| Summary | Fishing within the Galapagos Marine Reserve is restricted to permanent residents of the Galapagos who are affiliated with one of four registered fishing cooperatives.
They are not 'classic artisanal fishermen' as they do not have a long-history with the area or occupation, and can be better described as 'economic opportunists' arriving when the fishing was good and moving into alternatives when it's bad. |
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| Project | SESMAD |
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| Subtype | Local Resource User Group |
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| Sector | Marine protected areas |
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| Interest Heterogeneity | Medium (2) |
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| Explanation | Variety of fishers spread across different islands |
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| Costs Of Exit | No |
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| Explanation | Coded as no, because although there are costs associated with leaving the fishery (including debt repayments) these are not 'very high' as many fisherman have now left the fishery during the time period being coded and have moved into the tourism sector. |
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| Proportionality (Of Costs And Benefits) | Yes |
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| Explanation | Fishermen are part of cooperatives and during the peak fishery were involved in many meetings and protests, this would have involved considerable time but they got the outcomes they wanted so coded as yes. Currently the fishery is closed, but there was a commitment to convert fishing permits into tourism permits.
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| Actor Group Coordination | Both formal and informal |
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| Explanation | It is unclear if fishing cooperatives engage in regular formal meetings. However, it is evident that the fishermen coordinate their opinions and concerns, which are then voiced by a cooperative representative at the formal meetings of the Participatory Management Board. Therefore it is likely formal meeting occur. |
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| Leadership | Formal leader |
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| Explanation | There is an elected president for each of the four fishing cooperatives, one of which represents the fishing sector on the PMB. |
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| Leadership Accountability | High (3) |
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| Explanation | Leaders (Presidents) are elected by the members of the fishing cooperative. Presidents are subject to the scrutiny of the unionized members of their cooperatives, and may be changed or deprived of their positions if internal conflicts arise. |
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| Leadership Authority | High (3) |
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| Explanation | One President (elected from the four) is responsible for representing the Galapagos fishing sector at meetings of the Participatory Management Board at which management decisions regarding the Galapagos Marine Reserve are made. |
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| Actor Group Trust | Medium (2) |
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| Explanation | Fishermen wouldf come toegther for meetings and organise themselves when issues affected them, and therefore assume there must be some level of trust for the cooperative to function in this manner.
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| Past Collaboration | Low (1) |
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| Explanation | No long history in the area. Little collaboration regarding fishery yields and minimum landing size occurred prior to the establishment of the fishing cooperatives and Participatory Management Board mandated under the Galapagos Special Law. |
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| Personal Communication | More than once a year (5) |
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| Explanation | No specific information on the frequency of meetings was found. However, regular meetings do occur for each cooperative, and General Assemblies summoned when significant decisions must be made at which the members of the cooperative are obligated to attend. |
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| Remote Communication | More than once a year (5) |
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| Explanation | Assume some remote communcation occurs |
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