Coastal Fisheries Initiative - Challenge Fund
Global Knowledge Competition

Ecuador

Winner: Small Pelagic Sustainability Coalition

Private-led Coalition in Ecuador Seeks to Drive Sustainable Fishing Practices

A proposal to establish a common responsible sourcing policy in the fishmeal industry was recognized by the CFI-CF Global Knowledge Competition as the winning solution put forth from Ecuador. The coalition will encourage fishing vessels supplying ingredients to the fishmeal industry in Ecuador to progressively comply with sustainability and transparency rules. 

Fishing is a way of life along more than 2,000 kilometers of Ecuador’s coastline. Yet the livelihoods of tens of thousands of fishers, their families, and their communities, along with the prospect of the seafood industry, is in peril. 

In 2017, much of Ecuador’s fish resources were in a state of overfishing or overexploitation, according to data collected on nine of the small pelagic and other fish species by Ecuador’s Public Institute of Aquaculture and Fisheries Research, known as IPIAP. That assessment was supported by local industry and The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Foundation, with the support of the GEF-funded Global Marine Commodities project.

The findings foretold a looming disaster, prompting the National Chamber of Fisheries and 22 industry organization to work together on a Small Pelagics Sustainability Improvement Project, knows as the SPS-FIP. 

“There's been almost four years of work with a coalition on addressing challenges,” said Jimmy Anastacio-Solis, SPS-FIP Project Manager at the National Chamber of Fisheries. 

Since 2018, SPS-FIP has built strategic alliances with IPIAP and Ecuador’s Vice Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries to implement a process of fisheries improvement. They enabled achievements in research and management. Recognizing the threat of overfishing, their joint efforts encouraged a doubling of the number of days closed to fishing to 134 to support the rejuvenation of fish stock.

The lesson from the debut SPS-FIP efforts is to strengthen and expand the coalition to draw in more fishers and help them contribute to a durable solution. “Without partnerships, it is not possible. We need the joint efforts—large scale collaboration—to address sustainability,” said Anastacio-Solis.

The coalition’s winning solution seeks to create a common responsible sourcing policy to increase the scale of sustainable management of the small pelagic fishery, which supports more than 24,000 jobs and exports of $235 million annually. 

The solution is built on three pillars, according to Anastacio-Solis. 

The first is the strong industry coalition that already exists.  The coalition consists of the private sector actors that represent more than 80 percent of fishmeal production in Ecuador. This bodes well for increasing cooperation across the value chain and offers the potential to sustainably manage the fishery at scale. 

“The second pillar is to create an ideal policy,” that all companies involved in the coalition agree to follow and that contribute to sustainable use of resources, he said. 

Success of the common responsible sourcing policy will require effective enforcement and monitoring of participating vessels and companies to ensure adoption of progressive improvements and compliance with the policy. While ultimately enforcement is the role of government, Anastacio-Solis predicted the industry-led approach will encourage greater acceptance, draw in more partners, and slowly reduce informality.

The new approach would encourage informal operators to join in fishery management and adopt responsible practices. It would create public registry of boats and factories to increase transparency in the supply chain and discourage irregular and illegal fishing practices.

“The third pillar is cooperation from the government in exchange for information and transparency” from coalition members that support monitoring of resources,” said Anastacio-Solis. 

Vessels supplying small pelagic product to the fishmeal industry in Ecuador would gain incentives to progressively comply with verifiable improvements in fishing practices, legal compliance, and transparency. The gradual approach to improve management aims to make it easier for vessels to apply responsible fishing practices incrementally. It recognizes the cultural, economic, and other challenges to adopt new practices in a sector with so many informal operators.

The winning solution was submitted by the Camara Nacional de Pesqueria (National Chamber of Fisheries), in coalition with a wide coalition of public and private entities that includes: Fortidex S.A., Negocios Industriales Real, NIRSA S.A., HERCO, BORSEA, Productos Pesqueros S.A., Tadel, Multiproyectos S.A., Urisa, EXU, Ecuafeed S.A., Pesqueria DIMOLFIN, Comuna Jambeli – Santa Elen, Polar, Rosmei, SEIMAR S.A., INHARIPAC S.A., Likefish, Grupo Riveto, Skretting, Vitapro, BioMar, Cargill, Ministerio de Produccion Comercio Exterior, Inversiones y Pesca, Instituto Publico de Investigacion de Acuicultura y Pesca, and Global Marine Commodities.

