Mainstreaming ocean conservation and sustainable fisheries in Mexico through effective participation and citizen science.
(
Civil society organization
)
#OceanAction40735
Description
Our organization operates in four of Mexico's 17 coastal states, where 70% of the countrys total industrial and small-scale fisheries production is concentrated. With the aim of driving the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 and its associated targets to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, our organization:
Has developed a capacity-building program which works with 30 partner fishing cooperatives that we have trained to promote legal, consensual, inclusive, sustainable and competitive fishing practices.
Has actively participated in the implementation of international sustainability fishery standards for the eco-certification of Mexican fisheries, and promoted Fisheries Improvement Projects (FIPs) in small-scale fisheries, with 10 fisheries currently working to apply the standards.
Has participated in the creation of 78,920 hectares of fully protected marine reserves in collaboration with fishing communities. The reserves where created under the existing management instruments in Mexico: core zones, fish refuges, and voluntary fully-protected marine reserves, with 170 commercial species moving towards sustainable management. These actions have involved 194 fishermen and 28 fisherwomen trained to collect data on over 348 species. Over 12,000 transects in three ecosystems have been completed, and this has generated the information necessary to make science-based management decisions for coastal marine resource use.
Has informed two initiatives at the public policy level for restoring marine ecosystems and improving public social participation in fisheries management.
In this sense, Comunidad y Biodiversidad A.C. (COBI) is committed to keep fostering the following actions:
An escalation of our capacity-building leadership program to reinforce our partner fishing cooperatives, and to strengthen human development, common wellbeing, communication, conflict resolution, and negotiation.
An increase in the application of international sustainable fishery standards and fishery improvement projects in small-scale Mexican fisheries.
An expansion of the coverage of marine areas protected by communities under management instruments: core zones, fish refuges, and voluntary fully-protected marine reserves.
The holding of annual "Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Certification Workshops", with the participation of different key stakeholders, to reverse poorly directed fishery subsidies and foster a National Plan for Fisheries Sustainability and an Intersectoral Alliance for Sustainability, in order to adapt eco-certifications to the context of Mexico and achieve their implementation on a permanent basis.
To develop and consolidate our new project "Gender Equality at Sea", in order to achieve gender equality in the decision-making process for marine conservation and fisheries management. Women in fishing communities have an important role but cannot always participate in the processes.
We are highly aware that the responsibility to manage and conserve biological resources relies upon each of us, so, to ensure the replication of our successful fisheries collective action models at both the national and international level we must continue our collaborative work with governments, communities, academia, researchers, civil society organizations, the private sector and other stakeholders, to create a representative, connected, integrated approach to ocean and marine resource conservation in Mexico.
CSO: Niparaja, Causa Natura, ProNatura, EDF, FMCN, WWF, Healthy Reefs Initiative, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Society, Glover’s Reef Research Station, Reef Check, Healthy Reefs for Healthy People, Oceanus, Mar Fund, Amigos de Sian Ka’an, Art of Conservation.
Academic institutions: Arizona University, Duke University, British Columbia University, Stanford University, California University, UNAM (Mexico), CINVESTAV (Mexico), IPN (Mexico), UABC (Mexico), Universidad de Sonora (Mexico), Smithsonian Institution, CEDO (Mexico), CICESE (Mexico), El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, ECOSUR, London’s Global University.
Scientific community: The Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers (N-Gen), Perry Institute of Marine Sciences, Center for Ocean Solutions, World Resources Institute.
Government: the National Commision of Fisheries and Aquaculture (CONAPESCA), the National Fisheries Research (INAPESCA), the Fisheries and Aquaculture Commission of the Senate, the Fisheries Comission of the Lower Chamber, the Mexican Women Institute (INMUJERES).
Intergovernmental organizations: CONMECOOP, FEDECOOP, CANAINPESCA, Environmental Project International.
UN entities: FAO, UNDP, UNEP.
Others: SmartFish, FishWise, MSC, MBA, FairTrade, Shared Leadership, Banamex, HSBC.
SDGS & Targets
Goal 5
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
5.1
End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
5.1.1
Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce and monitor equality and non‑discrimination on the basis of sex
5.2
5.2.1
Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form of violence and by age
5.2.2
Proportion of women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by age and place of occurrence
5.3
5.3.1
Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 15 and before age 18
5.3.2
Proportion of girls and women aged 15-49 years who have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting, by age
5.4
Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate
5.4.1
Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age and location
5.5
Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life
5.5.1
Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments
5.5.2
Proportion of women in managerial positions
5.6
Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences
5.6.1
Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care
5.6.2
Number of countries with laws and regulations that guarantee full and equal access to women and men aged 15 years and older to sexual and reproductive health care, information and education
5.a
Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws
5.a.1
(a) Proportion of total agricultural population with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land, by sex; and (b) share of women among owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land, by type of tenure
5.a.2
Proportion of countries where the legal framework (including customary law) guarantees women’s equal rights to land ownership and/or control
5.b
5.b.1
Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex
5.c
Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels
5.c.1
Proportion of countries with systems to track and make public allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment
Goal 13
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
13.1
Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
13.1.1
Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
13.1.2
Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030
13.1.3
Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies
13.2
Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
13.2.1
Number of countries with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
13.2.2
Total greenhouse gas emissions per year
13.3
Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
13.3.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment
13.a
Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible
13.a.1
Amounts provided and mobilized in United States dollars per year in relation to the continued existing collective mobilization goal of the $100 billion commitment through to 2025
13.b
Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities
13.b.1
Number of least developed countries and small island developing States with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Goal 14
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
14.1
By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
14.1.1
(a) Index of coastal eutrophication; and (b) plastic debris density
14.2
By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
14.2.1
Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas
14.3
Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels
14.3.1
14.4
By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
14.4.1
14.5
By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
14.5.1
14.6
By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation
14.6.1
Degree of implementation of international instruments aiming to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
14.7
By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
14.7.1
Sustainable fisheries as a proportion of GDP in small island developing States, least developed countries and all countries
14.a
Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
14.a.1
14.b
Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
14.b.1
Degree of application of a legal/regulatory/policy/institutional framework which recognizes and protects access rights for small‐scale fisheries
14.c
Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of "The future we want"
14.c.1
Number of countries making progress in ratifying, accepting and implementing through legal, policy and institutional frameworks, ocean-related instruments that implement international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources
SDG 14 targets covered
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| 14.2 | By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans |
| 14.4 | By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics |
| 14.5 | By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information |
| 14.6 | By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation |
| 14.a | Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries |
| 14.b | Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets |
| 14.c | Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of "The future we want" |
Deliverables & Timeline
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
| Title | Progress Status | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| Partnership Progress 2020-11-18 | On track | |
| Partnership Progress 2020-11-13 | On track | |
| Partnership Progress 2020-11-13 | On track | |
| Partnership Progress 2020-11-13 | On track | |
| Partnership Progress 2019-01-17 | On track | |
| Partnership Progress 2019-01-17 | Completed | |
| Partnership Progress 2019-01-17 | On track | |
| Partnership Progress 2019-01-17 | On track |
Feedback
Action Network
Share
Timeline
Entity
Geographical coverage
Other beneficiaries
Ocean Basins
Communities of Ocean Action
More information
Countries
Contact Information
Fernanda Fitzmaurice , Public Policy Advisor