Photo by Katina Roumbedakis
The objective of the new TBTI Global project is to establish national networks, or hubs, of researchers and stakeholders in support of small-scale fisheries in five Latin American countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru.
Special message from the coordinators of the newly established TBTI Mexico
In December of 2023, five TBTI hubs were established, which sparked the idea to initiate a TBTI hub in Mexico. Prior to this, two virtual workshops were held, which helped shape the steps for moving forward with the Mexican hub. TBTI Mexico launching workshop was held on September 30, 2024 in Mazatlan, Mexico, one day prior to the the SSF Regional Symposium for Latin America and the Caribbean which took place on 1-4 of October, 2024. Researchers from different institutions and disciplines working on small-scale fisheries in different regions of the country met to explore the possibilities of networking as well as to define the mechanisms for possible collaboration to be developed in Mexico through this network.
The workshop included the presentation of the trajectory of TBTI Global, what the network offers to the Mexican chapter and how it can be linked to other hubs. The workshop organizers (TBTI Global members) explained the motivations for starting this network in Mexico. The interactive sessions allowed the participants to share and exchange experiences and to get inspired to continue collaborative efforts within TBTI. Colleagues from TBTI Ecuador joined the session and shared their experiences and interest in networking. Encouraged by the group dynamics, participants shared their experiences, concerns and interests in collaboration and their expectations of what the network could offer them and what they could offer the network. Coordinators were nominated and appointed and the first actions for collaboration to advance TBTI Mexico were proposed. Among the proposals presented is the integration of an e-book and organization of future workshops were listed. Although about 30 people were in attendance at the workshop, so far nearly 60 people expressed interest in joining the hub. With the launching of TBTI Mexico, the collaborative path for the visibility, sustainability and viability of small-scale fisheries in Mexico is well underway.
Dr. Silvia Salas is a researcher at CINVESTAV-Mérida, head of the fisheries laboratory, member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences, the National System of Researchers and the State System of Researchers in Yucatán. She is also a member of TBTI Global, the scientific committee of IMIPAS and several national and international networks. She has coordinated and collaborated in multidisciplinary projects related to: bioeconomic assessment and management of small-scale fisheries; risk and vulnerability assessment in fishing communities and coping strategies; analysis of operational strategies in small-scale fisheries, value chain analysis and management processes. She has participated in the development of management plans for several species and developed productive projects for fishing cooperatives in Mexico. Silvia has participated as an expert in several meetings organized by FAO, WWF, WTO, OECD.
Dr. Minerva Arce-Ibarra is a former Fishery Biologist (UAS), with a M.Sc. in Marine Biology (CINVESTAV- Mérida) and a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Dalhousie University). Currently, she is a consultant and a Researcher and Professor at the University Autonomous of Sinaloa (UAS), Mexico. Her research interests are the commons and community-based management of territories, small-scale rural and indigenous fisheries, and transdisciplinary approaches to study the viability and sustainability of small-scale production systems. One of her most recent distinctions was in 2022, when she was a member of the Ocean Studies Expert Group to nominate applicants for the ‘2023 Pew Fellows in Marine Conservation’ award (www.pewtrusts.org).
Dr. Francisco Arreguín-Sánchez completed his degree in Biology at the National School of Biological Sciences in 1977. In 1980, he earned a Diploma in Agricultural Credit from FIRA Banco de México. He pursued his master’s in marine biology and his Ph.D. in Marine Sciences at the Mérida Unit of the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, graduating in 1984 and 1992, respectively. He is a Tenured Professor at the National Polytechnic Institute affiliated with the Interdisciplinary Center for Marine Sciences. His scientific activity is focused on fisheries with a holistic approach including management, conservation, the impact of fishing and of the changes of climate patterns on ecosystems and its resources. He has contributed on several aspects of fisheries certification and the assessment of interactions between fishing and threatened species.