1.
A Latin American experience with rights-
based approaches: Community territorial use
rights in the Gulf weakfish (Cynoscion
othonopterus) fishery of the Gulf of California,
México
A. Minerva Arce Ibarra
Tenure and Fishing Rights 2015. March 23-27, 2015.
Seam Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia

2.
Part I. Scene Setting of the Fishery
Demersal species: Cynoscion othonopterus

3.
Part I. Cont.
SAGARPA 2012
Gear: Monofilament Gillnets

4.
Part I. Cont.
 General situation of the fishery: Competing objectives
• Conservation vs Socioeconomic & Cultural Objectives
• Natural Protected Areas
with endemic endangered
species vs Cocopah People:
A claim of the nucleus zone
area as their ancestral land
in which to fish (Spatial M)
They acknowledge that their
most valued species is the
Gulf weakfish

5.
Part I. Cont.
 General situation of the fishery:
 Fishing effort 2007-2008
Com1 (EGSC) = 463 f.p.
Com2 (SnF)= 315 f.p.
Com3 (Cocopah)=50 f.p.
Com4 (PP)= 199 f.p.
Total = 1027 f.p.

6.
PART II. The User-rights story
 Motivations to implement a R-B system
 NOM-063-PESC-2005. 2007 Fishery Managers:
1. Sustainability criteria: To implement a management
system to sustain fish populations
2. Acknowledgement of 3 communities (including the
Cocopah people) as traditional users
3. Its fishing season is during reproductive aggregations
4. Its abundance and value ($) result in a race-for-fish
5. It is likely that local fishing operations pose risk to
viability of 2 endangered species (Phocoena sinus &
Totoaba macdonaldi)

7.
PART II. Cont.
 Early 1990’s it was an open access fishery
 2007-, it is a regulated-limited entry fishery
 2011- A catch quota was set (predetermined harvest
control rules lacking)
What is: Description
The duration of the rights First fishing permit= 2 years;
Its renewal= 5 years; “n” renewals
The security of rights If user has not infringed law, it is highly
secure; but it is dependent upon stock & FO
The divisibility of rights Fishing permits are indivisible
The transferability of rights Non transferable except if the entitled
person dies (inheritable)
The exclusivity/ enforceability of
rights
Each boat (and fishers) based at the
designed landing sites/ moderately
enforced

8.
PART II. Cont.
1. Social changes:
Gender and Youth: Continue participating in the fishery
Alternative employment did not emerge
Communities/Users have not fully appropriate the R-B S
2. Economic changes
Before= After; 1.0 US/Kg to 0.33 U.S/Kg
3. Environmental aspects:
Endangered species populations continue deteriorating
(Phocoena sinus); National and International pressure
Fisheries Management: Mexico from 2001- date
Downsized federal fishery institutions; in $, staff

9.
PART III. Looking back and forward:
The future of the user rights system in the fishery
1.Top 3 key lessons: a) The R-B S. is a good start
b) It gave little improvement to FS and Ecosystem
c) A need to discuss competing objectives explicitly
to give advice in devising alternative scenarios
2. Thinking about best practices
a) Mexican government should issue species-
specific fishing permits
b) All official landing sites (El Zanjón) should have
records of their Gulf weakfish landings
c) Communities should know better their R-B-
Management

10.
PART III. Cont.
The future of the user rights system in the fishery
Conclusions
a. The complexity of this Fishery System with
competing objectives in place poses extra
challenges in implementing a R-B system
The social side has not fully understand/ use this R-
B-System
The economic side is far from being efficient and
optimal
The environmental side: currently several species
are still considered as endangered therein.

11.
PART III. Cont.
The future of the user rights system in the fishery
Recommendations
Current entitled fishers should be given a certificate
as “stewards of their rights to fish”, which if well
administered would result in several types of
income
Set target and limit reference points for this fishery
A thorough fishery monitoring plan scheme (for catch
records, stock assessment and enforcement) need
to be devised

12.
Thank you!
 Acknowledgements:
 The User Rights 2015 Forum Organizers

13.
Extra Material
 Just in case it is needed to respond questions

14.
FIGURE
Time series (in bars) of reported catch of Curvina golfina from 1995 to 2007 to San
Felipe, El Golfo de Santa Clara, and Puerto Peñasco. Total catch is represented by the
continuous line.
Source: Catch records obtained from Rodríguez-Quiróz (2008).
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Tons
SanFelipe
G.SantaClara
P.Peñasco
Total Catch
Year

15.
Objectives of the Management Plan
for the Gulf weakfish (SAGARPA
2012):
1. To sustain fish biomass and its recruitment,
2. To sustain the yield and the economic benefit
of the fishery
3. To reduce environmental interactions
4. To promote economic benefits to society; and
5. To look after the high quality of fishing produce