Piloting of an Ecosystem-based Approach to Uruguayan Coastal Fisheries

The goal of the proposed “Ecosystem-based Approach to Living Aquatic Resources Management” Medium Size Project (MSP) is to transform the utilization of Uruguay’s fisheries resources into sustainable production systems through the integration of ecosystem-related principles and concepts into national legal and planning frameworks that in turn, would contribute to a reduction in the loss of biodiversity and an increase in social well-being. The proposed development objective (PDO) is to contribute to the sustainable development of the country’s fisheries through: (i) reorganization and modernization of DINARA’s institutional structure; (ii) implementation of a robust system of fisheries management based on the application of an ecosystem based approach to fisheries (EAF) and best available knowledge; and (iii) development of a National Plan for the Development and Management of Artisanal Fisheries in Uruguay (NPDMAF) to include new institutional management arrangements (co-management). The proposed MSP’s global environmental objective (GEO) is to reduce impacts on ecosystem “health” and contribute to increases in the conservation of biodiversity through promoting a shift in Uruguay’s management of its coastal fisheries from an approach focused on single-species to one that reflects ecosystem-based fishery management (EAF) principles. The MSP is proposed as a project that will be fully “blended” with Uruguay’s on-going National Fisheries Modernization Program (NFMP).