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| Subprojects |
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| Preparing communities for co-management | |||||||||||||||||||
| Building sustainable livelihoods | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Securing the fisheries resource | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Cross-cutting Themes | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Assisting the development of policies for sustainable fisheries | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Public awareness and communication | |||||||||||||||||||
| Creating opportunities for women, youth and families | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Brazilian rivers have long supported small-scale artisanal fisheries. However, decades of hydroelectric and industrial development, pollution and deforestation have profoundly affected fish populations and have led to declining catches, conflicts over fisheries regulations and allocations, and social upheaval in fishing communities. In January 2003, Projeto Peixes, Pessoas e Aguas received funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for a three year project that encompasses fisheries technologies as well as the social aspects of the small-scale Brazilian inland fisheries, including the drive toward community-based management. The total value of the project is CAD $6.9 million, with CIDA contributing $3 million and Brazilian and Canadian partners contributing the remainder. Projeto Peixes, Pessoas e Aguas includes forty Brazilian and fifteen Canadian partners representing communities, government, academia, industry and NGOs. The lead Brazilian partners are the Federal University of Sao Carlos and the Federation of Artisanal Fishermen of Minas Gerais (click here to learn more about the project partners). The project focuses on the São Francisco River basin in the northeast and south-east portions of the country and is centered around the town of Três Marias, in the state of Minas Gerais (click here to learn more about the São Francisco River). Its overall aim is to create and implement a model for sustainable socio-environmental river management. The project balances the transfer of "hard" fisheries technologies with an equal social component, and is divided into six sub-projects and cross-cutting themes. |
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Sub-project 1 - Preparing communities for co-management Building on experiences in Canada and Brazil, activities within this subproject prepare pilot communities in the São Francisco River Basin, as well as Brazilian universities and government agencies, for fisheries co-management. |
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Activities |
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Participatory assessment and revision of co-management strategies and participatory processes; |
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Adaptation and transfer of Amazonian fisheries co-management experience to the São Francisco River; |
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Assessment of strategies and implementation of community policing for fisheries issues and community strengthening. | ||||||||||||||||||
Desired outcome |
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Ability of target communities to participate in fisheries management using appropriate technical and social tools; |
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Greater capacity of support groups to build fisheries co-management in other areas of the São Francisco and the country. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Sub-project 2 - Building sustainable livelihoods Activities within Sub-project 2 aim to strengthen fishing communities and help build new options for fishing families to pursue sustainable livelihoods. |
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Participatory assessment of community attributes, needs and development strategies; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Build community capacity for sustainable livelihoods through evaluation and adaptation of alternative activities broadly accepted in Brazil; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Build alternative livelihood options in fishing communities through training and implementation activities. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Stronger social policies and better services available to fishing families within pilot riverine communities; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Communities with capacity for alternative activities that provide a better return from the fisheries resource while reducing fishing pressure. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Sub-project 3 - Securing the fisheries resource Activities within this subproject build technical expertise to support the maintenance and re-building of fish stocks through both improved collection and interpretation of biological information and improved operational strategies for management and mitigation of human impacts. |
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Improve fisheries management through increased ability to evaluate stock structure of fish populations using DNA technology; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Improve ability to study and understand migratory behaviour of fish to improve fisheries management and design mitigative measures; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Improve stock assessment capabilities; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Reduce industry impacts; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Improve the effectiveness of stocking; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Improve water management practices; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Improve habitat. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Improved capacity in universities, government and communities to rebuild and manage native fish populations; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Improved strategies to mitigate and manage human impacts. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Cross-cutting theme A: Assist in the development of policies for sustainable fisheries The project aims to positively influence policy development through various means including: participation of policy-makers in project activities, multi-stakeholder participation in all project activities to build collaborative ties, and training of partners and communities for more meaningfully participation in multi-stakeholder meetings. |
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Multi-stakeholder meetings in pilot fishing communities to identify barriers to communication and collaboration; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Develop training workshops for various stakeholders, particularly within fishing communities, to participate in Basin water planning committees; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Facilitate participation of key Brazilians in international water management and fisheries policy conferences. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Supportive networks for community-based fisheries co-management; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Partners involved in developing policies favourable to sustainability of fisheries resources and artisanal fishing livelihoods. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Cross-cutting theme B: Public awareness and education Improved public awareness of fisheries issues and the fishing community are key elements to lasting change in fisheries management. In this sense, public awareness and education are integral to the success and implementation of all aspects of the project. Activities for riverine community target Public awareness at the riverine community level must involve youth to ensure sustainability and transfer appropriate stewardship skills and ethics. The project recognizes and values professional fisherman so that local knowledge can be integrated with technical knowledge to build stewardship skills. Activities: |
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Identify and develop appropriate public awareness targets and strategies; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Create pilot educational tools and materials; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Workshop on development of small public aquaria as interpretative tools for the environment at a community level; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Facilitate development of an interpretative radio or television program on fisheries issues. | ||||||||||||||||||
Activities for broader Brazilian target The general Brazilian public is less exposed to issues of the aquatic environment than riverine communities and is therefore more likely to do damage during occasional visits or through secondary effects. The project focuses on making people aware of the value of aquatic resources and the people that depend on them, the threats to these resources, and actions they can take to help protect them. Activities: |
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Define priority audiences and design interpretative displays and folders; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Develop pilot travelling displays/stands and folders that integrate local and technical information; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Contribute to locally produced television shows on fisheries issues; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Develop a planning workshop on public aquaria in larger population centres; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Improve fishermen esteem. | ||||||||||||||||||
Activities for a Canadian/international target The principal purpose of promoting public awareness of Brazilian aquatic ecosystems in Canada and internationally is to foster a climate for appropriate international participation in stewardship and conservation and to help create more pride amongst Brazilians for their resource. Activities: |
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Promote television and print coverage of the project in Canada; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Contribute to Canadian aquarium display. | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Cross-cutting theme C: Create opportunities for women, youth and family Provision of equal opportunity for both men and women in all project activities and building opportunities for youth and family well-being is a priority throughout the project. Identification of gender, youth and family problems and needs will be a theme in many workshops and surveys. This includes: |
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Gender disaggregated monitoring of training and participation opportunities; |
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Workshop components in fishing communities to identify social and educational needs, resources and strategies; |
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Support for networking between community-based NGOs and municipalities that focus on opportunities for women and underprivileged social classes. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Workshops component and associated surveys focussing on women's needs, health, nutrition, and livelihood issues; |
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Training/technical visit of Brazilian gender specialist in Canada; |
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Youth workshop identifying needs and strategies to improve youth participation in the project and community programs; | ||||||||||||||||||
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Assessment of educational strategies by Canadian experts. | ||||||||||||||||||
Desired outcome |
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Equal and new livelihood opportunities and access to services for women and youth in fishing communities; |
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Increased awareness of gender, youth, and family issues in pilot communities; |
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Increased capacity for subsistance of healthy families in fishing community. | ||||||||||||||||||
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