Indonesia

Winner: Fishery Area Access Network

Fishery Management Offers Foundation for Stronger Communities in Indonesia

A proposal to manage fishing practices through cooperation rather than competition was recognized by the World Bank’s CFI-CF Global Knowledge Competition as the winning solution put forth from Indonesia. The local coalition’s ambition is to build communities that are less vulnerable to multiple shocks, including threats from a changing climate.

Indonesia’s Muna District spreads over multiple islands in the Flores and Banda seas. Connections between communities and neighboring islands are not easy.  Livelihoods revolve primarily around traditional fishing and farming activities.

In Pasi Kolaga, families have become vulnerable in recent years as fish stocks have been exhausted, much like their neighbors in nearby islands. The catch isn’t as large as it used to be. 

Fisheries are largely unregulated and operate within an informal economy in Indonesia. Fishers often take whatever fish they can catch. 

A coalition of global and local civil society organizations have teamed up for change, with a concerted effort to manage fishing practices through cooperation rather than competition. Their approach leverages provincial government policies and fosters sustainable fishery practices through co-management approaches and rules to regulate their use of fishery resources. 

“Talking about fisheries is not only about the fish and the fishers,” said Raymond Jakub, technical and fisheries program director with Rare, a civil society organization that is part of the local coalition. “The stakeholders are working in tandem to build a mindset for longer-term success,” he said. 

The coalition is engaging women in the communities, encouraging savings, and fostering new financial options. They aim to help families improve incomes and manage money even  during periods of increased scarcity. 

“It is also about fishers’ families and the broader aspects of social life,” Jakub said. 

The coalition facilitates and empowers local community groups and governments to identify and map fishery resources and form a Managed Access and Reserve area starting in Muna District. 

The community members aim to work collaboratively with district and provincial governments to develop marine spatial and management plans, allocate access rights, and establish no-take zones to allow restoration of habitats and protect spawning grounds. It will also create community surveillance mechanisms. The provincial government legally supports the establishment and operation of Fisheries Managed Access & Reserve areas as regulated in Governor's Regulation Southeast Sulawesi No.36 2019.

Under this approach, local fishers, who are responsible for ensuring the sustainability of the areas, would gain primary access rights for use. The coalition itself has limited enforcement capacity, yet with a fisheries management plan it can drive the local approach and facilitate successful execution. 

To foster a more stable local economy, the coalition will work to formalize small and medium seafood enterprises, improve access to finance, and build capacity to reduce post-capture losses and improve fish quality to increase incomes in the target communities. 

The solution goes beyond fishing.

“There will be training on financial literacy,” said Waatina, a local facilitator for Pasi Kolaga Savings and Loan Associations (Kelompok Simpan Pinjam), “We want to ensure that the benefits we get from improving the fisheries can also improve households.”

Challenges remain. To engage buyers willing to pay higher prices will require product quality and volume consistency. Reaching larger cities with sufficient consumer demand will require reducing transportation and logistics barriers. 

Over time, the coalition seeks to replicate the model in other areas of the district and in the province as it works to solidify public and private mechanisms to sustain and scale the solution.

“It’s very exciting to see the changes in the community,” Jakub said. He expects that such an inclusive solution can attract further interest beyond the initial coalition.

The coalition includes Rare, Kelompok Pengelolaan Akses Area Perikanan Pasi Kolaga (Pasi Kolaga Managed Access & Reserves Management Body), Kelompok Masyarakat Pengawas Pasi Kolaga (Pasi Kolaga Community-based Surveillance Group), and Kelompok Simpan Pinjam Pasi Kolaga (Pasi Kolaga Savings and Loans Association).

