Help Local Leaders Save the Mesoamerican Reef

Dear friends, partners and followers,

It is with great pleasure that we share with you our latest news!

This first half of 2017 have been very busy for MAR Leadership with 2 workshops, one webinar, one Summit and many more! Let’s find out:

Second and third workshops of the 2016 cohort on Blue Economy:

The second workshop of the 2016 cohort, designing projects to promote the Blue Economy model, took place in Tela, Honduras. Eda Roth, actress and coach shared techniques of public speaking and how to speak with the media. Her training was intense, as she led them to overcome their fears and get out of their comfort zone. Fellows were impressed by the feedback they received during the presentation exercises and were convinced of the progress they made thanks to her.

Kim Bonine, Aaron Brunner and Angela Mojica of Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF) trained Fellows in the Economic Valuation tool. Economic valuation tool studies the monetary value of the benefit of an environmental service from the point of view of human welfare, the intrinsic value of an ecosystem being intangible. Learn more and read their blog entry about the workshop.
Ángela Mojica, 2012 Fellow, presented a case study of economic valuation in Cozumel. Aaron Brunner and his colleagues gave feedback to Fellows who will apply this economic tool in their projects: among them are Adrian Villegas, Milton Alvarado and Alejandro López. Five honduran Fellows from other cohorts also participated in this training.

Nombre de Dios National Park was the site selected for the field trip. Milton Alvarado, Fellow from Honduras presented his project. The group met with the comanagers of the park, who presented their payment for ecosystems services project as well as the details of the financing mechanism implemented. Some of the funds collected through the payment for fresh water service are being used for the development and maintenance of the tourism infrastructure in Laguna Cacao which Fellows were able to visit on the Park's boats.

The third section of the workshop was dedicated to the design of a communication strategy for effective advocacy by Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) mentors Lori Maddox and Alejandra Serrano. Through practical exercises and case studies, Fellows analyzed the different crucial stages of a communication campaign and then designed the advocacy campaign for their own projects. Laura Palmese and Cindy Flores of the 2014 cohort presented an environmental activism campaign in Honduras that was well received by their peers. 

Fellows met again in May at Livingston, Caribbean Guatemala for their cohort’s third workshop. MAR Leadership team trained Fellows on how to effectively design projects for impact conservation following the steps of MAR Leadership manual. The Fellows carried out the situational analysis of their own projects, their theory of change as well as the results chain necessary to achieve their objectives. They identified their key stakeholders and started a strategy to involve them.

Alfonso Malky of the Conservation Strategy Fund, mentor of the 2016 generation, spent the first two days of the week training, dynamically and interactively, with a variety of examples, exercises and case studies on the basics of Cost Benefit Analysis. Fellows learned how to design cash flows in order to analyze the costs and benefits of a project from the different perspectives: financial, economic and fiscal. Alfonso demonstrated, as a detailed analysis of the different approaches could identify from financial or environmental problems to social conflicts possibly generated by a poorly designed project. A CBA makes it possible to define whether a project is profitable or convenient for different sectors of society and thus avoid serious losses. The Fellows, Alejandra, John, Areli, Michelle and Juan planning on using of CBA tool presented their projects and received valuable feedback, advice and recommendations from Alfonso, the MARL team and their peers.

An interesting videoconference with Dr Ottoniel Monterroso, Rafael Landivar University, familiarized the Fellows with a case of study using economic tools for the implementation of a biological connectivity reserve and the design of an environmental services payment mechanism in Guatemala. The group had the opportunity to meet Puerto Barrios, where the project of Michelle Villatoro takes place. Representatives of DVG Services and Control of Industrial Spills, S.A. presented the different ways to deal with spill accidents that can occur in ports and coasts. They highlighted the vulnerability of our region and ecosystems to these types of accidents and the lack of response capacity of our countries.

The third phase of the workshop focused on the power of narrative for strategic communication with Mariana Mendoza of the Center for Story-based Strategy. Through videos, exercises and dynamics, the Fellows were able to analyze the different elements of a story, to observe how the assumptions and perspectives of the audience could influence the way of telling a story. Mariana showed them the different tools used by CSS from the analysis of the narrative, the dramatic triangle and the points of intervention. Lori Maddox enriched the presentations with a case study of communication campaign for indigenous rights in Belize. Fellows were able to familiarize themselves with the techniques of narrative and reflected on the assumptions, the actors, the frames and the images that their own projects needed to address.

Guatemalan Fellows Cleopatra Méndez, Blanca Rosa García, José Domingo Caal, Cesar Zacarías and Guillermo Galvez joined the group and exchanged experiences, strengthening the MAR leadership network.

Cost Benefit Analyzes Webinar

On Tuesday, March 28th, we organized an online seminar about cost-benefit analyzes for marine ecosystem conservation. Nicolas Pascal, project director of the organization Blue Finance, an expert in environmental finance, extensively described this economic tool to the Fellows. Multiple case studies from the MAR region illustrated his dynamic presentation. Afterwards, Nicolas answered the numerous questions of the Fellows. You can access the webinar recording here. 

