More than 45 Mexican university graduates completed an arduous fellows application process, that for one committed individual involved driving 44 hours to the interview! Of these, seven were selected to join the pilot program. I was anxious to meet these pioneers — the first of what we hope will become a movement. 

The Fisheries Fellows concept is simple: take a group of young, dynamic Mexicans, train them intensively in project management, community planning, and conflict resolution, and then transition them to a small fishing community where they can teach their skills. Rare will provide each fellow with a mentor that is intimately familiar with the site and trusted by its residents. While the concept is simple, the goal is ambitious and challenging: to organize and improve the administration of community cooperatives, legalize their fishing status, and develop tools for sustainable management. 

Building trust, transferring skills and living in often isolated communities with limited facilities will be a life-changing experience for the group of young fellows. It will hopefully be a win-win situation for all. For the local fishermen, they will have a trained expert living and working among them who can help them improve the management of their fishery; for the fellow they will gain practical experience and understand the difficulty of putting theory into practice.

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