Peru

Winner: Direct Sales from Artisanal Fishers to Consumers in Lima

Peruvian Coalition Strives to Make Fish Supply Sustainable

A proposal to expand an innovative fish marketing approach was recognized by the World Bank’s CFI-CF Global Knowledge Competition as the winning solution put forth from Peru. The coalition aims to sell responsibly sourced seafood products directly to customers in restaurants, supermarkets, and online in Lima.

Seafood plays a vital role in the diet and cuisine of Peru. The government even declared a day to honor ceviche, a raw fish delicacy cured in citrus, as part of its national heritage. The world-renowned favorite is only one among many that draw on local fish. Peruvians consume on average nearly 25 kilograms of fish annually, the most in South America, according to FAO.

Peru’s 1,500-mile Pacific Coast has fed its love affair with fish, which is well known. Less well known is the harmful impact of seafood’s circuitous path to reach Peruvian markets, restaurants and homes. 

Before reaching consumers, seafood is handled by a half dozen or more middlemen, leaving the fishers detached from customers and the value some buyers are willing to place on the quality of their product. The process from sea to table is inefficient and lacks transparency. 

The supply chain is destructive to coastal fisheries, according to the Simone Pisu, co-founder of Pesco Pescadería. Known as Pesco, his company is a social enterprise that describes itself as the first fishmonger in Lima to connect local artisanal fishery products directly with consumers.  

PesCo has been working to shorten the supply chain, to sell responsibly sourced seafood products directly to customers in restaurants, supermarkets, and online in Lima. It has already engaged with 2,500 customers and 15 restaurants in Lima.  

Building on its success to date, PesCo has proposed a broad coalition to expand its model of more direct sales from fishers to buyers. In doing so it aims to increase the income of participating fishers by 20-30 percent.

“We are a small organization,” said Pisu. There are hotels and restaurants seeking more sustainably sourced fish than PesCo can currently supply. Faster progress can be made, he predicted, “if partners are aligned about the practices, the goals, and the minimum conditions we consider for responsible fishing.” The Global Knowledge Competition encouraged them to formalize the partnership and build a common vision of a sustainable coastal fishing industry, Pisu said. The coalition aims to improve the supply chain to redistribute value back to the fishers.

Better fishing practices require more engagement with fishers, many of whom operate informally. The coalition aims to get more fishers to register for licenses and improve practices with appropriate equipment. 

The coalition plans to support artisanal fishers in achieving higher prices through training in responsible fishing techniques, including adopting selective fishing gear, respecting seasonal restrictions, and complying with minimum catch size. That is expected to create a virtuous cycle, according Pisu. The higher prices for quality fish products will build appreciation for the improved practices among the fishers. 

Traceability technology and systems and a publicly accessible website are envisioned to allow the coalition to report progress. Better data on artisanal fisheries can inform sustainable resource management.

Already PesCo is working with well-regarded chefs and large restaurant chains to create special menus using responsibly sourced fish. The process of building more mainstream demand will take time and patience, however. 

“It's really difficult to create that critical mass of consumers [interested in sustainably sourced fish] but it can be done,” said Adriana Sanchez, the Responsible Seafood Strategy Director at the sustainable fishing advocacy group Wave of Change.

Consumer awareness campaigns aim to increase demand for responsible fish products and provide financial incentives for artisanal fishers to adopt legal and sustainable fishing practices. 

Sanchez noted that it took more than two decades to build awareness and demand for sustainably sourced fish in the United States. Peru has different social and economic conditions that offer another context, but she remains optimistic that the coalition can generate a public conversation around sustainability that will change consumer preferences and behavior as more products becomes available.

The coalition consists of Pesco Pescadería, Comunidad Pesquera de San Juan de Marcona, Instituto Humboldt, Consorcio Manglares de Tumbes, Osaka Restaurante, Hotel Ibero Star, Central Restaurante/Mater iniciativa, Gremio de pescadores Artesanales de la Caleta el Ñuro, and CLS-Perú.

