Artisanal Fishing Communities Need Your Vote

Pretoma’s “Development of economic partnerships between artisanal fisher folk and tourism operators” project (submitted by Andy Bystrom, Costa Rica, Guanacaste ) needs your vote.

The project has been selected as a finalist in National Grographic’s 2010 Geotourism Challenge: Places on the Edge — Saving Coastal and Freshwater Destinations, and now it’s up to the public to choose the winners.

Vote for the best, most innovative solutions for coastal, waterway, and island destinations that protect the environment and strengthen the heritage and livelihoods of local residents. The three entries that receive the most votes will each earn a prize of USD$5,000.

You can play a role in marine conservation efforts in Costa Rica, and support coastal fishing communities simply by voting!

Just click on the check button on the left hand side of the screen beside Andy Bystrom’s name… You can see where I have just voted in the screenshot image above with the green check…. After you vote the system will confirm your email address before it’s officially logged

Bystrom’s entry is based on Pretoma’s ongoing work with small-scale artisanal fishing associations on the Nicoya Peninsula along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. The project details how fisher folk are marketing locally produced, sustainably caught snappers to hotels and restaurants in neighboring resort communities, thereby taking advantage of the growing demand for sustainably caught seafood products by environmentally conscious visitors to Costa Rica.

The fishing associations are also being evaluated by a third party certifier for a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) international certification. If successful, the snapper fishery will be the first small-scale MSC certified fishery in Central America and the Caribbean.

Pretoma’s project is one of 12 finalists chosen from the 250 entrants. It underwent a rigorous selection process by a panel of scientists, policy advisors, and economists including Silvia Earl from the National Geographic Society and Julia Marton-Lefevre-Director General of the IUCN. The competition is sponsored by National Geographic, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and Ashoka. Voting ends February 2.

Please support these Costa Rican fishing communities with your vote.

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Andy Bystrom is the founder of the Costa Rican Conservation Network. As the interchange of knowledge allows for society to implement strategies that spur technological breakthroughs and economic growth, it is his dream that, in the light of these advances, those involved in conservation efforts around the world will unite and share information to facilitate efforts to protect the planet’s natural habitats.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.