Institutions and collective

action in small-scale fisheriesA case study

from the Pacific of Costa Rica

With the support

When life returns to the sea!

Social resilience is strengthen

Dignity and equity return!

Construction of new knowledge!

Just distribution of benefits!

A future for fisherworkers!

The Pacific of Costa Rica

Threats

The main actor: CoopeTárcoles R.L

On December 13, 1985, CoopeTárcoles R.L. was legally registered as a cooperative, rule by the Minister of Work, by the Department of Social Organizations, and the INFOCOOP (The National Institute for Cooperative Advancement).

The artisanal fishing cooperative was founded on several objectives: direct marketing of fishing products, eliminating the middleman, obtaining better prices, encouraging better working conditions, creating sources of employment, and raising the fisherfolk’s organizational level and participation.

In the General Assembly held in 2001, the members reviewed the articles of the Statues.

“Article 9. The aims and purposes for organizing this Cooperative are:

Obtain better working conditions.

Improve its members’ socio-economic situation.

Eliminate the middleman.

Create sources of employment.

Obtain better prices for the product.

Open up new markets for the product so the Cooperative will be able to grow quickly.

Raise the fisherfolk’s organizational level and participation.

Promote investigation on forms of sustainable management of natural and cultural resources. ” 

The analysis Before the formation of the cooperative the gubernmental

policy priority in Costa Rica (absent today) helped to launch and strengthen the cooperative. There was also a developing social movement amongst the fisher folks that promoted the creation of a collective enterprise to defend their interests. 

Coope Tárcoles R.L is essentially an entrepreneurial organization dealing with economic activities, but its activities also include a strong social dimension. The social dimension links people living in the community to actions aimed at promoting community wellbeing. This is not only about strengthening economic resilience but also requires that steps be taken towards providing social and cultural benefits more widely.

Conditions that where key at the beginning:

An appropriate political framework provided by the State: a State which in the 1970s was concerned with social welfare

What the model of organization has given back providing a learning process adapted to local needs and capacities

Recommendations

A:_ policies that support social development and provide small-scale fisheries with adequate infrastructure, the necessary conditions of access, and the possibility to become better organized.

This support has also been valuable in strengthening the cultural and productive identity of the community; it is essential for achieving the necessary conditions for responsible fisheries that guarantee both biological richness and human well-being.  

B.- The cooperative provides learning opportunities and serves as foundation for adequate leadership.

These two factors allow the cooperative to remain flexible in a changing environment. Which can also be seen as potential capacities like resilience, governance, and an integrated management that considers human-rights based approaches to conservation.

C.- For the moment, Coope Tárcoles R.L is meeting its commercial objectives. There is no obvious need to develop product certification (quality, ecolabels etc.), or to develop international markets.

The cooperative primarily accesses local and national markets. Very few kilograms of fish are exported and the product has a very important value for the food production for the cooperative ( food security).

 

Establish appropriate public policies to support small-scale fisheries development as well as promoting local sustainable use in the small-scale fishery.

There is also an important need to train and prepare the social organizations targeted by the guidelines and to promote local follow up and auto-evaluation of the implementation process

Thanks and recognition of Global Advisor / ICSF