REPORT FROM THE MANAGEMENT PARTICIPATORY BOARD IN GALAPAGOS
On 6 May 2005, the Management Participatory Board (who meet to decide on how the Galapagos Marine Reserve will be managed) met. The Management Participatory Board (JMP in Spanish) is made up of the Galapagos National Park, the Charles Darwin Foundation, local authority organisations, guides and the fishing sector.
During the meeting it was agreed that the Charles Darwin Foundation should carry out research into how much sea cucumber fishing should be done in 2005. The JMP also agreed that:
- The biological reality is that sea cucumber populations are showing tendencies to decrease. They noted that, statistically, the studies done did not show any differences in the 2004 and 2005 populations.
- They recognised that the social and economic needs of the fishing sector are real and important.
- They recognised that all the users and authorities are responsible for the failure to manage fishing in the Marine Reserve. For this reason it's important to start a process so that the model of management can be changed to become an appropriate and sustainable model that takes into account the capacity and diversification of the resources that are exploited in the Marine Reserve.
- As sea cucumber fishing has been suspended for this year, it is up to the AIM (the ultimate body in charge of the Marine Reserve) to work with the users of the marine reserve to implement alternatives and new ways of management for the fishing sector.
- The AIM will take whatever measures and actions that take into account the non use of sea cucumbers, only when these actions satisfy the economic necessities of the fishing sector.
- If it were not possible to immediately implement alternatives, the AIM will open sea cucumber fisheries based on social and economic reasons.
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