MSC pre-assesment made available

Participants list confirmed

Updated 2022 workplan

Updated workplan made available for 2020-2024

Workplan made available

A summary of logbook data has been made available from April 2023- December 2024. 

The FIP met with the Pacific Fisheries Research Directorate of IMIPAS; the group agreed during the meeting that the harvest strategy will undergo a review.

The FIP has published an updated 2024 stock assessment.

The FIP held a meeting to discuss improvements to the logbook, including updates such as using a single logbook for multiple days and adding sections for diving hours and density sampling.

A continuous monitoring program was established between fishery organizations, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Institute, and Pronatura Noroeste; the program includes underwater monitoring in selected sea urchin banks, data collection at processing plants, and ongoing training for local fishers to act as dive monitors in their respective fishing areas.

The FIP held a meeting to discuss the results of the updated 2024 lobster and urchin stock assessments; concerns were raised about declining lobster stocks, prompting collaboration between IMIPAS and PNO to unify stock evaluation methods and consider implementing legal compliance strategies in the lobster fishery.

The FIP held a meeting to conduct a review of 2023 activities; updates on resource status and stock assessments were presented, emphasizing the need for urgent measures to prevent overfishing and promoting sustainable practices across various fisheries.

Initial agreements were reached between PNO and the Fisheries Institute regarding the development of an official fishery logbook; a draft format has been made available. The next steps will be to conduct pilot testing within the FIP.

Tablets have been provided to fishing organizations, accompanied by field training for personnel conducting surveillance patrols in an effort to digitize community surveillance tours. 

The FIP technical team conducted a workshop to select work sites for the comprehensive recovery of urchin banks in Pacific Baja California fishing organizations. A special session facilitated the exchange of scientific and local knowledge, resulting in a preliminary model for the implementation of recovery actions in two selected sites.

The FIP fishery science team has released a draft technical document outlining a proposed exploitation strategy that considers stock status, fishery monitoring, a decision-making system, control rules, and tools, along with scenarios for three fishery management typologies.

A meeting between PNO and the fishing sector was conducted to exchange experiences and discuss agreements for implementing actions aimed at bank recovery and purple sea urchin removal. Subsequently, the following month, the FIP working group held a workshop focused on methodologies and tools for the restoration of seaweed and sea urchin beds

The FIP coordinator sent a letter to the National Commission of Fisheries and Aquaculture requesting information about the number of supervision activities conducted, inspection reports and oversight, examination, and monitoring activities and operations within the red sea urchin fishery.

The FIP reviewed the initial findings from the proposal submitted to the MSC on urchin translocation to gather information for planning bank recovery measures.

A summary of the community surveillance report has been made available; over 165 consecutive days, two patrols were conducted daily, resulting in the issuance of four warnings during that period.

The FIP held a meeting to discuss best practices for enhancing community surveillance and the utilization of support tools.

The FIP continues to progress on building a fishery management committee; Letters have been sent to the General Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture requesting support for the committee. 

Fishers continue to record data via logbooks; several entries from July 2022 have been made available.

FIP meeting held in July 2022; the FIP agreed that Pronatura will share the internal inspection and surveillance format with the fishery producers. 

Pronatura assisted in organizing a workshop on brown algae mariculture in July 2022. The workshop introduced tools to guide the implementation of macroalgae beds as a part of a larger strategy to work toward sea urchin bed recovery.

Training held for fishers on montioring projects and recording logbook data; presentation made available

Review of the red sea urchin transplant method analysis as a fishery management strategy; potential ecological and management impacts explored

FIP workshop held to review progress to implement a fishery management committee

A workshop was conducted for the certification of monitor divers; six monitors representing 8 fishing organizations were certified

FIP meeting held via zoom to discuss fishing logs and data collection

Report produced on the status of the stock based on 2021 annual catch data has been made available.

Workshop on mariculture of brown macroalgae held

FIP continues to work on setting up a fishery management committee

Technical meeting held March 2021; FIP technical advisor presented the results of an environmental variability report

The FIP technical advisor concluded research that the main findings reflect the relationship of environmental variables on the density of urchin banks on the coast of Baja California.

At the meeting held on January 25, SUBPESCA offered collaboration and joint training to fishermen and monitors for the operation of the FIP

The Director General of Fisheries Management proposed a work agenda for the installation of advisory committees and/subcommittees of different species in Baja California

Technical meeting was held in December 2020 to agree on the need to create a recovery plan for hedgehog banks

An analysis was conducted on environmental and ecosystem variability

The diagnosis of the inspection and surveillance of the Red Sea Urchin fishery was completed

Analysis for the strengthening of inspection and surveillance in the fishery of red urchin is underway

Workplan and relevant tasks have been updated for 2020-2021

Increase to MSC PI 2.5.3; Three-year audit conducted. The relationship between purple and red sea urchins and the management implications of this relationship have been studied and are generally understood. Additionally, logbook data gathered on a regular basis offers a dependable means of identifying elevation in the risk level. 

Paper produced on the red urchin population density; the projections included in the paper demonstrate that it's likely the urchin population is well maintained with high productivity levels and a low probability of overfishing.

Increase in PI 1.1.1; -New stock assessment completed - this stock assessment presents evidence that supports that it is highly likely that the stock is above the PRI and that it is also fluctuating around a level consistent with MSY