Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration and Sustainable Fishing in El Salvador
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McGowan MG102McGowan Building
411 Pacific St
Monterey, CA 93940 View in Campus Map
Free
Open to the Public
The Jiquilisco Bay in El Salvador is the largest expanse of mangrove forests in Central America and has been designated both a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.
Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration and Sustainable Fishing in El Salvador
Speakers: José María Argueta, Executive Director, Asociación Mangle (Mangrove Association) and Nick Rahaim, Programs Director, Jiquilisco Bay Alliance
Monday, October 7, 2024
6:00pm to 7:30pm Pacific Time
In-person event (Zoom option may become available)
McGowan 102
411 Pacific Street, Monterey, CA 93940
About the Topic
The Jiquilisco Bay in El Salvador is the largest expanse of mangrove forests in Central America and has been designated both a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Yet nearly 60 percent of mangrove forests in El Salvador have been destroyed since 1950 with similar trends seen in the Jiquilisco Bay region, with habitat loss continuing over the past 15 years. Thousands of families rely on the biodiversity of the mangrove habitat for artisanal fisheries and aquaculture. Mangroves also provide an important buffer for communities on the bay from flooding, storm surges, and sea-level rise.
José María Argueta Pineda leads a variety of mangrove reforestation and ecological restoration projects in the region that engage and employ community memebrs in the process. He will describe his work, the successes of Asociación Mangle’s efforts, and the challanges that remain. Nick Rahaim will also provide an overview of artisinal mangrove fisheries in the region and El Salvador’s first Fisheries Improvement Project the Jiquilisco Bay Alliance is launching in conjunction with Asociación Mangle’s partner organization, Asociación Cincahuite.
About the Speakers
José María Argueta Pineda is the Executive Director of Asociación Mangle and is a specialist in natural resource and wildlife management. Argueta graduated from Mt. Hood Community College in Oregon and has complete postgraduate coursework in environmental management at the University of El Salvador with emphasis on agroecology, geographic information systems, and integrated watershed management. He has also received training on fisheries development in Japan and on community tourism and sustainable development in Italy. Argueta works closely with internaitonal organizations sharing his knowledge on community engagement and ecological restoration. He is a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance and is a member of the Local Committee of the Xiriualtique-Jiquilisco Biosphere Reserve.
Nick Rahaim is the Programs Director for the Jiquilisco Bay Alliance, a volunteer-run nonprofit that provides financial and technical support to community organizations in the Jiquilisco Bay region of El Salvador for sustainable fishing, mangrove reforestation, and agroecology projects. By day, he is a Public Affairs Officer for NOAA Fisheries. Nick graduated from the Middlebury Institute International Environmental Policy program in 2022 with a specialization in Ocean and Coastal Resource Management. He began his work in the Jiquilisco Bay region as a Fulbright fellow in 2022-23.
Recommended Reading
Event Location: McGowan Building, Room 102
The McGowan Building is located at 411 Pacific Street, Monterey, CA, 93940, on the campus of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Attendees should enter through the glass doors from Pacific Street, and the MG102 is located inside to the right. View the campus map.
No Zoom this fall, but most lectures recorded
This fall, all classes are back 100% in-person, and our lecture series has followed suit. Zoom will not be an option for public participation, but in-person attendees are certainly welcome. Can’t make it in person? No problem! Most lectures will be recorded (as permitted by our speakers) and the videos uploaded to the CBE YouTube, with a link added to each event announcement as it becomes available.
Parking
Parking is available in any Middlebury Institute campus lot after 5 p.m., no parking permit required, no fee. View the campus map. (be sure to not confuse city lots with campus lots—city lots do charge a fee). Free parking is also available on the street (time limits on surrounding streets end at 6 p.m.).
Questions
Contact Rachel Christopherson at the Center for the Blue Economy at cbe@miis.edu or (831) 647-4183.
Gratitude to Our Sponsors
We thank the Loker Hicks Foundation and the Nancy Eccles and Homer M. Hayward Family Foundation our sponsors.
About the Host
The Center for the Blue Economy is a research center at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, that provides economic and policy analysis to support the development of a robust and equitable blue economy for the 21st century. The Center uses the World Bank’s definition of the Blue Economy: the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health. We must maintain ocean health to maintain human health, economic health, and the health of the planet. Climate change is linked, inextricably, to a healthy ocean. We are co-leading a movement for Ocean Climate Action Now. Consider joining our Center for the Blue Economy Newsletter List (3-4x per year by email).