Fishing Gear Exchange Pilot in Madras, Protected Area of Three Bays, Northeast Haiti
- The project resulted in a 63% decline in the number of parrotfish caught in traps.
- Fishers caught larger parrotfish, potentially reducing the number of immature fish caught.
- The species composition changed, with more economically profitable species being caught.
- The large mesh traps eliminated the bycatch of ornamental fish species.
- Fishers reported increased income and reduced time at sea.
The Gear Swap Pilot Project (GSPP) was implemented under the USAID-funded Caribbean Marine Biodiversity Program (CMBP) in the Three Bays Protected Area (PA3B) of northeast Haiti. The pilot project, led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in collaboration with La Fondation pour la Protection de la Biodiversite Marine (FoProBim), aimed to promote sustainable fishing practices and improve fish abundance and species diversity. Over ten months, the project worked with fishers to replace small-mesh traps with large-mesh traps, reducing juvenile catch and bycatch mortality. Seine net fishers were also approached to exchange their nets for large mesh traps, but participation was limited due to concerns about profitability.
How to cite
The Nature Conservancy; United States Agency for International Development (USAID), 2019, Fishing Gear Exchange Pilot in Madras, Protected Area of Three Bays, Northeast Haiti, accessed via HaitiDocs, https://www.haitidocs.org/doc/nature-2019-fishing-gear-exchange-pilot-madras