The North Coast of Honduras: A marine treasure to be protected
The northern coast of Honduras is a true natural treasure, full of biodiversity and beauty, which is home to a series of protected areas that are fundamental for the conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems. Among these various officially declared protected areas we find: Cuyamel Wildlife Refuge, Blanca Janeth Kawas Fernandez National Park (PNBJKF), Tela Bay Marine Wildlife Refuge (RVSMBT), Punta Izopo National Park (PNPI), Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge, Guaimoreto Lagoon Wildlife Refuge (RVSLG), Cayos Cochinos Marine Natural Monument (MNMACC) and the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve. There are also other areas that are in the process of being declared. These sites not only protect valuable species, but also represent an essential part of Honduras’ natural heritage and reflect the great efforts made by the authorities and local communities to conserve marine resources and make sustainable use of them.
Despite the abundant information available on biodiversity in the marine-coastal protected areas of the North Coast of Honduras, knowledge on marine megafauna populations, such as sharks and rays, remains limited. Because of this, we are conducting the first study of sharks and rays in the North Coast of Honduras, in order to create tools for administration and management in protected areas, as well as valuable information to protect new breeding sites for these species.
Fishermen of Puerto Cortés: New Leaders for Marine Megafauna Conservation
During one of his fishing trips, Porteño fisherman Alex Juárez, 55, had an unexpected encounter: he caught a shark bearing an identification tag. Shortly after, he wrote to us via Facebook to report the find and we interviewed him. Thanks to the data he provided us, along with verification from our scientific team, we were able to confirm that it was indeed one of the sharks tagged by our marine megafauna research and monitoring project in Honduras. Thanks to this report, MarAlliance trained the “Asociación de Pescadores el Paso” located in the city of Puerto Cortes, founded in 2022 by Carolina Palance and her husband Dixon Mejia. Despite facing declining fishery resources in their daily lives due to factors such as overfishing, illegal fishing and pollution, the association remains committed to responsible fishing and expresses a strong desire to protect the marine ecosystem of their community.
The capacity building process was led by our associate fisherman Exson Flores, who has more than 10 years of experience in Marine Megafauna monitoring with MarAlliance and was supported by fisherman Mario Gutierrez. During the knowledge transfer process, standardized scientific methodologies for monitoring sharks and rays were shared, such as scientific longline, Baited remote underwater video (BRUVs) and aquatic transects. In addition, specialized techniques for the handling of these species and the correct taking of morphometric measurements were taught.
The meeting with the fishermen was very enriching and participatory. Many of them showed great interest and expressed that they had never imagined the importance of these species in the marine ecosystem. They also reflected and shared their concerns about the fishery resources and the risks they face every time they work. These conversations opened a genuine dialogue about the importance of conserving species such as sharks and rays, and how good fishing practices can benefit both the ecosystem and their own communities.
As a result of this project, 17 fishermen were trained in shark and ray monitoring techniques and actively participated in collecting marine megafauna data on the northern coast of Honduras. This experience strengthened their understanding of the role these species play in the balance of the ecosystem.
Carolina Palance, leader of the El Paso Fishermen’s Association, said: “For me it was a new but exciting experience and with a lot of expectation in what we can achieve to improve and take care of our marine wildlife. I could perceive a lot of passion from the MarAlliance organization, and that motivates others to join this cause”.
We strongly believe that these trainings promote behavioral change towards sustainable and conscious fishing. Furthermore, this collaboration demonstrates that by accessing new knowledge, fishing communities can transform their perception of sharks and rays, recognizing them not as threats, but as key species for the health of our oceans. In this way, fishermen become key players in the conservation of these species and their marine environment.
