1st assembly for the co-management of fisheries on Príncipe

As part of the ongoing consultation process (with fishers, palaiês, government authorities and other stakeholders) that the team has been facilitating with the aim of reflecting on the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs), a 1st meeting of the Assembly for the co-management of fisheries on the island of Príncipe was held last week.

This memorable day was attended by the President of the Regional Government and brought together for the first time members of the Regional Assembly, representatives from the Regional Departments of Fisheries, Environment, the Biosphere Reserve, Coast Guard, Port Authority, tour operators, the Association of Guides and representatives from each of the island's fishing communities (chosen by the communities themselves as spokespersons). It was with great satisfaction that we heard the various stakeholders reaffirm their agreement on the importance of implementing Marine Protected Areas in Príncipe as an effective tool for restoring fish stocks and protecting the marine environment. To facilitate reflection and debate, the team presented maps with all the data collected so far (representing the areas of greatest fishing effort, gear types used and abundance of commercially important fish species, etc.). The team also presented a map produced using Marxan software, which brings together all this data and suggests a set of areas of interest for the recovery of marine resources, whilst ensuring the majority of fishing areas of the different coastal communities remains unaffected.
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The discussion culminated with a first list of potential marine areas that the various stakeholders consider to be important to protect. This represents a fundamental step along the way to reaching a consensus on the MPAs to be created, their delimitation and the rules applicable to each one - using a transparent and participatory approach .