Mexico Puerto Libertad clams - hookah

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Overview

The clam fishery (red, white and chocolate) in Puerto Libertad, Sonora, is quite new, and given that, none of its banks have been overexploited. This was one of the main reasons to start working with this fishery - bringing in good practices at the beginning stages which can lead to long-term sustainability.

During the development of this project, clams were identified as an alternative to reduce fishing pressure to resources that have been used for years in the region. After four years of design and management for the use of these resources, the first permits of red clam (Megapitaria aurantiaca) and chocolate clam (Megapitaria squalida) were obtained in the state of Sonora.

These permits include different fishing management tools (closures, sizes, quotas and refuge areas), as well as the commitment to work together for population monitoring, life cycle studies and sustainable harvesting of clams, achieving a more economically and socially robust management. This led to the idea of implementing a fishing improvement project that could bring the fishery access to better markets, where producers could receive more benefits and the give the marine ecosystem's condition a chance to improve.

FIP Description 

The clam fishery (red, white and chocolate) in Puerto Libertad, Sonora, is quite new, and given that, none of its banks have been overexploited.

FIP Objective(s) 

FIP general objective: By 2022, fishermen from Puerto Libertad Sonora are implementing a demonstrative model of sustainable fishing. The FIP also aims to achieve the following:

  • Generate information on the fishery of clam about stock status and its situation to make it sustainable.
  • Generate progress in the 28 indicators, maintaining those that are "green".
  • Identify the cost-benefit baseline of stakeholders and access to markets with sustainability criteria.
  • Encourage improvement in the application of standards and monitoring.
  • Implement a traceability program for the clam fishery, in order to increase the responsibility and transparency of the producers.
  • To make the fishery known as a sustainable fishing model for other fisheries.
FIP Type 
Basic
FIP Stage 
Stage 4: Improvements in Fishing Practices or Fishery Management
Start and Projected End Dates
November 2017
November 2022
Next Progress Report Due 
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Species 
Common Name 
Clam spp.
Scientific Name 
Dosinia ponderosa
Additional Names 
White clam
Common Name 
Clam spp.
Scientific Name 
Megapitaria aurantiaca
Additional Names 
Red clam
Common Name 
Clam spp.
Scientific Name 
Megapitaria squalida
Additional Names 
Chocolate clam
Gear Type 
Diver-Harvest
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 77 (Pacific, Eastern Central)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Mexico
Geographic Scope 
Gulf of California
Regional Fisheries Management Organization
Volume
FIP Volume 
11 metric tons
Total Fishery Volume 
15 metric tons
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FIP at a Glance

11% 36% 54%
November 01, 2017
18% 36% 46%
Progress Rating

A - Advanced Progress
Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

B - Good Progress
A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 in more than 12 months AND Stage 3 activity in the last year; OR a basic FIP that has achieved Stage 4 or 5 achievements within the past 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 but has not generated a Stage 3 result within the past 12 months OR a FIP younger than a year that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has completed a Stage 3 activity.

D - Some Past Progress
A FIP for which the most recent publicly reported Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 30) months.

E - Negligible Progress
A FIP older than a year that has not reported a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 30 month (but less than 36) months; OR a FIP younger than 1 year that has not reported a Stage 3 activity.

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
B Good Progress
Actions Complete
  • 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.
May 2020
Target End Date
Nov 2022
Some FIPs include objectives that go beyond the 28 indicators. Clicking on the links below will provide additional detail on other impacts the FIP is working to achieve.
Traceability

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
Comunidad y Biodiversidad, A.C.
Organization Type 
NGO
Primary Contact 
Ernesto Gastelum
Email 
egastelum@cobi.org.mx
Phone 
+52 622 222 49 90
Website 
COBI
Enter the public contact information for the leader of the FIP. This information will be displayed on FisheryProgress.org for users who want to contact the FIP.