GMC2 initiative will focus on interlinking market and governance tools to improve sustainability
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) is leading a collaboration with seafood value chain actors and other private and public partners across six countries in Northwest Africa and Latin America to improve fisheries sustainability.
The five-year Global Marine Commodities 2 (GMC2) Project is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with SFP acting as the project executing agency. The project will use market-based tools and support for ongoing fisheries governance to help reduce overfishing and strengthen fisheries supply chains in the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) and the Pacific Central American Coastal Large Marine Ecosystem (PACA).
The project’s first Steering Committee meeting was held remotely on October 7, bringing together representatives from the authorities of the six participating countries for their first full gathering and marking the official launch of the project at the global level.
The GMC2 project has three interrelated components that work simultaneously to heighten market demand for sustainable seafood products from CCLME and PACA, ensure the responsible supply of these products from the region, and optimize the use of knowledge and information tools to support the transformation of the seafood market.
This work will focus on fisheries improvements in 10 key seafood supply chains in the two regions:
- Small pelagic fish in Mauritania, Morocco, and Senegal (CCLME)
- Octopus in Mauritania and Senegal (CCLME)
- Large pelagic fish in Ecuador, Guatemala, and Panama (PACA)
- Titi shrimp in Ecuador (PACA).
- Shrimp in Panama (PACA)
Pedro Ferreiro, SFP Fisheries Governance and Livelihoods Director and technical lead for the GMC2 project, said: “GMC2 brings collaborative fisheries management and responsible seafood markets together. Through government-led co-management platforms, fishers and other stakeholders can contribute their knowledge and perspectives to fisheries priorities and management actions. Engagement with buyers and suppliers can reinforce these efforts by connecting responsible market demand with practical improvements in fisheries governance and supply chains. The first Steering Committee meeting is an important step in building that collaboration across the six participating countries.”
While today’s meeting marked the beginning of the global component of GMC2, regional inception meetings in July for the CCLME region and September for the PACA region, as well as national launch events in Ecuador and Panama in June and July, have already kicked off regional and national components of the project. These events brought together high-level government delegations, researchers, private sector representatives, development partners, and civil society representatives, who confirmed the importance and relevance of the GMC2 project as part of national and regional priorities related to conservation and sustainable fisheries.
Background
The Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) stretches from Morocco in the north to Guinea-Bissau in the south, and provides food and livelihoods for nearly 35 million people along the northwest African coast. The region produces about 4.4 million tonnes of seafood each year, 75% of which are small pelagic fish. The Northwest Africa common octopus fishery is the largest octopus fishery in the world.
The Pacific Central American Coastal (PACA) Large Marine Ecosystem extends across nine countries, from Mexico in the north to Ecuador in the south, and is home to about 50 million people. The region’s fishers bring in about 1.3 million tonnes of catch each year, including tuna and other large pelagics, sport fisheries, shrimp, and small pelagics.
Although knowledge of target and shared fish stocks in both regions has improved, many of these fisheries are still not effectively managed at either the national or regional level. The growing global demand for seafood continues to put pressure on these fisheries, contributing to increased fishing pressure, the loss of marine biodiversity, and negative impacts on the people and communities who depend on these resources.
