Sustainable Management of Bycatch in Latin America and Caribbean Trawl Fisheries (REBYC-II LAC)

Objectives

The REBYC-II LAC project contributes to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s strategic framework by striving to address both the need for environmental sustainability and socioeconomic development in the short and long-term. This balanced and holistic approach – with both people and the environment in focus – aligns with the FAO mandate and competencies.

The project relates specifically to FAO’s  five Strategic Objectives (SO). For example, SO 2 works to increase and improve provision of goods and services from agriculture, forestry and fisheries in a sustainable manner. Components 2 and 3 of the project will also contribute to SO 3 (Reduce Rural Poverty) and SO4 (Enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems at local, national and international levels). In particular the project will support Latin American and Caribbean  fisheries by: 

1. Making  fisheries more productive and sustainable by addressing unsustainable fishing practices through EAF and at the same time promoting equitable distribution of benefits through enhanced understanding of the socioeconomic context of the shrimp/bottom trawl fisheries and bycatch subsectors; 

2. Eliminating hunger by supporting policies and political commitments to this end and by improving the knowledge and information on the role of bycatch in food security; 

3. Promoting inclusive fishery systems by introducing or strengthening co-management arrangements and supporting the implementation of the SSF Guidelines; 

4. Creating decent rural employment as part of “increasing access by the rural poor to decent farm and non-farm employment"; 

5. Promoting the reduction of discards and utilization of sustainable bycatch the project will contribute to reducing food loss and waste .

The Global Environment Objective of the project is to reduce the negative ecosystem impact and achieve more sustainable shrimp/bottom trawl fisheries in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region through implementation of an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF), including bycatch and habitat impact management. 
The Development Objective of the project is to strengthen resilience of coastal communities through promotion of responsible fishing practices and livelihoods enhancement and diversification contributing to food security and poverty eradication.