Abalone along the Pacific coast in northern Mexico have declined dramatically in the last decade because of lower oxygen levels prompted by climate change. But despite that, the Pacific Federation of Fishing Cooperatives (Fedecoop) has been able to prevent overfishing by limiting the total catch, according to Laura Rodriguez, the associate vice president of the Environmental Defense Fund’s Latin and South American Oceans Program.
It’s the type of proactive governance that Mexico and Latin America need more of as climate change grows more severe, warping ocean conditions from temperature to acidity, salinity to oxygen levels, all while altering the life histories, distribution, and productivity of marine species, according to Rodriguez.
“If we want to see more success stories like Fedecoop in Mexico and Latin America, we must continue promoting participatory decision-making processes and co-management in fisheries, using the most robust scientific data available,” Rodriguez told SeafoodSource, suggesting fishery management councils in which managers, fishermen, scientists, and other stakeholders discuss challenges and solutions…