Cabo Verde

Runner-Up: Sustainable Fishing Promotion in São Vicente and Santiago Islands

Coalition Fosters Good Practices to Reduce Overfishing in Cabo Verde

A coalition for Sustainable Fishing Promotion in São Vicente and Santiago Islands seeks to encourage sustainable fishing practices and create alternative opportunities to fishing. It was recognized by the World Bank Coastal Fisheries Initiative-Challenge Fund (CFI-CF) Global Knowledge Competition in 2022 as the runner up put forth from Cabo Verde.

In Cabo Verde, sought-after coastal fish are running low.

A study carried out from 2018-2020 by the National Institute for Fisheries Development, (Instituto do Mar de Cabo Verde), found that black mackerel and grouper have been overexploited. The primary causes are juvenile catch and fishing during breeding season.

Old ways die hard, despite the risks and efforts to restrict these practices.

Local fishers “sell the popular fish species at a very low cost and without processing,” said Maria Ivonne Andrade, a Technical Expert at Renascença Africana-Associação das Mulheres da África Ocidental –Célula de Cabo Verde (RAMAO). They rely on fishing for their livelihood and are just seeking the fish that are available whenever they can expect to sell them.

Monitoring and enforcement of fishing practices is limited, so fishers take little risk in failing to comply with new requirements. Meanwhile, there has been little formal connection to date with other interested stakeholders that might engage fishers in practices to preserve fish stocks or create alternatives to fishing.

The Sustainable Fishing Promotion solution seeks to involve key fisheries sector actors and investors in São Vicente and Santiago islands, Cabo Verde to change the dynamic and generate interest in sustainable fishing practices and a more diverse local economy.

The coalition plans to put an emphasis on building awareness in fisher communities around the value of good fishing practices.

“One way is to identify alternative fish species and other [non-fishing] activities” and communicate this information to fishers to take pressure off the mackerel and grouper fisheries, explained RAMAO President Josefina Chantre Fortes.

The coalition also aims to generate interest within fishing communities through communication and outreach around non-fishing activities that can be supported by the financial community. Targeted entrepreneurship training will be aimed at promoting alternative livelihoods to fishing, such as tourism, that can improve the income of women and fishermen.

The coalition will identify ways to add value so fishers can increase the price for fish harvested in a responsible manner. The coalition will reach out to the business and financial communities to help strengthen infrastructure and equipment needed, such as cold storage, to add value to the fishing products. Parallel efforts will be made to spur more investment from the financial sector and create public awareness of business opportunities in tourism.

“We feel privileged to have received this recognition by the World Bank,” said Chantre. She said that they will try to use this platform as an opportunity to raise awareness of their efforts among potential sources of financing that can help them implement their vision and solution.

The coalition is comprised of Renascença Africana-Associação das Mulheres da África Ocidental –Célula de Cabo Verde (RAMAO), Instituto do Mar, The University of Cape Verde, The National Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DNPA), and Associação para o Ambiente e Desenvolvimento (ADAD).

Runner-Up: Monitoreo Participativo (Octopus Monitoring Coalition)

High Demand for Quality Octopus in Ecuador Can Drive Incomes, Sustainable Fishing

A coalition’s solution to promote a participatory monitoring program was recognized by the World Bank Coastal Fisheries Initiative-Challenge Fund (CFI-CF) Global Knowledge Competition in 2022 as the runner up put forth from Ecuador. Under the plan, fishers will ensure their octopus catch to meet quality and sustainability criteria so restaurants and other buyers are willing to pay a premium to the market price.

Just a few years ago, visiting surfers were wowed by a new ceviche dish featuring octopus caught in coastal waters off a then little-known beach town inside the Galera San Francisco Marine Reserve in Esmeraldas province.  Soon, more tourists came for the octopus ceviche, and stayed for the beaches with warm teal waters.

It didn’t end well for the local octopus fishery.

“The community depleted the octopus population to meet ceviche demand,” said Juan Carlos Medina, head of marine mapping at Instituto Nazca de Investigación Marina (Nazca Institute of Marine Research), “So now—it’s really incredible—in order to prepare this special ceviche, they import octopus from Peru.”

The coalition is establishing a long-term participatory monitoring program with communities in the artisanal octopus fishery based in Manabi province of Ecuador.

