focus on this group, and incentives will be given to encourage their communication and involvement of other fishermen