Volume 67

Exclusive Zone for Artisanal Fishery in Moskitia Honduras:A Route Map for Social Engagement


Authors
Andino, J. and S. Box
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Date: November, 2014


Pages: 90 - 96


Event: Proceedings of the Sixty seven Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute


City: Christ Church


Country: Barbados

Abstract

In 2009, the Central American governments issued a regional agreement to transition for closure SCUBA lobster fishery. As part of the strategies to phase out, in 2012 the Miskito congressman convened most of the fishermen stakeholders and local authorities to draft a route map how to address zoning the maritime platform of Moskitia combined with indigenous right base use approach. The Miskito coalition proposed to create in the cays near shore a fishing area with right base use for indigenous fishermen where only sustainable and safe fisheries will be allowed. In 2013, the project came out with an Exclusive Zone for Artisanal Fishery (EZAF) in Moskitia Honduras. The Miskito divers association started to do meetings with twelve local indigenous territories councils to introduce the concept and get institutional endorsement. The Miskito association begun to advocate with the national fisheries authorities to get the legal baseline to establish this area. Endorsement letters, press releases, local radio advertisement were some of the tools to inform and support the initiative. It increases the local recognition where consequently meetings with the Fisheries Minister were held advocating to create this area. Currently, a ministerial decree is been elaborating with technical and legal guidelines to achieve this goal. This area is the first large-scale effort for the management and access rights to the Miskito Indians in Honduras, so it’s an opportunity to begin reforming the country's fisheries to set up new, sustainable, profitable and safe artisanal fisheries with local communities’ benefits.

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