Sustainable and Social Tourism Summit

2010 Fellow Vicente Ferreyra from Mexico and his consulting firm for Sustainable Tourism, Sustentur, continue to grow and generate positive impacts in the tourism industry not only in Quintana Roo but also internationally. Thus, within the framework of the Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development declared by the United Nations, Vicente has organized the 2017 Sustainable and Social Tourism Summit in Cancún. 

The event was supported by Mexico's Tourism Ministry (Sectur), the Mexico Tourism Promotion Council (CPTM), the Quintana Roo Tourism Secretariat (Sedetur), the Cancun Visitors and Conventions Bureau (OVC), as well as the organizations EarthCheck and the International Organization of Social Tourism.
From May, 4th to 6th, the Sustainable & Social Tourism Summit has been a space for meeting and reference in the world for the dissemination, updating and exchange of knowledge on the topics of sustainability, solidarity and social responsibility in tourism. International leaders in responsible tourism industry, governments and organizations will present trends, news and case studies to be replicated in the world. The Summit attended 3 main themes: Tourism for Development, Tourism and Social Equity, and Tourism and Natural Capital. Aside, was also held the 8th Sustainable Tourism Exhibit: a space dedicated to promoting actions, products and services that seek the construction of a sustainable and socially responsible tourism.

Fellows for sustainable fisheries in the Mesoamerican Reef

The Wildlife Conservation Society-Belize, with MAR Fellows Ralna Lewis (2015) and Julio Maaz (2016), in partnership with Leonel Requena (2012) from the UNDvpmt Fund- Small Grant Program, Adriel Castañeda (2012) and Isabel Martínez (2016) from the Belize Fisheries Department hosted a Fisheries Forum on 21 and 22 april, at the Glovers reef research station. Attendees for the forum included Sarteneja Fishermen Association, Hopkins FA and Chunox FA. The objective was to provide an avenue for the exchange of information among fishers and managers. Topics discussed included benefits of MPAs, fisheries regulations, project of fisheries replenishment zones, managed access and the role of fishers associations in fisheries management.

The discussions were rich and fruitful. In conclusion, it was recognized that there is a need for continued and effective communication among all parties, in order to ensure the protection of the fishing industry and Belize’s marine resources.

Julio Maaz, is an expert on small-scale sustainable fisheries at WCS. He shared his knowledge on the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool or SMART with the MAR Leadership network in Honduras. 
At the beginning of the year, Julio and several Honduran MAR Fellows such as Diana Vasquez (Centro de Estudios Marinos), Ian Drysdale (2010, Healthy Reefs Initiative), Jenny Myton (2010, CORAL), Pamela Ortega (2012, CORAL) and Cindy Flores 2014, (Instituto de Conservación Forestal) organized a workshop for the use of SMART for fisheries management. SMART, is an open source application developed by WCS and other partners to collect, store, communicate and evaluate data collected by park rangers during their patrols. This innovative management tool seeks to help in the fight against illegal activities that endanger natural resources. This workshop complements the recent exchange of experiences between Belize and Honduras with Isabel Martinez from the Belize Fisheries Department on the national fisheries management program based on Managed Access rights.

In Mexico, Kim Ley Cooper, 2011 Fellow and his organization Colectividad Razonatura A.C., committed to the sustainable use of coastal marine resources, started a project with the Slow Food network: Slow Fish in the Caribbean.
Slow Food is an organization that unites the pleasure of good food with a commitment to local communities and the environment. It seeks to counteract the rise of fast food and prevent the disappearance of local gastronomic traditions. Slow Fish in the Caribbean, funded by the European Union, has as its main objective the protection of marine biodiversity and the development of sustainable use models of food resources in protected areas. The enthusiastic Slow Fish network seeks to enhance traditional knowledge and strengthen the technical and administrative skills of local communities, helping them to improve natural resource management and diversify productive activities. Kim participates in the project with the lobster fishing cooperatives of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve and the Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve to carry out training activities around different topics, including integrated management of marine resources, alternative economic activities to fishing and the creation of monitoring systems.

Hondurean 2012 Fellow Mariela Ochoa from Center for Marine Studies has been invited to participate at the international event "Slow Fish Caribe 2017: La rete siamo noi (The network is us)" which took place in the Old Port of Genoa, Italy. Her talk "Contributing to Improve the Management of Coastal Marine Resources in Honduras" aims to demonstrate the role of communities, academia, industry, local governments, central government and citizen organizations. More than 90 citizen organizations, authorities, academic institutions and companies related to the marine world participated in the event.

Synergies between MAR Fellows keep the MAR Leadership Network active, strengthening ties between its participants and facilitating processes at the regional level.

Thank you so much for your support and stay tuned for our next news including 2016 cohort graduation, advances from Fellows’ projects and MAR Leadership Program next call for application!

For more information follows us at http://liderazgosam.org/en/ and https://www.facebook.com/MARLeadership/

Links:

• MAR Leadership website

Mesoamerican Reef Day: sign the Tulum+ 20 pledge!

