Areas of Operation
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 15 December 2011 22:52
- Written by Super User
To support conservation in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, MarViva executes programs for political advocacy, community development, research and awareness-raising in five specific areas:
Gulf of Nicoya.This gulf is in Costa Rica where it bathes the coasts of the provinces of Guanacaste and Puntarenas; it has numerous islands, including Chira and Venado. It is also an important tourism area due to its lush flora and fauna. In this region MarViva works with some of the communities on responsible fishing projects; for this purpose it has a model community that it has advised and guided toward achieving sustainable development based on their marine and coastal resources.
Osa. Situated in Costa Rica’s Southern Pacific region, the Osa Conservation Area contains nearly 2.5% of the planet’s biodiversity despite its small size.
MarViva works hand in hand with fishers from the area to offer them training and strengthening in the development of programs that will allow them, in a way that is compatible with the marine resource, to make a living from different activities related to tourism and responsible fishing.
The foundation also fosters community coastal organization with an emphasis on responsible fishing and mangrove management, in order to achieve the active participation and empowerment of local leaders in spaces for discussion and national harmonization in Marine Spatial Planning.
Gulf of Chiriquí. This area contains the coastal, insular and marine zones of northeastern Panama, including Coiba National Park, which stands out for the richness of its coral reefs and seagrass beds. Through a characterization of the commercialization chain for hydrobiological resources in the Gulf of Chiriquí, MarViva has taken on the task of identifying and strengthening groups of fishers in the development of value chains that will allow them to obtain better income via direct access to local markets tied to responsible fishing.
Chocó. Located in western Colombia, the Science and Communities Program has been key in inserting MarViva into territorial planning and local development plan processes. Productive and economic alternatives have been developed for the associated communities.
Similarly, value chains are being strengthened to achieve a sustainable fishery and work is being done on harmonization through local roundtables for conflict resolution.
In its line for local level governance, MarViva has focused on strengthening territorial ethnic authorities to improve their participation in Marine Spatial Planning.
Coco Island. Due to the excellent conservation status of this Costa Rican island, it constitutes one of the most globally recognized nature sites for its unique biological diversity.
At Isla del Coco National Park, MarViva has always kept a lookout for illegal fishing activities to report them to the competent authorities in the field.
For the Coco Island Conservation Area, Marviva participated in a process led to the signing of an Executive Decree in March 2011 for the creation of the Seamounts Marine Management Area. The creation of this first oceanic Marine Protected Area in the immense sea of Costa Rica, which is 11 times larger than the land area, is a milestone in the national history of marine conservation and production, since it will help ensure sustainable use as well as long-term conservation.
The Seamounts Marine Management Area consists of an area of approximately 9,640 km2 containing the seamount area known as “Las Gemelas” [The Twins]. This area is known for its oceanographic characteristics that foster unique marine biodiversity. The most important fishery resources in the area are sharks and tuna.
Although a tiny 0.79% of all Costa Rica’s waters are protected under some management category, none of these areas are located outside the territorial waters. With the signing of the degree, the groundwork has been laid for pursuing Marine Spatial Planning in this vital oceanic area.
For the next steps, the NGOs that have been supporting the process along with the MarViva Foundation, are considering the need to prepare a General Management Plan that should be approved by the National Conservation Area System (SINAC).
