Empowering Fishing Communities in the MAR Reef

Last October 2010, the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) announced that Ms. Angelica Mendez, a fisherwoman from Livingston, Guatemala and Manager of the Guatemalan Caribbean Network of Fishers, was the recipient of the Gladding Memorial Award (GMA), 2010. This, in recognition of her efforts towards conservation and sustainable use of fisheries resources.

Executive Director of GCFI Dr. Bob Glazer commented “The award recipients represent true fisher visionaries and serve as excellent ambassadors for fisheries conservation in the Wider Caribbean. We believe that fishers must be engaged and empowered to be part of the process of managing our shared marine resources in a sustainable manner.”

Ms. Méndez commented “We depend upon fisheries for our livelihoods and it is imperative that our attitudes and our behavior are consistent with sustainable practices so our children and their children can continue to fish.”

Ms. Méndez joined with fishers from around the region for a dedicated Fishers’ Forum. She explained “We’ve looked five years down the road to plan specific programs on how to achieve more sustainable fisheries. Our most important action now is to scale up currently successful local practices to the country and even the region. We want to apply what we have learned here from science to secure our livelihoods and contribute to sustainable fisheries.”

We are very proud about this dedicated hard-working woman’s accomplishment and we are more than convinced that she represents the Mesoamerican Reef fishing community with great dignity and honor.

Congratulations Angelica! You are an inspiration to other fisher women in the MAR region.