Lessons in International Cooperation The SOS Pesca Project: A Multinational and Intersectoral Collaboration for Sustainable Fisheries, Marine Conservation and Improved Quality of Life in Coastal Communities Valerie Miller MS, Ania Mirabal-Patterson MS, Elisa García-Rodríguez PhD, Kendra Karr PhD, Daniel Whittle JD, National Center for Protected Areas Working Group (CU)* ABSTRACT provide scientifi c and technical support, trainings and exchanges Healthy fi sheries, particularly small-scale fi sheries, are closely focused on fi sheries. SOS Pesca succeeded at community, linked to prosperous and healthy coastal communities and resilient regional fi shing zone and national levels. Outcomes included: an marine environments. Cuba’s marine and coastal ecosystems are assessment of fi nfi sh identifying species most vulnerable to fi shing highly biodiverse and support fi sheries vital to food security and (methods and capacities), a proposed management plan for fi nfi sh, the national economy. Cuban government and state institutions, a National Plan of Action for sharks and rays, two marine protected scientists, managers and fi shers—along with colleagues from other areas established, increased employment through socioeconomic countries—have expressed growing concern about the decline of alternatives, revitalization of community environmental brigades, fi shing resources. In 2012, under the aegis of the National Center and greater capacity to use fi shery assessment methods and for Protected Areas, Cuban institutions from the Ministry of Science, develop management strategies. Perhaps the greatest achievement Technology and Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Investment was communities’ and fi shers’ changed perceptions of their marine partnered with the Italian nongovernmental organization, COSPE environment, the need for conservation and sustainable resource Onlus, to launch SOS Pesca, a four-year project to achieve management, and their active role in this objective. SOS Pesca sustainable fi sheries management, conserve marine habitats and spurred a more participatory form of integrated marine and coastal improve quality of life in two Cuban fi shing communities (Guayabal in management in Cuba—one that integrates fi sheries and spatial Las Tunas Province and Playa Florida in Camagüey Province). SOS management, links fi shing families and coastal communities Pesca involved the municipal governments of Amancio Rodríguez (in with scientists and administrators to fi nd solutions that support Las Tunas Province) and Florida (in Camagüey Province), delegates sustainability, and connects economic alternatives to community- to the Municipal Assembly of People’s Power (municipal government) based conservation and improved food security. This innovative from Guayabal (Amancio Rodríguez Municipality) and Playa Florida multinational collaboration benefi ted coastal communities, marine (Florida Municipality), the state-owned fi shing industry, private and coastal ecosystems and international cooperation. fi shers, local families, protected area offi cials and staff scientists, municipal governments and international nongovernmental KEYWORDS Small-scale fi sheries, fi sheries management, food organizations. By the end of 2012, a new US–Cuban collaboration security, marine protected areas, community-based management, emerged when COSPE recruited Environmental Defense Fund to institutions, marine conservation, local government, Cuba, USA INTRODUCTION because of exports like lobster and shrimp, and because they Fisheries, particularly small-scale fi sheries, are closely linked to provide critical employment, income and food to coastal communities healthy marine environments and healthy and prosperous coastal and residents across the island. Cuba’s fi shing sector includes the communities.[1] Small-scale fi sheries provide important nutrition and state-owned industry that operates 35 ports and employs nearly support food security, poverty reduction and economic development 14,000 people, and the private sector that operates from 196 fi shing at local and national levels.[1] Globally, small-scale fi sheries bases and involves 18,638 private commercial fi shers and 17,657 contribute to half of total fi sh catches and employ an estimated 90% noncommercial private fi shers. Sport-recreational fi sheries and of the world’s 37 million fi shers, while 3 billion people depend on fi sh research fi sheries are also vital.[7] as an important source of protein.[2–4] Small-scale fi sheries, many of which lack governance and a data collection system to guide Cuba’s long history of scientifi c research and environmental management,[5] are more likely to be threatened by overfi shing and policies has en abled protection and conservation of biodiversity and are typically less well-managed than large-scale fi sheries.