Mexico Gulf of California Sinaloa chocolate clam and chirla clam - diving & hand gathered

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Overview

In mid-2018, Environmental Defense Fund of Mexico (EDF) and Pronatura Noroeste (PNO) established a FIP for chocolate clams (Megapitaria squalida), in the Lagoon System of Altata-Ensenada del Pabellón, Sinaloa, Mexico. Since 2014, EDF and PNO, in coordination with the federal, state and municipal authorities, academia and fishing sector, have been developing a Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) for this Lagoon System, which recommends gathering data on the state of the fishery's health with a focus on defining management tools that help improve the conditions of the bivalve resource. This FIP defines the actions that should be taken to make these improvements and can define better market conditions as well. On November 6, 2018, the FIP held its first workshop, in which 69 people participated, representing the different sectors that are involved with the fishery. A working group was created, whose task was to design a FIP work plan, with actions, specific tasks and responsibilities. The a Minute of Agreements with the working group was signed, which constituted the first step to ensure the commitment of the members of this group and their participation in the FIP.
In 2022, the chirla clam was incorporated into the FIP with the purpose of carrying out the improvements that are being made in the FIP to this species of environmental and economic importance, for which a new assensment and work plan was made.

The main needs of this fishery involves the development of an adequate harvest strategy and the design of harvest control tools that respond to the state of the resource, in addition to formalizing the decision-making processes. The stakeholders of this FIP are actively working towards the fulfillment of these objectives.

FIP Description 

In mid-2018, Environmental Defense Fund of Mexico (EDF) and Pronatura Noroeste (PNO) established a FIP for chocolate clams (Megapitaria squalida), in the Lagoon System of Altata-Ensenada del Pabellón, Sinaloa, Mexico.

FIP Objective(s) 

The overall objective of this FIP is to improve all aspects of the fishery consistent with the MSC standard by 2025.

By the project's target end date, the FIP hopes to achieve the following:

  • Improve the performance of the Cocolata clam and Chirla clam fishery moving towards sustainability by December 2025
  • Protect biomass and recruitment while optimizing yield at sustainable levels, having a Harvest Strategy in place with HCR, Information and Monitoring efficient system and periodically Assessment of stock status by December 2025
  • Improve the regulatory framework and its application for a better fishery management, through the publication and implementation of the Cocolata clam and Chirla clam fishery management plan by December 2025
  • Promote capacity building through the organization, training and linkage between cooperatives, organizations and institutions, through the establishment of a consultative committee for the Cocolata clam and Chirla clam by December 2025
  • Strengthen good processing practices within the productive chain, seeking market tools and incentives such as certification of vessels for good practices, fair trade business model, buyers committed to sustainable fishing by December 2025
FIP Type 
Basic
FIP Stage 
Stage 5: Improvements on the Water
Start and Projected End Dates
January 2019
December 2025
Update 
September 2021 Update: The FIP end date was changed to January 2024 because the task 9.2. time frame was extended to January 2024. For more details about this time frame change, please see task 9.2. updates In the present period, it was decided to change the chocolate clam FIP to a multispecific FIP with the purpose of expanding the improvements to the chirla clam fishery, which is of environmental and economic importance for the area. September 2024 update: The FIP is going back to "Basic", however, the end date of December 2025 remains unchanged.
Next Progress Report Due 
Monday, September 30, 2024
Species 
Common Name 
Chocolate Clams
Scientific Name
Megapitaria squalida
Common Name 
California Venus Clams
Scientific Name
Chione californiensis
Gear Type 
Diver-Caught
Hand Gathered
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 77 (Pacific, Eastern Central)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Mexico
Geographic Scope 
Gulf of California, Sinaloa
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
300 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
350 metric tons
Landings Date 
September 2024
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
January 01, 2019
11% 32% 32% 25%
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF

A Advanced Progress
Actions Complete

This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.

  • Complete
  • Incomplete
Next Update Due FisheryProgress requires a FIP to provide update reports every six months, and two missed reports will render the FIP inactive. If a report is overdue, this date will appear red.
Sep 2024
Target End Date
Dec 2025
Additional Impacts:
TraceabilityOther

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
Pronatura Noroeste
Organization Type 
NGO
Primary Contact 
Laura Ibarra
Phone 
+52 1 6461282459
Organization Name 
Environmental Defense Fund de Mexico
Organization Type 
NGO
Primary Contact 
Aristo Stavrinaky
Phone 
+52 6121232011
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
10672