The Exclusive Artisanal Fishing Zone (ZEPA), located in the municipalities of Juradó and Bahía Solano, in Chocó, Colombia, was created to protect fishery resources and marine biodiversity, prioritizing artisanal fishing over industrial fishing. This initiative arose in response to overfishing and the negative impact of industrial fishing, which affected the livelihoods of local communities and marine ecosystems. By promoting sustainable practices, such as the use of more selective fishing gear, the ZEPA has facilitated the recovery of species and the protection of crucial habitats for marine megafauna, contributing to essential activities such as echolocation, feeding and reproduction of these species. In addition to conserving biodiversity, it has strengthened local economies by ensuring the availability of fishery resources for artisanal fishing. The ZEPA is an example of how community management and the protection of fishing traditions can lead to ecosystem conservation and improved quality of life for communities.

Indonesia is one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world, with exceptionally rich fauna and flora. However, illegal wildlife trade has risen in the Maluku province, threatening endemic species. While this situation demonstrates the need to strengthen species conservation efforts, mobilizing funds for such activities is a challenge.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia, with support from the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), accessed USD 2.7 million in green sukuk funds for the construction of the Maluku Conservation Center, dedicated to wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and release into natural habitats. Green sukuks are sovereign bond-like Islamic finance instruments, and their application to biodiversity-related projects was previously limited.

In 2023-2024, 955 birds, 323 reptiles, and 319 other animals were treated and rehabilitated in the Maluku Conservation Center, contributing to the conservation of species and ecosystems.

This initiative was born from the vision of David Sarmiento, IMARPE field observer and renowned 2023 Leatherback Champion, who decided to go beyond his job. David realized that, in order to achieve effective marine conservation, it was important to build bridges with artisanal fishers, based on mutual trust and respect. Using everyday tools such as local radio stations, social media, and training spaces, David forged an authentic connection with the crews of fishing boats in the cove of San Jose (Lambayeque). His approach combined scientific expertise with a deep human sensitivity. By listening, valuing, and exchanging ideas with the fishers, he enabled them to take the lead in bringing about change. Today, they are the ones who share recordings of rescues, reflections, and data on marine megafauna. Experience shows that conservation is most effective when it stems from strong human relationships and committed local leadership, generating sustainable learning and trust among stakeholders.

In 2016, three fishing companies carried out a pre-assessment to establish a Marine Stewardship Council program. In 2017, two more joined, launching the Fishery Improvement Project toward MSC certification. Member companies, including NIRSA, Jadran Group, Servigrup, Eurofish, Tri Marine, Marbelize, Manacripex, Pacifictuna, and Tunaquick, have worked with the support of the Ecuadorian government and WWF to improve fishery management and reduce environmental impact.

TUNACONS promotes sustainable fishing in the Eastern Pacific by optimizing tuna yields through scientific research. It also trains the sector and supports the reduction of ecosystem impacts.

Since October 2017, a code of good practices for handling and releasing bycatch has been implemented, aimed at captains and crew. Key actions include:

– 59 vessels recording data on bycatch reduction and incidental catches
– Collaboration in a manta ray tagging program
– Training sessions on IATTC resolutions, sensitive species handling, and external evaluations.

The “Shark-Free Ceviche” seal is a benchmark that will certify fish ceviche products that have not been made with protein from elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) or other species threatened with extinction or protected by law in the countries where the seal is implemented. The aim is to inform consumers that the use of the fish species targeted by this initiative is rejected, to differentiate the companies that join the initiative, and thereby discourage their fishing, trade, and consumption. The challenge is to bring commercial allies on board, who often see the initiative as an increase in their operating costs, even though it is not as much as they think. The positive thing is that more companies want to join, and organizations similar to MarViva in other countries are beginning to show interest in partnering with the seal and implementing it.

The Fisher Friend Mobile Application (FFMA) by MSSRF, in collaboration with Qualcomm and INCOIS, supports India’s coastal fishers with real-time data on sea conditions, fishing zones, navigation, and more, all in local languages. Recently, FFMA introduced a No Fishing Zone alert to protect endangered Olive Ridley Turtles along Odisha’s coast. Using geo-fencing, it marks critical turtle habitats—including the Gahirmatha Sanctuary and key river mouths—and triggers audio message and vibrating when fishers approach within 200 meters, even without internet. This offline feature helps fishers avoid fines and supports turtle conservation by preventing unintended fishing in restricted zones. Since its launch, the No Fishing Zone alert has prevented over 6,866 intrusions, aligning conservation with sustainable fishing and supporting fisher livelihoods and safety. FFMA’s technology ensures that fishers benefit from safer, eco-friendly practices while contributing to the preservation of biodiversity in India’s coastal zones

La aplicación MiPez desarrollada por TNC en 2018, es una herramienta de ciencia ciudadana, que permite a los pescadores de la cuenca del Magdalena registrar sus actividades de pesca. Recopila información de sitios, especies, cantidades, costos y materiales. Permite usarla sin acceso a Internet. Una vez se termina la faena, los pescadores pueden indicar sus capturas a través de una galería de fotos de especies cargadas en la aplicación. 