[6] sustainable resource use. The government has a nationwide system of protected areas that currently covers approximately 17.2% of the Cuba’s marine and coastal ecosystems are highly biodiverse and country’s land and 25% of its insular platform (i.e., coastal waters).[8] support various fi shing activities around the entire island. The country’s marine fi sheries are vital to the economy, particularly Although Cuba’s science, conservation and resource management programs are some of the best in the Caribbean, the complex nature of their fi sheries, which catch species with varying levels of vulnerability to fi shing, makes it challenging to evaluate their status IMPORTANCE SOS Pesca created an innovative multi- and implement recovery measures for overfi shed populations. national, multisectoral collaboration for sustainable fi sher- [9] Cuban fi sheries statistics recorded over the last 60 years have ies in Cuba based on scientifi c evidence, participation and allowed researchers to conduct extensive analysis of catches. local government support, for the benefi t of communities, [10–13] In the most recent, Baisre examined catch trends over 80 ecosystems and international cooperation. years and estimated that up to 74% of commercial fi sh species are overexploited and 5% collapsed; he notes that analyses based on MEDICC Review, April 2018, Vol 20, No. 2 Peer Reviewed 65 Lessons in International Cooperation catch data alone allow for an initial estimate and can be compared The successful results of other projects carried out along the north with other methods to develop a more reliable indicator of fi sheries and south coasts of Cuba (such as Protection of Biodiversity and status.[13] Sustainable Development in the Sabana–Camagüey Ecosystem, and Application of a Regional Approach to Management of Marine To better understand the status of fi sheries in Cuba, a working and Coastal Protected Areas in Cuba’s Southern Archipelagos) group of industry, science and management institutions is assessing proved to be alternatives for sustainable fi shing and marine the potential benefi ts of recovering depleted fi sh stocks using a conservation. These projects were developed with the support of bioeconomic method developed by Costello,[14] with technical the Global Environmental Facility. SOS Pesca consolidated the support from Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), USA. As this strategy as a way to integrate sustainable fi sheries management scientifi c work continues in Cuba, managers and fi shers report with these broader marine conservation efforts. declining stocks, similar to trends seen globally.[9,13,15] At the start of the project, stakeholders identifi ed problems at Due to the socioecological nature of fi sheries health and management various levels that SOS Pesca would address, either directly or indirectly, and helped design activities that were carried problems, linked to overall marine ecosystem health and coastal out from 2012–2016. Stakeholders included members of the communities’ livelihoods, a multidisciplinary and international two communities, municipal governments, fi shing industry collaboration is required to address diverse needs and challenges representatives, national and provincial management agencies and to apply best practices. and international NGOs. COLLABORATION Objectives SOS Pesca’s main objectives were to strengthen two Antecedents In 2012, the Nationa l Center for Protected Areas established marine and coastal protected areas (functioning within (CNAP) of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment a Management Plan); stop the decline of fi sh populations; create (CITMA) and the Ministry of the Food Industry (MINAL) teamed up sustainable livelihood alternatives, with emphasis on opportunities with the Italian NGO, COSPE Onlus and the offi ce of World Wildlife for women; develop a strong community-based and enterprise- Fund–Netherlands (WWF–NL) in Cuba to develop SOS Pesca, based fi sheries management program; improve income and a four-year project designed to achieve fi sheries sustainability, quality of life in communities; and organize exchanges across conserve marine habitats and improve the quality of life in two Cuba and the Caribbean. While the focus was on two communities fi shing communities in southern Cuba.[15] SOS Pesca targeted (Playa Florida and Guayabal), activities would engage a broader Playa Florida and Guayabal, located in the southeastern region of constituency across southern Cuba and within provincial and the country (Fishing Zone A), which provides 40% of Cuba’s fi nfi sh national level institutions. fi sheries and which surrounds Cuba’s largest marine protected area (MPA), Jardines de la Reina National Park (Figure 1). Justifi cation At the community level, problems