Description and characterization of the artisanal elasmobranch fishery on Guatemala’s Caribbean coast
Authors: Ana Hacohen-Domené, Francisco Polanco-Vásquez, Colombo Estupiñan-Montaño, Rachel T. Graham
Abstract: Small-scale shark and ray fisheries are conducted throughout Central America’s Caribbean coast. Yet, there is limited information regarding catch composition and diversity of these fisheries, especially in Guatemala. Surveys of catch landings were conducted in two of Guatemala’s primary Caribbean coastal shark and ray fishing communities, El Quetzalito and Livingston, between January 2015 and July 2017. Biological data from 688 landed chondrichthyans were collected, with 31 species (24 sharks, six rays and one chimaera) identified. The four most frequently captured species included Carcharhinus falciformis (30.2%), Sphyrna lewini (12.7%), Hypanus guttatus (12%) and Rhizoprionodon spp. (6.7%). Landed sharks contained most size classes with a high proportion of juveniles of species with low productivity. The large-bodied species C. falciformis and S. lewini were often recorded at sizes below known maturity; 96.6% and 85.1%, of the captured individuals were immature, respectively. This study can serve as a baseline to determine future trends in the elasmobranch fisheries conducted by Guatemala’s Caribbean coastal communities and support assessments on the persistence of the fisheries.
Citation: Hacohen-Domené A, Polanco-Vásquez F, Estupiñan-Montaño C, Graham RT (2020) Description and characterization of the artisanal elasmobranch fishery on Guatemala’s Caribbean coast. PLoS ONE 15(1): e0227797. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227797
La batalla por el arrecife de Amatique
Reportaje “La Batalla por el Arrecife de Amatique”
Oswaldo J. Hernández
No-Ficción
El Atlántico de Guatemala ha llegado a su límite. Dos barcos camaroneros más y el ecosistema marino que sostiene el arrecife de Foudara, en las costas de Livingston, Izabal, podría verse colapsado. Los pescadores de toda el área luchan ante la escasez, cada vez más crítica, de buscar peces en la Bahía de Amatique.
“Este reportaje fue producido con el apoyo de la Earth Journalism Network de Internews y el Fondo para el Sistema Arrecifal Mesoamericano (MAR Fund, en inglés)”.
Apuntan a una estrategia regional para la conservación de manglares
Los países de la región del Sistema Arrecifal Mesoamericano (SAM) han efectuado, en diferente medida, acciones para conservar sus ecosistemas de manglares a través de la legislación o normativas, fortalecimiento de las acciones de gobierno y declaración de áreas protegidas. A pesar de los esfuerzos, aún persiste la pérdida de cobertura manglar.
Por ello, actores clave en el resguardo de esta especie, provenientes de México, Belice, Guatemala y Honduras participaron en un taller desarrollado en el país, denominado Desarrollo de una Estrategia Regional de Conservación y Restauración de Manglares en el Arrecife Mesoamericano, con el cual se identificaron prioridades de conservación, restauración y uso sostenible de los manglares que se ubican en las áreas del SAM.
Source:
Patricia González
Diario de Centroamérica
Dreaming of transforming the travel industry? Apply for a grant to support your project
Do you have an idea for a project that could transform the travel industry? Then here’s a grant opportunity from Booking.com that you won’t want to miss out on! Apply now for a chance to turn your vision into reality.
The Booking Cares Fund
The Booking Cares Fund champions non-profit sustainable travel projects which present new and unexpected solutions to reimagine the industry. The Fund supports projects that strengthen local communities, preserve and promote local culture, help disperse tourism and protect natural resources.
Projects can come from and take place all over the world, for example, representing universities, non-profits, research institutes and governments. Those that present bold, ambitious plans to truly transform the travel industry will be invited to Amsterdam to develop their project plan with the support of Booking.com and have the chance to receive funding to fuel their progress over the course of the following year.
If you have a vision for the future of the industry, we encourage you to apply today. Applications are due by Sept. 16. More information on The Booking Cares Fund and the application process is available here.
Tourism and Protected Areas Mobile Seminar in Colorado, USA
The Center for Protected Area Management (CPAM) at Colorado State University, in partnership with United States Forest Service International Programs, is now accepting applications for its VIth Planning and Managing Tourism in Protected Areas Mobile Seminar(offered in English) from September 6 to 22, 2018 in Colorado, USA. The deadline to apply is May 11, 2018.
Please see the brochure attached for more information about the application period, seminar costs, and how to apply or visit the seminar’s website at:
https://warnercnr.colostate.edu/cpam/seminar-tourism-protected-areas/
MAR Fund Statement on oil extraction in the Mesoamerica Reef
The MAR Fund and the Belize Marine Fund (BMF) join the Conservation Community in congratulating the Government of Belize on its bold action towards the preservation of the Belize Barrier Reef System. Read on.
Calling all changemakers in sustainable tourism
Booking.com recently launched the Booking Cares Fund, a program that champions changemakers in their search for new and unexpected solutions that reimagine the tourism and travel space. This fund will support projects that strengthen local communities, preserve and promote local culture, help disperse tourism, and protect natural resources.
Source:
Booking.com
Integrated planning that safeguards ecosystems and balances multiple objectives in coastal Belize
A growing number of nations aim to design coastal plans to reduce conflicts in space and safeguard ecosystems that provide important benefits to people and economies. Critics of coastal and ocean planning point to a complicated process with many actors, objectives, and uncertain outcomes. This paper explores one such decision-making process in Belize, which combines ecosystem service modeling, stakeholder participation, and spatial planning to design the country’s first integrated coastal zone management plan, officially approved by the government in August 2016.
Celebración Estatal del Día Mundial de Medio Ambiente en el estado de Quintana Roo, México. Playa del Carmen 5 de Junio de 2017
Festival Multidisciplinario de la Vida en la Tierra
Encuentro de productores locales, Simposio Académico, Laboratorios del Gusto, Educación Ambiental, Expo de productos sustentables, arte y mucho más.
Organizado por RAZONATURA AC, la Dirección de Ecología de Solidaridad y la Secretaría de Medio Ambiente del Gobierno de Quintana Roo.
Muchas gracias a todas las comunidades, proyectos e instituciones que participaron aportando contenidos y diversidad al Festival.
Un reconocimiento especial para Cecilia VIcente, Ximena Arvizu, Diego Valencia y al Proyecto SlowFood/SlowFish Caribe a través de la Unión Europea.
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