El Mercado Del Mar - Coopesolidar R.L.

CoopeSoliDar R.L & Mercado del Mar S.A.

Marvin Fonseca Borras

Manager, Board Member

Website

Number of operations

7,000 people directly and indirectly linked to small-scale artisanal fishing.

22 communities are part of the initiative.

12 localities have already begun the commercialization process

In operation

CoopeSoliDar R.L. 23 years

Mercado del Mar S.A. 3 years

Which government agency grants the program’s license?

Costa Rica by the National Service of animal health SENASA

What is your source of operating capital

Self-financed
Grants
Public-Private Partnership

Production methods

Capture Fisheries

Species

Western white shrimp (Litopenaeus occidentalis)
Whitefish weakfin (Cynoscion albus)
Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)
Mahi mahi (Coryphaena hippurus)
Indopacific sailfish (Stiophorus platypterus)
Pacific bearded brotula (brotula clarkae)
Bivalve (Anadara tuberculosa)

Assurances

Ethic code that establishes the relationship between the Mercado del Mar and the producers
Voluntary Guidelines for the sustainability of artisanal fisheries in a context of poverty eradication
Executive Decree 12 Remos
Executive Decree Guidelines for sustainability of artisanal fisheries in a context of food security and poverty eradication
Proposed General Bill for the Sustainability of the Small-Scale Artisanal Fishing Sector, in the context of food security, poverty eradication and shared governance

Community partners

CoopeSoliDar R.L
Bioluris
Marine Responsible Fishing Areas and Marine Territories of life network
Red de Áreas Marinas de Pesca Responsabley Territorios Marinos de Vida
Urban responsible consumers

San Jose | Costa Rica

El Mercado Del Mar – Coopesolidar R.L.

Location

San Jose - Costa Rica

Regional Characteristics

Mercado del Mar S.A. is an example of the development of a fair market based on values and principles, committed to improving the conditions of artisanal fishermen and shellfish gatherers and improving the consumption of seafood products and the nutrition of the urban population in Costa Rica. We created a new market based on values and responsible fishing for their products. The Mercado del Mar visits coastal fishing communities; guarantees the sale of products and transports them to the capital of Costa Rica for fair marketing to responsible consumers. El Mercado del Mar operates in Costa Rica with the objective of developing an urban fair and just market that allows economic sustainability and maintains the struggle for the defense of the rights of small-scale fishermen and collectors. -Capacity building and technical support for producers -Connect and provide market access producers to purchasers -Advise purchasers on sourcing

Regional Challenges

1) Consolidate an urban artisanal fishing market that promotes responsible fishing, based on principles and values.

2) The Market, be a dynamizer of the local economy from a fair payment;

3) The Market, can contribute to the defense of human rights of artisanal fishermen;

4) The Market, can contribute to the defense of human rights of artisanal fishermen.

Click here to see a satellite view of the farm

About

Strengthens legality and governance

What are your implemented practices under principle legality and governance?

Multistakeholder participation – Increased
Strengthened relationships
Small scale fishing – Recognition
Indigenous knowledge
Indigenous practice
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Localised regulation
Regulation – increased
Safeguard indigenous fisheries
Human rights
Data sharing
IUU Fishing- free

What are your goals of practices to be implemented under principle legality and governance?

Maintaining the organization of fishing organizations.
Support for fisheries co-management models.
Advocacy and development of public policy in favor of the recognition of governance models.
Small scale fishing – Formalization
Resource allocation

What is your story in promoting principle legality and governance?

Through the Network of Responsible Fishing Areas and Marine Territories of Life, CoopeSoliDar R.L. provides technical support to the fishing organizations that make up the Network. This technical accompaniment ensures that all the organizations that make up the Network have their documentation up to date so that they can guarantee the fulfillment of the rights of the people. 2) According to the legal framework, the Responsible Fishing Areas are figures of shared governance and co-management of fisheries, where the rules are established jointly between the local communities and the fishing authorities. CoopeSoliDar R.L. provides legal accompaniment to guarantee respect for governance issues. 3) Together with the Network and CoopeSoliDar R.L., legal frameworks (laws and executive decrees) have been elaborated and proposed to guarantee local fisheries governance.

