Thriving coast: empowering coastal fisher-farmer communities to protect biodiversity and build prosperity in Honduras

Title: Thriving coast: empowering coastal fisher-farmer communities to protect biodiversity and build prosperity in Honduras

Honduras' Atlantic coast is part of the Mesoamerican Reef, the world's second-largest barrier reef, stretching more than 600 miles across the Caribbean. This biologically rich reef supports over 500 fish species, marine turtles and sharks, including endangered and economically valuable species, while its mangroves and seagrass meadows serve as vital nurseries for marine life. These ecosystems provide essential services, such as coastal protection and carbon storage, as well as support for small-scale fisheries supplying food and jobs to thousands of households.
Threats such as overfishing, pollution and climate change are jeopardising the reef's biodiversity and depleting resources, making coastal communities in Honduras exceptionally vulnerable. With over 50% of the population living in poverty, community-based fisheries are vital, providing up to 75% of income for fisher-farmer households. Since the 2017 reform of the national fisheries law removed the three nautical miles exclusion zone for artisanal fishing and opened the area to industrial trawling, fisher-farmers have been facing a crisis of declining artisanal catch levels. With few alternative livelihood options, they resort to destructive fishing practices for shortterm gains, worsening food insecurity and increasing socioeconomic and ecological vulnerability as coastal ecosystems deteriorate. Focusing on small-scale fisheries, Rare aims to reverse the declining trend by collaborating with Ayuda en Acción and Centro de Estudios Marinos on this project. They will work to empower 33 fisher-farmer communities in the Colón department across six municipalities (Iriona, Limón, Santa Fe, Trujillo, Santa Rosa de Aguán, Balfate) to adopt sustainable fisheries management practices, such as capacity building for fishers around improved post-harvest management. Building on initial milestones, the project will enable local communities and government partners to restore, conserve, and sustainably manage three marine protected areas (MPAs) covering 2,948 km2. Two additional MPAs, spanning 463 km2, will be created. The MPAs’ sustainable use zones will be reserved for artisanal and small-scale fishing fleets. The project will focus on raising awareness of, and building technical capacity for, sustainable, climate-resilient fisheries management and good governance, such as training five gender-inclusive, community-based fisheries management bodies. Beneficiaries will gain access to financial inclusion mechanisms such as Savings Clubs. Such alternative livelihood opportunities reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities for
fisher-farmers and relieve pressure on marine ecosystems. To ensure long-term sustainability, the project will connect micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises with local and regional financing mechanisms, and integrate sustainable fisheries management and alternative livelihood opportunities into government priorities.

Key targets: 

Newly created MPAs: 463 km2

Effectively managed MPAs: 2,948 km2

Number of beneficiaries: 8,536

Key activities and areas of work:

MPA GOVERNANCE

▶ Create two MPAs in Balfate and Santa Rosa de Aguán

▶ Support the establishment and adoption of co-management agreements for legally declared MPAs

▶ Establish three, and build capacity for all five, genderinclusive, community-based fisheries management bodies

▶ Develop and facilitate approval of climate-smart management and operational plans for five MPAs

▶Leverage sustainable financing for fisheries and alternative livelihoods by developing and piloting a realistic strategy

HABITAT CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION

▶ Design and implement mangrove and seagrass restoration plans and protocols, with community participation

▶ Restore at least 117 ha of mangroves and 67 ha of seagrass in three municipalities to improve the health of critical habitats and enhance MPAs

▶ Monitor restored mangrove and seagrass areas biannually to assess growth and health, integrating findings into MPA plans for ongoing community-based fisheries management and necessary mitigation

SPECIES CONSERVATION/SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

▶ Monitor fish stocks through underwater surveys in the target region, report findings to fisheries management bodies, and develop recommendations to improve fish stock management strategies

▶ Build fishers' capacity for improved post-harvest practices through social media content and a chatbot, to reduce losses and stabilise income

SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS

▶ Support over 800 fisher-farmers (≥50% women) to adopt alternative livelihoods through building business capacity and the legal registration of 24 sustainable micro-, smalland medium-sized enterprises

▶ Strengthen 30 existing gender-inclusive Savings Clubs to improve financial resilience and facilitate access to financial planning for coastal fishing communities

▶ Improve fish processing skills for a minimum of 510 fisherfarmers (≥10% women), to enhance value chains