Keepin' it Real is Not Always Pretty

Maybe its coincidence and we just landed at the right time with a proposal for developing a Fishery Improvement Project for the Mexican Grouper Fishery following a MSC pre-assessment at a time when the local stakeholders are also taking measures to address the same issues we are concerned about. Regardless, it’s exciting to see that since our first meeting in March, local fishermen’s cooperatives and federations, government entities, as well as local exporters, processors, and scientific experts have participated in several subsequent meetings in which they address the current issues affecting the grouper fishery in Mexico. As a result of their own initiatives, these stakeholders have been working on a proposal/document to share with the Mexican government which describes in detail the current status of the fishery and proposes a series of concerted actions between the different actors in the fisheries sector, and thankfully, we have been a part of this conversation.

We are very grateful to have the opportunity to participate in these meetings through our NGO partner’s (CeDePesca) local liaison, and be able to provide some insight guided by the results from the MSC pre-assessment and the workplan developed from these findings. Amongst the proposed means there’s some disagreement on whether all measures can be implemented in both industrial and artisanal fleets, but the fact remains that there’s an increased awareness of the impact that overfishing has had on the resource itself as well as its social implications. As a result, stakeholders are working together to address these issues. We have a long road ahead of us and luckily, it is not a path we have to travel alone. Our efforts will not be parallel to the local initiatives and we will work together to support the measures that are being proposed and engage our supply chain to continue being an active participant.

There are no simple answers and we have to go beyond extending closure periods, increasing minimum size, enforcing regulations, increasing monitoring by working with local authorities, etc. More importantly, we need to support the fishery by being active participants in the decision-making progress. I understand there’s some concern about the stock status of the red grouper in this fishery and we are inclined to make recommendations against sourcing. However, this is not enough. Resources are needed to fund some of the improvements efforts and provide incentives for the fishermen to participate.

The question shouldn’t be “to fish or not to fish?” but whether we can fish responsibly. Projects should not only target fisheries that can easily be MSC certified, but those fisheries that really need it because the stock levels are in FACT of critical concern. With that said, the Mexican Grouper FIP needs all the help it can get.

To learn more about this project, please visit: http://www.seadelightoceanfund.org/mexico.php