Today, March, 10th, we celebrate a very special day for us: the Mesoamerican Reef Day!

Being one the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, the Mesoamerican Reef is is the world’s largest transboundary barrier reef, home to two million people from different cultures. Collaboration efforts among the four countries started 20 years ago in 1997, when the heads of State of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras singed the Tulum Declaration to promote MAR conservation through its sustainable use. Although great work has been done towards its protection were born since then, the MAR still faces great challenges and needs the renewed commitment from the four countries' authorities. This is why MAR Fund and MAR Leadership Program/FMCN launch the Tulum+20 pledge.

Mesoamerican Reef Day: know our incredible backyard!

The Mesoamerican Reef system (MAR or MBRS) is the world’s largest transboundary barrier reef, encompassing 1000 km of coastline, from the northeast end of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, to the Bay Islands in Honduras. The MAR ecoregion includes oceanic habitats, coastal zones, tropical forests, and the Caribbean draining watersheds of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. The area is extremely important biologically and economically, with coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves that provide resources and critical protection against tropical storms. Over two million people including Garifunas, Qeqchi, Maya, and Creole live in the ecoregion and depend on the integrity and resilience of the reef in order to maintain their livelihoods, as well as the national economies of the four countries.

The main threats to the MAR are well known –local land-based pollution sources such as solid waste, municipal and industrial sewage, effluents from shrimp farming and agriculture, and severe overfishing to poor coastal & tourism development and global threats such as climate change (including increase in ocean temperature, coral bleaching, acidification, etc.). Current environmental problems need effective multinational responses.

The Tulum Declaration: an international commitment to protect the MAR 

As a continuation of the dialogue and cooperation between Central America and Mexico, initiated through the Tuxtla Agreements and following up the International Year of Coral Reefs, the Mesoamerican Reef System initiative was made official in June 5, 1997, when the heads of state of Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras, and Belize signed the Tulum Declaration where they agreed to promote the conservation of the reef system through its sustainable use, thereby contributing to the welfare of present and future generations. 

The MAR region has become a global leader in adaptive management and the active implementation of management actions that are now starting to show ecological results. The MAR now boasts a network of more than 65 coastal and marine protected areas, and almost all of them are under active management. Thirty-six percent of the territorial sea in the MAR is within protected areas, although only 3% is fully protected from fishing. In Belize, spawning aggregations are protected; reef-associated herbivorous fish are protected in Belize, Guatemala, and the Bay Islands of Honduras; a region-wide ban on shark finning has been implemented, and no-take protected areas acting as fish refuges are being created to recover ecosystems and commercial fisheries. Although the advances over the past 20 years are substantial, more needs to be done to protect the MAR from continuing threats to the natural capital it embodies. 

COP 13 of CBD: a platform to renew the commitment

The COP 13 that was held in Cancun in December 2016, where about 10,000 participants gathered to negotiate agreements and commitments that promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. (read our post: link blog COP)

As the host of such important event, Mexico announced the establishment of four new Natural Protected Areas and five Safeguard Areas, placing an additional 65 million hectares under protection. The Mexican Caribbean Biosphere Reserve, the largest marine protected area off the coast of Quintana Roo (5.7 million hectares), will protect almost 50% of the Mesoamerican reef system, where hydrocarbon exploration and extraction will be prohibited. With this action, Mexico has not only joined the small group of countries that have met the Aichi Target to protect 10% of its marine territory, but more than doubled this goal by protecting 23%.

During the COP13, MAR Fund, Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, AC (FMCN)/ Mesoamerican Reef Leadership Program (MAR-L) and HRI organized two events called Tulum +20 Declaration for the Mesoamerican Reef and Well-being and Blue Economy attended by 130 people in total. Representatives from both state and municipal governments, Civil Society Organizations (CSO), and academia attended both events. In both events achievements in conservation and sustainable use of coastal and marine resources, regional mechanisms as drivers of change in the Mesoamerican Reef since the Declaration of Tulum in 1997 were presented.

Tulum+20: a pledge for Blue Economy to protect the MAR

Although the MAR countries' ministers did not attend the Tulum +20 events, we put forth the idea to gather one million signatures from throughout the MAR region to call for the ratification of the Tulum Declaration. On June 5 of 2017, 20 years will have passed since Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras first committed to conserving the Mesoamerican Reef System through its sustainable use.

Now, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras need to take their commitment to the MAR a step further. Currently, four pressing concerns threaten to drastically hurt the health of the MAR: discharge of effluents and contaminants, including sewage; unsustainable coastal development, including mangrove destruction; chronic pressure on fisheries and insufficient enforcement, and climate change impacts on the reef.

To address these threats, the Governments of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras must pledge to protect the reef through renewing the commitment to the Tulum Declaration and take actions to ensure the health of the reef and the people that depend on it. These actions will preserve the resources and natural processes that are the basis for propelling the Blue Economy as the foundation of the sustainable development of the four countries and the region.

Join us and sign the petition to tell the heads of state of the four countries to renew the Tulum Declaration and commit to the reef!

Links:

• http://www.liderazgosam.org