Empowering Fishing Communities in the MAR Reef

During the months of May and June, 2014, the national fishermen fora in each of the three countries of the Gulf of Honduras were held.

Under the coordination of the Tri national Alliance for the development of the Gulf of Honduras -TRIGOH-, fishermen associations and authorities spent a day discussing fisheries issues.  The main topic of each of the meetings was the establishment of fish refuges in order to consolidate the Fishe Refuges Network.

The organized fishermen have given huge steps towards co-management in only one year.  Most of them learned about the process of establishing fish refuges during the last tri national fishermen forum when Mexican fishermen shared their experiences. 

The results of each of the fora will be discussed during the Tri National Fishermen Forum that willl be held in Punta Gorda, Belize on July 31.

We will keep you posted of the interesting outcomes and results from the tri national forum, as these will again be thanks to your collaboration and support.

The MAR Fund Team

After the successfull first phase of the fisheries co-management project developed by the NGO Cuerpos de Conservación de Omoa in the Cuyamel-Omoa National Park, in Honduras during 2013, the MAR Fund approved a second phase for the project.

The objectives for this second phase are:

• Strengthen the enforcement of fishing regulations in the marine area of the Cuyamel-Omoa National Park
• Formally establish the 1 Ha fisheries recovery site and develop its action plan
• Provide economic alternatives to local fishing communities

This project will secure the consolidation of the proposed fish recovery site.

This initiative is part of a Gulf of Honduras scale strategy that intends to develop a fish restoration sites network among coastal and marine protected areas of Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.

We will keep you posted on any progress the proposed site has regarding its declaration as a formal restoration site.