Artisanal fishers and their participation in public policies for biodiversity conservation in their communities

Abstract

Of the Mexican population, 46% live in coastal states, and most of them fish or are connected to economic activities around fisheries. In 2014, Mexico obtained revenues of US$387,574,351 from fisheries. Fishing drives development and strengthened in a sustainable form will support millions of families, but a correct instrumentation of public policies based on a real information exchange between government and social actors is needed. If a government is not capable of generating the abovementioned exchange of information, public policies cannot be instrumented correctly. Using a mixed methodology of surveys with fishermen and using the Likert scale, we were able to conclude that in the studied communities, it is not possible to speak about public policies, but we can figure out which government programs are lacking. The fishing sector has not been valued in its right dimension and has been displaced as a priority from the programs benefitting social and economic development within and outside protected natural areas.