The MarViva Foundation is leading an initiative to improve responsible fishing practices in the Chocoano Pacific through the implementation of VMS Vessel Monitoring System) technology. This proposal, which aims to guarantee the traceability of fishery products and to promote the marine conservation of the region, is part of the project Sustainable and Inclusive Ocean Economy (Economía Oceánica Sostenible e Inclusiva) in Colombia, financed by Norad and executed with the support of FEDEPESCA.

The strategy, which will be carried out over two years, includes the installation of VMS devices on thirty (30) artisanal fishing vessels of eight (8) fishing organizations that are beneficiaries of the project in marine areas and special conservation zones, susceptible areas of the Chocoano Pacific, which include sectors such as ZEPA and the integrated management districts of the Gulf of Tribugá-Cabo Corrientes and Encanto de los Manglares de Bajo Baudó.

These vessels, located in the municipalities of Juradó, Bahía Solano, Nuquí, and Bajo Baudó, are already equipped with devices that monitor their time, speed, and direction in five-minute periods. This information and the monitoring of landings carried out by each fishing organization will make it possible to generate more complete traceability reports and track compliance with responsible fishing criteria.

According to Cindy Lorena Lote Rayo, MarViva’s value chain coordinator, “Technology, applied to artisanal fishing, allows us to verify compliance with responsible fishing criteria and meet the control and quality requirements of markets that are willing to pay fair prices for sustainably caught products.”

This initiative, which seeks to improve traceability actions in Chocó, will benefit the fishermen by providing quarterly reports on their fishing yields and allowing them to know the location of other vessels in case of emergency. Plus, the information gathered will contribute to the search for fairer markets for local fishermen. It will serve as a basis for future research about the artisanal fishing sector in the region.

With this project, the MarViva Foundation will become a pioneer in implementing VMS technology to improve fishery traceability in the Chocoano Pacific, laying the foundation for a more sustainable future in the region.