Let’s make the ocean a home.

Developing collaborative solutions to minimize sea turtle bycatch in artisanal fisheries.

image of loggerhead turtle swimmingletherback turtle swimming behind colorful fishes

About
the project.

MarEs Comunidad is a U.S.-Mexico collaborative conservation effort to ensure healthy populations of North Pacific loggerhead and East Pacific leatherback sea turtles.
This project aims to decrease unsustainable fishing pressure and foster the adoption of innovative bycatch mitigation technologies and turtle-friendly fishing practices in Pacific Mexico.

A project In collaboration with

Supported by

our
approach.

RAPID BYCATCH ASSESSMENTS (RBAs)

Understand the location and causes of sea turtle bycatch via surveying fishers' experiences in coastal communities.
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531 RBA SURVEYS
38 COMMUNITIES
8 MEXICAN STATES
BAJA CALIFORNIA
BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR
SINALOA
NAYARIT
JALISCO
COLIMA
MICHOACAN
GUERRERO

FISHERIES LEARNING EXCHANGES (FLEs)

Engage with coastal communities and artisanal fishers in places where bycatch occurs to identify feasible approaches to reduce bycatch and enhance the sustainability of fisheries.
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6 FLEs COMPLETED
BAJA CALIFORNIA
BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR
SINALOA
GUERRERO

BYCATCH REDUCTION TECHNOLOGIES (BRTs)

Develop, test, and implement bycatch reduction approaches identified during community and fisher engagement.
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ONGOING TRIALS
BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR • SINAOLA
ONGOING TRIAL PLANNING AND DESIGN
BAJA CALIFORNIA

SUPPORTING COMMUNITY PROJECTS TO REDUCE HEAVY FISHING PRESSURE

Work with coastal communities to foster sustainable fishing practices and economic alternatives to reduce unsustainable fishing pressure that commonly leads to bycatch.
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ECOTOURISM
Learn more about how ecotourism can help mitigate bycatch and the benefits it can bring to coastal communities and fisher families.
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MANGROVE REFORESTATION
Learn more about how mangrove resforestation can help mitigate bycatch and the benefits it can bring to coastal communities and fisher families.
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ARTISAN CRAFT
Learn more about how artisan crafting can help mitigate bycatch and the benefits it can bring to coastal communities and fisher families.
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LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR APPROACHES TO REDUCE BYCATCH

Explore the different approaches we are co-creating and implementing with fishing communities to reduce bycatch, promote healthy sea turtle populations, and foster long-lasting, sustainable fishing practices.
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Explore
our maps.

Data for display purposes only, not for public distribution or use. Questions? Email us!
Data for display purposes only, not for public distribution or use. Questions? Email us!
Data for display purposes only, not for public distribution or use. For the best experience, view our maps in Google Chrome. Questions? Email us!

Would you like to dive deeper into our data?

Please visit our dashboard for more information and a summary of project results relating to our work with the communities, fisheries, and fishers.
Open Dashboard

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MEET THE TURTLES

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) turtles are two of the five sea turtle species present in the Eastern Pacific. Both species are endangered for several reasons, with bycatch in artisanal fisheries as a primary threat.

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WHAT IS BYCATCH? WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Bycatch refers to the incidental hooking or entanglement of non-target species such as sea turtles, marine mammals, and seabirds in commercial and artisanal fishing gear. These animals are often discarded because they are legally protected and thus cannot be used for food or commercial purposes.

Bycatch is one of the most severe threats to sea turtle populations.

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WHAT ARE ARTISANAL FISHERIES? WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?

Artisanal or small-scale fishers and fisheries use smaller open-skiff boats and primarily operate within a day's boat drive from the coast. These fisheries employ different gear types that target species consumed locally and mainly distributed to domestic markets.

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