A Latin American experience with rights-

based approaches: Community territorial use

rights in the Gulf weakfish (Cynoscion

othonopterus) fishery of the Gulf of California,

México

A. Minerva Arce Ibarra

Tenure and Fishing Rights 2015. March 23-27, 2015. Seam Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia

Part I. Scene Setting of the Fishery

Demersal species: Cynoscion othonopterus

Part I. Cont.

SAGARPA 2012Gear: Monofilament Gillnets

Part I. Cont.

General situation of the fishery: Competing objectives

• Conservation vs Socioeconomic & Cultural Objectives

• Natural Protected Areas

with endemic endangered

species vs Cocopah People:

A claim of the nucleus zone

area as their ancestral land

in which to fish (Spatial M)

They acknowledge that their

most valued species is the

Gulf weakfish

Part I. Cont.

General situation of the fishery:

Fishing effort 2007-2008

Com1 (EGSC) = 463 f.p.

Com2 (SnF)= 315 f.p.

Com3 (Cocopah)=50 f.p.

Com4 (PP)= 199 f.p.

Total = 1027 f.p.

PART II. The User-rights story

Motivations to implement a R-B system

NOM-063-PESC-2005. 2007 Fishery Managers:

1. Sustainability criteria: To implement a management

system to sustain fish populations

2. Acknowledgement of 3 communities (including the

Cocopah people) as traditional users

3. Its fishing season is during reproductive aggregations

4. Its abundance and value ($) result in a race-for-fish

5. It is likely that local fishing operations pose risk to

viability of 2 endangered species (Phocoena sinus &

Totoaba macdonaldi)

PART II. Cont. Early 1990’s it was an open access fishery

2007-, it is a regulated-limited entry fishery

2011- A catch quota was set (predetermined harvest control rules lacking)

What is: Description

The duration of the rights First fishing permit= 2 years;

Its renewal= 5 years; “n” renewals

The security of rights If user has not infringed law, it is highly

secure; but it is dependent upon stock & FO

The divisibility of rights Fishing permits are indivisible

The transferability of rights Non transferable except if the entitled

person dies (inheritable)

The exclusivity/ enforceability of

rights

Each boat (and fishers) based at the

designed landing sites/ moderately

enforced

PART II. Cont.

1. Social changes:

Gender and Youth: Continue participating in the fishery

Alternative employment did not emerge

Communities/Users have not fully appropriate the R-B S

2. Economic changes

Before= After; 1.0 US/Kg to 0.33 U.S/Kg

3. Environmental aspects:

Endangered species populations continue deteriorating

(Phocoena sinus); National and International pressure

Fisheries Management: Mexico from 2001-

Downsized federal fishery institutions; $, staff

PART III. Looking back and forward:The future of the user rights system in the fishery

1.Top 3 key lessons: a) The R-B S. is a good start

b) It gave little improvement to FS and Ecosystem

c) A need to discuss competing objectives explicitly

to give advice in devising alternative scenarios

2. Thinking about best practices

a) Mexican government should issue species-

specific fishing permits

b) All official landing sites (El Zanjón) should have

records of their Gulf weakfish landings

c) Communities should know better their R-B-

Management

PART III. Cont.The future of the user rights system in the fishery

Conclusions

a. The complexity of this Fishery System with

competing objectives in place poses extra

challenges in implementing a R-B system

The social side has not fully understand/ use this R-

B-System

The economic side is far from being efficient and

optimal

The environmental side: currently several species

are still considered as endangered therein.

PART III. Cont.The future of the user rights system in the fishery

Recommendations

Current entitled fishers should be given a certificate

as “stewards of their rights to fish”, which if well

administered would result in several types of

income

Set target and limit reference points for this fishery

A thorough fishery monitoring plan scheme (for catch

records, stock assessment and enforcement) need

to be devised

Thank you!

Acknowledgements:

The User Rights 2015 Forum Organizers

Extra Material

Just in case it is needed to respond questions

FIGURETime series (in bars) of reported catch of Curvina golfina from 1995 to 2007 to San Felipe, El Golfo de Santa Clara, and Puerto Peñasco. Total catch is represented by the continuous line.Source: Catch records obtained from Rodríguez-Quiróz (2008).

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Ton

s

San Felipe

G. Santa Clara

P. Peñasco

Total Catch

Year

Objectives of the Management Plan

for the Gulf weakfish (SAGARPA

2012):

1. To sustain fish biomass and its recruitment,

2. To sustain the yield and the economic benefit

of the fishery

3. To reduce environmental interactions

4. To promote economic benefits to society; and

5. To look after the high quality of fishing produce