Empowering Fishing Communities in the MAR Reef

After only two years of the Community Fisheries project’s implementation in the Arrecife de Puerto Morelos National Park, Mexico, fish stock has shown an admirable recovery inside the established fisheries recovery sites (fish refuges or no-take zones).

Fishermen are very happy, because they have begun witnessing how spillover from recovery sites is filling their fishing grounds again, and their fish catch is increasing.

The most important outcome of this process is that the fishermen are not only taking advantage of the spillover, but since they continue to monitor inside and outside the no-take zones, they can see the difference between the two.   

Now, with proof on their minds, and convinced that no-take zones are a viable solution for coastal fisheries within Protected Areas, they can share this information with other fishing communities that are still not convinced of the effectiveness of this method.

We are designing exchange visits to other communities so that our Community Fisheries Program can grow and we can create a network of community marine reserves (no-take zones) across the MAR region.

Please continue supporting us to help us achieve this goal and spread this practical fisheries recovery solution!