Fishers and Fisheries, New Models in the World

Like in practically any other part of the world, the marine environment in the Galapagos islands is experiencing the same main threats: overfishing, reduction of top predator population, habitat alteration and reduction in the populations of commercial fish stocks.

On the other side, the number of fishers is growing, their effort to maintain their income level is greater than in the past, and the pressure on the protected area management to open more areas for fisheries, or to increase quotas are creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and instability.

In recent years two issues have emerged as part of the discussion on improving management of the marine reserve: fishing quotas and property rights on the sea waters. Setting quotas for each of the fisheries' per fishermen appears to be working better in some places at controlling overfishing and also the number of fishermen. It also gives them rights to fish in certain areas for the rest of their lives, create a sense of property and care of the common waters.

In 2004, WWF brought to the Galapagos Islands a group of fishermen from Baja California that maintained several discussions with the local fishermen about their system of property rights of the waters, and also about the quota system.

In order to help to build a strong base for further discussions about these two topics, The Nature Conservancy and FUNDAR-Galapagos is proposing a formal international forum where local fishermen, authorities and the community in general can think about new ideas of property rights.

The following are the main points for the Galapagos forum: Objectives:

1. To discuss the fishing quotas and property rights of the waters as new modalities to ensure the conservation of the environment and the sustainability of the natural resources


2. To discuss the implications of such a system, to evaluate the legal frame and the commitments.


3. Identify the potential and identify obstacles for introducing property rights to the Galapagos marine reserve.