The solution includes approaches to improve the management and health of artisanal octopus fishery in two marine reserves through a closed season, introduction of more selective gear use, and minimum catch size.

Khen.uio, a restaurant chain in the coalition, has agreed to purchase responsibly sourced octopus directly from ASOSALAN, a fishers’ association, at significant premium to market price.

“In the market fishers receive just $2.50-3.50 per pound for octopus. The restaurant is paying $7.50 per pound—more than double what they usually get,” said Medina. “There is one condition: the catch should be responsible. For an octopus to be considered a responsible catch it should weigh more than 1000 grams.”

Medina said that other chefs around the country are demanding responsibly sourced octopus. The supply chain currently rewards the middlemen, and many buyers are not satisfied with the quality of the fish delivered. They are willing to pay a high premium directly to fishers if the fishing methods are responsible.

The coalition aims to establish better awareness of sustainable fishing practices, including permitted catch areas, minimum catch size, and avoiding capture of egg-bearing females. The coalition will establish educational campaigns and training programs with local fishers, explore product differentiation opportunities and assist further direct sales with restaurants in Quito and other key cities. It will establish a traceability system, improve packaging and transportation, and promote visibility of women who participate in and contribute to the value chain.

“What they are doing is guaranteeing that these octopus are coming from this protected area,” said Medina. That will have a big impact on buyer interest and fisher appreciation of the improved practices, he predicts.

The coalition is made up of Instituto Nazca de Investigacion Marina (Nazca Institute of Marine Research), Asosalan, and Khen.uio.

Runner-Up: Raja Ampat Sustainable Anchovy Coalition

Saving Anchovies and Revitalizing Local Industry in West Papua, Indonesia

The Raja Ampat Sustainable Anchovy Coalition is a multi-year effort to co-manage fish stocks. Its proposal to tackle overfishing was recognized by the World Bank Coastal Fisheries Initiative-Challenge Fund (CFI-CF) Global Knowledge Competition in 2022 as the runner-up solution put forth from Indonesia. It seeks to establish fishing arrangements between small-scale fishers and large commercial fishing vessels to allow anchovy stock to recover and improve economic prospects of local fishing communities.

Raja Ampat is a global marine treasure. The waters located off the northwest tip of New Guinea island, in Indonesia's West Papua province are home to hundreds of species of hard corals and more than 1,700 species of reef fish.

Among the small pelagic fish that populate the coastal areas of the Bird’s Head Seascape Papua region are anchovies. Today they are at risk of depletion, largely due to overfishing by commercial vessels that are sweeping the coastal waters clean of fish.

“The local fishermen used to supply anchovy [as bait]” to commercial fishing vessels catching larger fish like skipjack, said Dr. Stephanus Mandagi, a biodiversity, sustainable fisheries and climate change expert with Universitas Kristen Papua (UKIP). But then larger commercial vessels from Sulawesi and other parts of Indonesia introduced large nets that deplete local fish stock and leave little space for artisanal fishing.

“The community has been suffering,” said Mandagi, “They cannot get enough fish” either for bait or to sell at local markets. As the local stock diminishes he now recognizes that if the status quo is maintained there won’t be fish for anyone in the future.

The coalition is taking a long view to fundamentally alter practices and restore the fisheries. Their four-year plan will encourage commercial vessels from other regions to focus on skipjack tuna, while reviving anchovy fishing by local fishers.

The solution would create an anchovy management plan. The coalition members aim to map out the implementation of management measures, enforcement, stock and habitat assessment, and supply chain assessment. Training will be conducted on Ecosystems Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM), finance, corporate management and marketing, and fish product improvement.

The anchovy cooperative aims to restore baitfish supply and help local fishers increase their incomes. The cooperative will coordinate the marketing of baitfish supplied to commercial pole and line industry to catch skipjack tuna and selling dried anchovy to local markets. Meanwhile the cooperative will ensure local fishers comply with management measures to ensure sustainable practices.

The revitalization of the anchovy fishing by local fishers would require smaller vessels with lights that attract sufficient fish. That lighting would be designed to ensure good catches but discourage overfishing.

