Sustainable Management of Bycatch in Latin America and Caribbean Trawl Fisheries (REBYC-II LAC)

Colombia

Colombia’s fisheries legislation does not currently contain explicit definitions for bycatch and discards. The obligatory use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs)

The REBYC I Global Project found that discards comprise a larger proportion of the total shrimp trawl catch in the Caribbean (65%) than the Pacific coast (52%).  Bycatch in the Pacific coast was dominated by fishes, a portion of which has commercial value. Colombia will expand up on this knowledge through investigating the utilization of sustainable bycatch in the REBYC II LAC project.

Colombia’s national development plan, known as Prosperidad para Todos 2010-2014, aligns with the goals and objectives of the REBYC-II LAC project. The plan aims to reduce poverty, increase incomes, generate employment opportunities, improve security and ensure the sustainable use of natural resources. The objectives include the promotion of competitive, equitable and sustainable strategies for agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and the fostering of a decentralized administrative system that encourages the full involvement of communities in development planning.

REBYC-II LAC Pilot Sites: Puebloviejo/Magdalena and Tolú/Sucre on the Caribbean coast, and Punta/Buenaventura Bay and Punta/Buenaventure Port on the Pacific coast.

Recent news from Colombia

Colombia and Costa Rica successfully finalized a technology exchange that will improve the science and management of fisheries
Framed within the project "Sustainable management of bycatch from trawl fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean (REBYC-II LAC)”, on May 7th 2021, Colombia’s INVEMAR - SIPEIN Fisheries Information System was successfully transferred to the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture - INCOPESCA to strength their capacity to monitor...
11/05/2021
REBYC-II LAC Steering Committee meeting 2019
The Steering Committee of the REBYC-II LAC Project met on the 27th of February 2019, in Santa Marta, Colombia. During this event, a recount was made of the successes and challenges of the project. These have been recorded in the following video:  
11/03/2019
First participatory workshop of the Artisanal Fishing Management Plan for Shrimp Fisheries under the Ecosystem Approach
Iscuandé, Nariño, March 1-2 2018. The first workshop was successfully held to advance the construction of the fishery management plan under the ecosystem approach of the artisanal shrimp fishing and its bycatch in the community of El Cuerval on the Colombian Pacific (pilot site). 70 people attended mostly fishermen with approximately...
02/04/2018
INVEMAR performs induction to fisheries researchers for the implementation of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management.
Santa Marta, February 1 2018. As part of the project "Sustainable management of bycatch in Latin America and Caribbean trawl fisheries (REBYC-II LAC)", the National Coordination conducted a preliminary training to scientific researchers from the University of Magdalena, WWF and INVEMAR, on the application of the Ecosystem Approach for the...
02/04/2018
Progress results are socialized in the fourth meeting of the National Working Group of the REBYC - II LAC project in Colombia
Bogotá, February 2 2018. The National Working Group of the REBYC-II LAC project in Colombia, held the fourth work meeting where the main advances, limitations and next steps were presented and discussed. This Group is composed by FAO, INVEMAR, AUNAP (Fishing Authority), the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the...
02/04/2018
Solutions for reducing food loss and ensuring sustainable fishing livelihoods
FAO is helping revolutionize fishing livelihoods in Latin America and the Caribbean. Supported by Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Sustainable Management of Bycatch in Latin America and Caribbean Trawl Fisheries (REBYC-II LAC) project seeks to reduce food loss and enhance food availability by improving the management and use of bycatch and...
08/06/2017