Builds community resilience and self-sufficiency

What are your implemented practices in principle community resilience?

What are your goals of practices to be implemented under principle community resilience?

Just and fair market
Recognizing Gender work in the value chains
Youth work
Alternative livelihood
Debt Bondage-Free
Right to property

Supports global ecosystems

Describe your goal in principle ecosystems.

What are your goals of practices to be implemented under principle ecosystems?

Development of fishery exploitation databases combining scientific and traditional knowledge.
Establishment of responsible fishing areas and marine protected areas.
Monitoring of the areas
Low-impact fishing gear
Fishing gear – biodegradable
Fishing gear – regular inspection
Ghost fishing – Free
Water quality (Improved)
Water conservation
Finning – Free
Cycle break
Waste management
Sensor monitoring

What is your story in promoting principle ecosystems?

The work developed by CoopeSoliDar R.L. in the last 23 years has contributed to global conservation efforts. 1) In four territotrios de Vida, we have conducted detailed research on fish biomass and fisheries. These studies have resulted in the creation of Responsible Fishing Areas and Marine Management Areas. 2) In the community of Tárcoles, combined traditional and scientific knowledge, there is a database of more than 17 years of work, which quantifies all the species that are exploited by the fishing community. It is the most robust database in the country. 3) The Responsible Fishing Areas are adding to the country’s and global efforts to meet the 30X30 goal. 4) Each year an evaluation of the management of the marine territories that make up the Network is carried out. The monitoring reviews the in-situ conservation issues of each area.

Optimizes resource management

What are your implemented practices in principle resource management?

Fisheries co-management
Fishery stock assessment
Monitoring, surveillance and control
Preserve stock reproduction ability

What are your goals of practices to be implemented under principle resource management?

Promotes resilience to and addresses climate change

Describe your goal in principle climate change.

Climate change resilience
Climate mitigation
Climate preparedness

What are your goals of practices to be implemented under principle climate change?

Capacity building
Creation of marine protected areas and other area-based conservation measures
Implementation of concrete actions for the recovery of sensitive ecosystems
Fuel efficiency – Increased
Seafood processing – Efficient
Weather early warning system
Carbon footprint
Reduced air travel
Reduced food miles
Climate related data
Adapted onshore infrastructure

What is your story in promoting principle climate change?

All the leaders that are part of the Network have received a systematic process of capacity building on different topics.

1) Climate change issues have been addressed following the Voluntary Guidelines for the sustainability of artisanal fisheries in a context of poverty eradication. These documents have been adapted in fishermen’s language for better understanding and to define actions.

2) With the accompaniment of CoopeSolIDar R.L. 13 communities of the Network have established some form of marine conservation and sustainable use: a responsible fishing area; a marine management area. This process of mangrove restoration is led by women mollusk gatherers who sell their products to the Mercado del Mar.

3) In 1 community in particular, we are carrying out a process of mangrove ecosystem recovery. All these actions as a whole are contributing to improve the actions of adaptation to climate change in the coastal areas linked to the Network.

Secures health, safety and decent work at sea

What are your implemented practices in principle health and safety?

What are your goals of practices to be implemented under principle health and safety?

Compliance to regulations:
- Executive Decree 12 Remos
- Executive Decree Guidelines for sustainability of artisanal fisheries in a context of food security and poverty eradication
- Proposed General Bill for the Sustainability of the Small-Scale Artisanal Fishing Sector, in the context of food security, poverty eradication and shared governance.
Vessel safety and quality
Avoid hazards, emergency and accident response
Work period
Standard working hours
Personal protective equipment
Personal floatation devices
Paid leave
Maternity/Paternity Leave

Ensures just and equitable market benefit across communities

What are your implemented practices in principle just market benefit?

What are your goals of practices to be implemented under principle just market benefit?

Code of ethics of operation:

Agenda for women of the seas, rivers, coasts and wetlands
Monopoly – Free
Corruption – Free
Coercion – Free
Slavery – Free
Resource sharing
Equitable access to finance
Financial products and services
Efficient supply chain

What is your story in promoting principle just market benefit?