Under the co-management plan envisioned, large nets now used by commercial vessels would be phased out. Local fishers would work to supply those vessels with bait rather than compete with them.

“The transformation will be done slowly,” said Mandagi. “That's the only way to manage the fishery to make it sustainable.”

The partners in the coalition are Universitas Kristen Papua (UKIP), Universitas Negeri Papua (UNIPA), Muhamadya University, Masyarakat Adat Papua, and Mathbat-Yellu, Fishery Office of Raja Ampat Regency, Marine and Fishery Affairs of West Papua Province, PT Citra Raja Ampat, BLUD of Raja Ampat Marine Park Authority, Koperasi Mina Mandiri, Tafelo, YKAN, and Yayasan Misool Baseftin.

Runner-Up: Protegiendo la Anchoveta (Anchoveta Protection Initiative)

Back to the Future to Save Peruvian Anchoveta

A coalition’s solution to improve fishing practices that protect Peru’s anchoveta fisheries was recognized by the World Bank Coastal Fisheries Initiative-Challenge Fund (CFI-CF) Global Knowledge Competition in 2022 as the runner up put forth from Peru. It will encourage fishing fleets that use selective nets and pair a fishing boat with a support boat to collect and transport fish. The solution aims to reduce fishing pressure and improve fish quality and fisher incomes.

The Peruvian anchoveta found in coastal Pacific waters is a high-quality fish species in the anchovy family and among the most important fisheries globally.

But the common method for catching the fish today leads to products of low quality.

Nets designed to sweep up large amount of fish without regard for their size stress the small, delicate anchoveta. The bulk of the catch in the nets deprive the fish of oxygen. Then anchoveta are damaged as they pour through a hydraulic pump. Further stress and quality reduction occur on deck and when the fish are stored inside the fishing vessel for extended periods.

Fish degraded by this method of extraction fetch low prices. It creates a cycle that compels fishers to catch more and deplete the stock further, putting the fisheries at risk.

Blasco Nuñez, CEO and cofounder of Lumen Sapientiae, a civil society organization supporting local fishing communities, said a new approach can increase fisher incomes and allow more sustainable management of fishery. Lumen is working with the Asociación Nacional de Armadores Pesqueros de la Ley 26920, the largest guild of artisanal fishing shipowners in Peru, around the solution proposed. If successful, sustainable management measures could have a significant impact on stock recovery and benefits for local food security.

The coalition aims to reintroduce selective fishing nets to address overfishing in the Peruvian anchoveta fishery. Such nets were commonly used many years ago to naturally select the best quality fish and protect juveniles but went out of favor as the industry turned its focus to quantity.

Another innovation proposed is boat pairing. “We want to introduce in Peru fishing with two boats,” said Nuñez, who noted that a pairing practice has long been used locally. Today’s pair fishing innovation, however, will require tender boats without nets working alongside the fishing boats with nets.

The pairing approach involves a fishing boat working in tandem with a support boat that collects and transports fish. Pair fishing maintains effective cold storage from catch to landing, supporting quality and improving fishers’ income.

Existing boats withdrawn from fishing will have their hold, hatches, deck lay-out and rigging redesigned for the new practice. Repurposing a portion of the existing fleet will reduce fishing pressure while maintaining industry vitality. A decrease in the volume of fish caught is mitigated by a quality increase that results in the higher price.

The Anchoveta Protection Initiative is also working to develop new supply chains with higher quality anchoveta sold to canneries seeking these products.

The Initiative will further address overfishing through enforcement of existing management measures, including seasonal closures during spawning periods and elimination of illegal sales of juvenile anchoveta to fishmeal producers.

“If a small fleet using selective nets starts earning more money, other fishers will immediately be aware,” he said. They will ask: “Why is he making more money?”

“It is systemic change that we are trying to introduce here.”

The coalition is comprised of Facultad de Ingeniería Pesquera y de Alimentos (FIPA) de la Universidad Nacional San Luis Gonzaga de Ica, and Lumen Sapientiae, which is working closely with the shipowner’s association that represents 360 artisanal fishing vessels.