The start of the project
Report by Dirk Riebensahm
The project began with a series of many separate discussions. The fishermen described to us the current work situation, including aspects such as which species of fish are now mainly being caught, and what new problems have arisen. Among other facts, we learned that in the past month alone the fishermen of Cabo San Francisco had 10 motors stolen from them in attacks by pirates. The subject of security at work was therefore very much in the foreground, and it now dominates our discussions in the villages.
Through our discussions with the fishermen we are also trying to determine the best date for the introductory meeting. Thus, for example, there is no fishing for certain species during the days around full moon, and therefore a meeting on these days is likely to be more fully attended, since although there is a high level of interest only a few of the fishermen can afford to miss a day’s fishing. We also know from our experience that it is important to personally invite as many fishermen as possible, as this increases the participation greatly compared with posting up notices and relying on word-of-mouth publicity.
The Marine Reserve "Galera - San-Francisco"
- The marine reserve "Galera - San-Francisco" with various protection categories.
Marine Protection Zone: the boundaries extend from the tidal zone to a water depth of 30 metres.
Management Zone: extends from the 30 m depth contour to a depth of 500 metres.
Coastal management: the coastal and beach areas of the villages Galera, Estero de Platano, Quingue and Cabo San Francisco are reserved for eco-tourism.
NAZCA has advanced the political legislation process for establishing the first marine reserve of continental Ecuador to such a point that the Environment Ministry is now expected to declare the designated area as a marine reserve by the end of 2008. The special status of the marine reserve gives an additional motivation for the local population to increase efforts towards sustainable management of natural resources. The project “Model for a Sustainable Small-Scale Fishery” will contribute to the development of fishing as a component of the management plan for the conservation area.
The new marine reserve will be the third such conservation area in Ecuador, coming in addition to the existing Galapagos Islands Marine National Park and the marine-and-land Machalilla National Park in Manabí. The marine reserve "Galera - San-Francisco" extends a distance of about 18 km from the coastline into the sea. The marine conservation zone is bounded by the estuary of the river Muisne in the south and the geological feature of the Estero Zapallito in the north, and has an area of about 54.604 hectares, extending along 37 km of the coastline.
For several years NAZCA has been carrying out research on the marine biodiversity of the area, and works in cooperation with the local population. The activities, conservation measures and guidelines of the plan for future environmental management will not only protect the marine biodiversity but will support the social and economic development of the villages in the district. In the long term, the conservation area offers the local population opportunities for alternative sources of income. For example, the government of Muisne canton has already decided to finance various small developments to promote eco-tourism and to train local people. The Marine reserve "Galera - San-Francisco" will not be administered centrally by the government of Ecuador, but will be managed by a committee made up of representatives of the local people, non-government organisations, local community councils, the Environment Ministry, and the navy.