Improving Responsible Fishing Practices in Colombia’s Marine Protected Areas

Marine protected areas not only help protect wildlife and their habitats, but they also help safeguard the well-being of coastal communities. Because local communities depend so heavily on the resources protected within these areas, including community members in the management process is critical. To build national and local capacity for implementing responsible fishing practices in Colombia’s marine protected areas, the Bezos Earth Fund granted $190,000 to MarViva Colombia through Re:wild. The project will focus on advancing a two-tiered initiative. Tier one will enable long-term permanence and management of Colombia’s shark fishing and trade restrictions. The second will pilot a program working with coastal communities on the adoption of responsible fishing practices in compliance with the legal framework and MPA management measures. The pilot project seeks to enable improved livelihoods for fisher communities, while reducing by-catch and fostering compliance with shark protection regulation.