Mexico: Strengthen governance through ecosystem-based management of the

18. Mexico: Strengthen governance through ecosystem-based management of the

Sea of Cortez fisheries Goal: Improve sustainable fisheries and reduce conflicts between the large-scale and small-scale fishing sectors. Rationale: The rapid growth of fisheries in the Sea of Cortez has eroded the ecological function of this biodiverse area ranked as one of the world’s priority conservation hotspots. There are numerous conflicts between small-scale and commercial fishers. Both the small-scale and large-scale fisheries are overcapitalized. Vessel buy-back programs are underway for the industrial fishery, but subsidies to both sectors are still abundant and confound efforts at capacity reduction. The small-scale fishery is also a leading cause of mortality of the endangered porpoise, the vacuita. In addition, the Gulf of California now has one of the first developing country small-scale certified fisheries for lobster and there are opportunities to do the same with other fisheries in the region. There are existing local and international coalitions of concerned groups that are highly motivated and working on these problems at present. Strategy: USAID should support local organizations working on fisheries management issues in this area. USAID should encourage the establishment of ecosystem-based fisheries management through the establishment of rights-based management, community-based marine protected areas, the mitigation and regulation of fisheries focused on forage fish, effective enforcement and compliance mechanisms, and the development of effective co-management in a context of decentralization to regional levels. While attention is already being given to the issue of overcapacity in the industrial fisheries sector, similar attention needs to be given to solving the overcapacity problem in the small-scale sector. In addition, conflict resolution strategies are needed between the small-scale and industrial fishing sectors, most likely focused on area restrictions and separation for each of these fleets. Lastly, ways to reduce by-catch of the endangered species vacuita through gear exchangesreplacements or modifications should be investigated and then implemented. All of these initiatives will require high levels of stakeholder engagement and final management strategies embodied in co-management plans and management arrangements. A push for expanding certification to other fisheries in both the small-scale and industrial sectors should be considered—building on the lessons and initial successes of the lobster fishery. These efforts should be coordinated with the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, COBI Comunidad y Biodiversidad, a local NGO, WWF, Conservation International CI, The Nature Conservancy TNC and other institutions engaged in the creation of an alliance for the Sea of Cortez. 85 Africa Food security and sustainable economic development should be the focus of site-specific efforts in Africa. Where appropriate, programs should benefit women, youth and other marginalized people. Building more secure and democratic fisheries and community institutions is necessary if food security and economic development goals are to be maintained in the long-term. 19. Guinea Conakry: Reduce excess capacity and strengthen national capacity to promote better international foreign fishing agreements and fisheries trade Goal: Improve national capacity to negotiate foreign fishing agreements and develop capacity for sustainable offshore fisheries. Rationale: Guinea has excess fishing capacity for nearshore stocks. Offshore stocks are heavily exploited by foreign fishing vessels with limited economic or food security benefits to coastal communities. National offshore fishing capacity will be limited while inequitable “Fisheries Partnership Agreements” are made with very efficient, subsidized foreign fishing vessels. Many of these agreements are violated by foreign vessels resulting in unsustainable fisheries and negative impacts on nearshore fisheries and increased food insecurity. Strategy: Offshore fishing capacity and onshore processing capacity should be developed to benefit Guineans within a sustainable fishing framework. This will require training in the use of modern, but appropriate, fishing methods within the context of a sustainable fisheries management regime. Activities should include expansion of employment and enterprise opportunities for women in fish processing. Technical assistance should be provided to improve negotiation skills to improve the long-term benefits derived from foreign fishing agreements. Guinean monitoring and enforcement capacity should be developed, building on recent work on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development. Enforcement efforts should rely on training in evidence collection, legal procedures, and the use of monitoring technologies e.g. GPS tracking. Lessons from this effort should be shared with other West African countries faced with similar issues. 20. Liberia: Promote fisheries as a means to meet basic needs in a post- war society Goal: Improve economic development and food security through sustainable fisheries management. Rationale: As a country emerging from turmoil, sustainable fisheries development could provide employment and food security for Liberia’s people. Yet in the current context, fisheries are heavily exploited by foreign fishing vessels. 86 Strategy: Currently, fish provides only 6 of protein intake for Liberians 7 . Important fishery resources currently exploited by foreign fishing vessels could otherwise provide food and livelihoods to Liberians. The Food for Peace and the Initiative to End Hunger in Africa IEHA should consider fisheries in their programs. An integrated fisheries development, sustainable resource management, and livelihoods development strategy should be the priority, with attention given to women’s participation in both resource management committees and livelihood alternatives. 21. Malawi: Improve fisheries governance through participatory fisheries management, ecosystem management and increased use fish sanctuaries Goal: Improve Lake Malawi ecosystem health and restore the lake’s fish biodiversity through improved governance and ecosystem-based management. Rationale: Lake Malawi fisheries have high biodiversity, are heavily exploited and are facing increasing threats from soil erosion and deforestation. The high exploitation of Lake Malawi is eroding the ecological function of the lake and has resulted in the collapse of the tilapia locally known as Chambo fishery in the more productive southern part of the lake. Fishing effort in the industrial commercial trawl fishery has declined while that of the small-scale artisanal fisheries has increased despite decreasing catch- per-unit effort. The increase in effort in the small-scale artisanal fishery has been exacerbated by increasing fish prices a 60-fold increase in the last 20 years. The collapse of the tilapia fishery has led to loss of livelihoods and food and nutritional security to millions of Malawians who are dependent on fish as a major source of animal protein. In response to this, the Government of Malawi launched the “National Save the Chambo Campaign”. The goal of this campaign is to meet the country’s obligations to restore fisheries as declared at the World Summit on Sustainable Development and to rebuild production of Chambo to pre-1990 levels. Strategies to restore the Chambo under this campaign are outlined in the Chambo Restoration Strategic Plan Malawi Government, 2003. The implementation of this strategic plan warrants support. Strategy: USAID should provide support to the implementation of the Chambo Restoration Strategic Plan in the areas of fish sanctuaries reserves design, participatory fisheries management, and natural resource management at multiple scales. Current USAID-supported efforts in community-based natural resource management and natural resource based enterprises should be expanded to include post-harvest technologies and marketing, enterprise development and training for both men and women. In particular, the use of fish sanctuaries to close off areas that were previously open access in order to allow a tilapia fishery should be tested and evaluated. Where these sanctuaries negatively impact the livelihoods of fish-dependent communities, USAID should ensure the livelihood needs of these communities are addressed. USAID should also promote the participation of NGOs in fisheries management activities. USAID should collaborate with on-going efforts by the African Development Bank, WWF and WorldFish Center. 7 World Resources Institute, earthtrends.wri.orgpdf_library 87

22. Mali: Sustain fisheries and fisheries-related livelihoods in the inner delta of the