February was a busy month for the Loreto Pride team, and one in which the campaign embarked on a series of public outreach activities that will be repeated for the remaining five months of their community-led conservation campaign.

With help from many of her colleagues at the park and from her ever-growing group of volunteers, Perla Lozano Angulo and her team began painting murals in key locations around town to raise awareness about the plight of the chocolate clams. Perla’s campaign works with local fishers to build local support for and to effectively manage no-take zones in order to reduce overfishing.

The murals help to elevate the profile of the campaign, using the logo and the chocolate clam mascot, while delivering messages to promote sustainable fisheries.  Three murals have been painted, the first on one of the main streets in Loreto, the malecón (or boardwalk), where most Loretanos pass frequently.  The mural is strategically located in front of the pier, where fishers keep their boats.

Other murals have also been painted in the soccer and baseball stadiums, allowing the campaign to reach a larger audience of Loretanos, who might not otherwise attend one of the public events.  And soon to come are murals in the community of Ligüi, with an enormous block-long mural to be painted along the main street in town.

Painting these murals also helped to form a strong bond between the park staff, the campaign and the volunteers.  Everyone had a blast, many park staff turned out to help, and the results are something the group can all feel proud of.  Apolinar made sure there were enough snacks and beverages on hand to keep the group fueled up for the late-night painting sessions.

At the same time, Perla and the team kicked off the monthly visits to each of the neighborhoods in Loreto and the two fishing communities just south. The road show consists of participatory activities that teach the general public about specific actions they can take to support sustainable fisheries, by using the campaign songs, the chocolate clam mascot, activities, prizes and more. Next week the second round of visits will start, this time with the puppet theater as an added attraction.

We had the good fortune to have conservation photographer, Ralph Lee Hopkins, join us to document both of these activities.  Here are some more photos to enjoy:

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Opportunities such as this one are not always available, so when you have a chance like this you have to go for it. For me, one of the best experiences of the 11 week training course was the opportunity of meet the organizations of the Northwest Pacific Mexican Lobster Fishery – a great example of community collaboration that brings benefits to all while insuring a sustainable fishery.

We seven fellows of the first generation are multidisciplinary professionals, with different views of the real situation of fisheries in Mexico, but with the same goal of helping community fishers to understand the importance of the sustainable use of the resources for their own benefit. (Ivan Martínez Tovar, Fisheries Fellow, has just completed his 11-week training course and is moving to Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, to begin work on the program.)

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