Promoting community-based and municipality-scale resource management and zoning policies

33 A SUCCESS Nicaragua Story “Overcoming Obstacles to Improving theCockle Fishery” The Padre Ramos Estuary is one of the most important coastal areas in Nicaragua, in part due to the abundance and diversity of mollusks—specifically the two species of black cockle of economic and ecological importance. Yet, abundance of these species has declined drastically in the last few years. Hence, CIDEA looked to work with the La Bayona community to develop a better management system for the cockle. La Bayona was chosen because of its location in the Padre Ramos Protected Area, its dependence on cockles for food and income, and its record of collaborating well with CIDEA on basic and applied research for cockle biology and culture. Unfortunately, it proved impossible to research new management methods for cockles since the Padre Ramos Protected Area is under control of a non-profit organization NGO subcontracted by the Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources and this NGO has not yet granted permission for the SUCCESS Program to work in the Protected Area. Therefore, efforts were redirected to another community Aserradores, located just outside of the Protected Area and which also depends on the extraction and sale of cockles for their sole source of livelihood. The University approached Aserradores and presented the idea of working together to develop a better management regime for cockles. The proposed regime is based on the concept of designated areas where shellfish extraction is either 1 not allowed or 2 is allowed, but only with ongoing monitoring to determine if no-take zones do, in fact, enhance cockle populations. The idea was positively received and efforts were begun to build linkages with the community by conducting a baseline assessment of the social and economic structure of the community. This built the confidence and trust between the community and the extension agents. A study was conducted to determine whether residents fully understood and accepted the concept to be tested. A number of educational and awareness-raising events also served to reinforce community support. The community now fully understands the management regime, and has even selected the no-take areas. The community has also convened a committee to oversee activities within this regime and to actively participate in meetings and extension visits. The community has even gone one step further and determined which areas will be used for re-stocking purposes and where mangroves will be protected. While final outcomes of the new management regime are not yet known, efforts to raise awareness about the need to protect the cockle populations and their habitat—mangroves— are already bearing fruit.