The Mercado del Mar operates under a code of ethics that defines the responsibilities and benefits of the parties. The Mercado del Mar pays a fair price for its products, recognizing the work of all the people involved in the fishing production chain. It carries out affirmative actions to economically recognize the contribution of women. In the case of the work with fisherwomen, a process of capacity building in decent work, self-employment and political advocacy has been carried out. All of this is reported to the consumers of the market.

Prioritizes inclusion and equity of gender, indigenous people and youth

What are your implemented practices in principle community engagement?

What are your goals of practices to be implemented under principle community engagement?

Preserves product transparency and traceability

What are your implemented practices in principle transparency?

Identity preserved – place
Locally produced
Storied product

What are your goals of practices to be implemented provide under principle transparency?

Executive Decree 12 Remos
Executive Decree Guidelines for sustainability of artisanal fisheries in a context of food security and poverty eradication
Traceability
Blockchain traceability
Real time data assurance
Responsible sourcing
Inclusive sourcing

What is your story in promoting principle transparency and traceability?

1) Traceability issues for small-scale artisanal fishing are practically impossible to implement in Costa Rica, given the problems of non-documentation and non-formality of artisanal fishermen, which prevent them from complying with current legislation. In this case, legal regulations have been developed in order to define a new way to regularize artisanal fishermen.

2) There is an information campaign aimed at consumers, sharing all relevant information related to the MDM.

Maintains food safety and product quality

What are your implemented practices in principle food safety?

Product quality
Safe storage and handling
Transfer permit
Cold chain distribution

What are your goals of practices to be implemented under principle increased food safety?

Marketing and product distribution permits up to date.
Proposed General Bill for the Sustainability of the Small-Scale Artisanal Fishing Sector, in the context of food security, poverty eradication and shared governance.

Executive Decree 12 Remos:

What is your story in promoting principle food safety?

The Mercado del Mar has all the permits for the transport, distribution, and sale of products, issued by the national authorities that guarantee product quality, handling, and cold chain. In conjunction with CoopeSoliDar R.L., a process is being developed to ensure that the fishing organizations have secure land and sea access rights, allowing the local collection centers to comply with the necessary requirements.

Mercado del Mar S.A. is an example of the development of a fair market based on values and principles, committed to improving the conditions of artisanal fishermen and shellfish gatherers and improving the consumption of seafood products and the nutrition of the urban population in Costa Rica. The initiative for the fair commercialization of seafood products arose as a response to the commercial and social impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on small-scale artisanal fisheries in our country. In this context, CoopeSoliDar R.L., created a Solidarity Fund with resources from the cooperative’s members, with the objective of commercializing seafood products and contributing to boosting the small-scale fishing economies of the organizations that make up the AMPR Network and Territorios Marinos de Vida (Marine Territories of Life). The Mercado del Mar is a commercial initiative based on the principles and values of responsible fishing, fair trade and human rights. It seeks to provide a dignified alternative to artisanal fishermen and fisherwomen involved throughout the fishing production chain and to carry out affirmative actions for fisherwomen. At the same time, it provides access to high quality seafood products to urban consumers, committed to positive environmental actions and improvement of coastal marine communities.

The objectives of the Mercado del Mar: Small-scale artisanal fishing: Promote a fair commercial ecosystem of seafood products, which contributes to improve the conditions faced by small-scale fishermen (as) and mollusk collectors of Costa Rica and linked to the Network of AMPR and Marine Territories of Life.

Food Security: Contribute, through Mercado del Mar S.A., to the small-scale fisheries linked to the AMPR Network and Territorios Marinos de Vida, to have better economic conditions that allow them to improve their living and nutritional conditions; as well as to promote an urban market that contributes to improve the intake of seafood products and mollusk harvesting from small-scale fisheries.

Culture and dignity: Promote culturally and socially resilient communities in small-scale artisanal fishing communities linked to the AMPR Network and Marine Territories of Life, with a sense of belonging and pride in belonging to a small-scale artisanal fishing community.

Recognition of women’s work: Guarantee fair payment and promote decent working conditions for all women linked to Mercado del Mar S.A., in each of the phases of the artisanal fishing production chain (pre-catch, fishing and post-fishing).