Buenaventura, on Colombia’s Pacific coast, is the largest port city in the country, accounting for nearly 60% of all domestic sea trade. But violence, drug trafficking and the displacement of its citizens due to decades of war have taken their toll on the impoverished fishing community and its ability to sustain a secure source of income and food. And now as Colombia becomes more peaceful, international shipping and trade have driven the need to expand the bustling port, further exacerbating the economic plight of the area by competing with artisanal fishers and their ability to earn a living and feed their families.
OEF’s PASO Colombia and Secure Fisheries programs are working with the fishing community of Punta Bonita and the Buenaventura-based fishing cooperate, Coomulpesar, tosustainably increase their production of seafood through: (1) community training in the use of modern fishing techniques and technologies; (2) supporting gender inclusive community-based fisheries management and the collection of fisheries data; (3) creating a cultural exchange between restaurateurs in the region and these fishing communities; and (4) establishing a supply chain connecting seafood from these fishing communities with urban restaurants.
Data collected will be incorporated into a two-year sustainability analysis to ensure growth projections for the fisheries are sustainable. This will improve food and economic security in these villages and create a program model which can be exported to other vulnerable fishing villages.