A medida que los pescadores cargan información en MiPez, la aplicación consolida una base de datos con indicadores socioambientales como especies pescadas, tiempos de pesca y sitios relevantes. Estos datos son cruciales para determinar la salud de la cuenca e identificar qué áreas están experimentando disminución en las poblaciones de peces. Además, la información es útil para que las autoridades y las asociaciones locales eviten la sobrepesca e integren los datos de las comunidades dependientes en un análisis más amplio del desarrollo de la cuenca.

Las pesquerías de almejas y callos tienen un papel muy importante para el bienestar de las comunidades costeras del noroeste de México. Estas pesquerías enfrentan desafíos como sobre-explotación, ilegalidad, mal manejo, falta de información, bajo involucramiento del sector productivo en la toma de decisiones, entre otros. Para afrontar estos retos, en COBI se han implementado diversas herramientas de manejo en colaboración con diferentes actores (comunidades pesqueras, sector de gobierno, academia y organizaciones de la sociedad civil). Estas herramientas incluyen el diseño y adopción de estrategias integrales de aprovechamiento. Además, se ha generado información sistematizada que ayuda a diseñar y evaluar las estrategias de aprovechamiento, identificar los impactos ambientales en la pesquería y, crear sistemas de manejo sostenible para almejas y callos, ya sea a través de procesos formales, por medio de un decreto oficial, o tradicionales, mediante acuerdos comunitarios.

En México, la mayoría de las pesquerías en pequeña escala que capturan peces carecen de monitoreo pesquero y biológico adecuado. Esto deja vacíos de información y dificulta su manejo. También, complica el reconocimiento de dichas pesquerías ante estándares internacionales, así como la existencia de un beneficio social y económico para las pescadoras y los pescadores. Con el fin de lograr una pesca sostenible de la pesquería de peces (excluyendo a los tiburones y rayas) en México, los actores involucrados en esta pesquería se unieron, bajo un esquema de co-manejo y co-financiamiento, que incorpora la igualdad de género, para establecer un monitoreo pesquero que brinde información para generar mejoras en la pesquería y en su manejo. Esto ha posicionado a las pescadoras y los pescadores como pioneros en sostenibilidad pesquera, siendo un ejemplo para muchas otras personas dedicadas a la pesca.

Zimbabwe and its neighboring countries have the largest African Savanna elephant population in the world.  Some areas have a plethora of animals and these high densities are concern for diseases, poisoning and poaching.  VFWT worked with conservation partners to train ZimParks rangers in North West Zimbabwe on differentiating elephant mortality events to determine natural disease incidents vs. wildlife crime scenes, and how to secure and document a crime scene.  This all came to fruition when there started to be a number of elephant mortality events in the region.  Through investigation and collection of samples, that were subsequently analyzed in the laboratory a novel disease  Bicaard taxon 45 was discovered to be the cause of the mortality event.  The disease had not been found in African elephant previously, and as a close relation to Pasturella multocida, was cause for concern as to how the disease would affect elephant species.  

A mission to deploy and install camera traps was carried out by the AGBO-ZEGUE NGO team in the Fazao-Malfakassa National Park (PNFM) and the Abdoulaye Wildlife Reserve from March 1 to 10, 2021 with the support of conservators and ecoguards.

In May 2020, the NGO AGBO-ZEGUE received a grant for the project “Contribution à l’amélioration des statuts de conservation des carnivores dans les aires protégées du Togo” funding from IUCN Save Our Species and the European Union to establish scientific evidence of the presence of large carnivores: the lion (Panthera leo) and the leopard (Panthera pardus) in Togo. Taking part in the mission to collect data on the presence of these large carnivores in Togo were the Executive Director of the NGO AGBO-ZEGUE, John Kokou Toviho GAGLO, and the project’s two technical assistants, Madame Jeanne Kafui DEKAWOLE and Monsieur Délagnon ASSOU.

As coastal development increases in Brazil, artisanal fishers struggle to protect their resources. By leveraging the government-created Extractive Reserves’ (RESEXs) legal structure and working with government, local fishers’ organizations, and communities, Rare’s Fish Forever program in Brazil has 1) established community-led governance and authority over artisanal fisheries; 2) designated managed-access fishing areas, combined with no-take reserves; and 3) improved participation of fishers and communitiy members in fisheries management and decision-making.