CONSERVATION IN ACTION
La Flor Wildlife Refuge is globally recognized for its important Olive Ridley sea turtle nesting beach. What is less well known is that the refuge's marine protected area is of equal importance to marine biodiversity. This marine area covers almost 20,000 acres (7875 ha) and is one of just two marine protected areas on Nicaragua's Pacific coast. The area provides valuable habitat for juvenile hawksbill sea turtles and overwintering humpback whales from both North and South America. Moreover, it presents some of the highest diversity in soft corals and echinoderms found along the nearshore of Central America's Eastern Pacific.
D espite La Flor's protected status, there is very little enforcement of rules that regulate fishing within its boundaries. Last year, Paso Pacífico joined with Oceans5 and Fauna and Flora International (FFI) in a program to curb destructive fishing practices and to improve fisheries management. For the past ten months, Paso Pacífico has facilitated meetings with more than 60 local fishers to discuss fisheries management, share about the benefits of setting aside marine areas for conservation, and provide a space through which fishers can carry out the process of marine spatial planning.
 This community-led planning process is leading to success for conservation! After local fisher men and women committed to protect the refuge and report illegal activity, they formed an enforcement committee to receive and respond to reports of illegal fishing. Recently, when an industrial trawler started fishing illegally inside La Flor Wildlife Refuge, this group reported the trawler and shut it down!
What's most exciting is that the fishers have proposed a new marine protected area south of La Flor that contains important coral reef and humpback whale habitat. This new marine reserve will encompass nearly 47 square kilometers! Protecting the new area will restrict destructive fishing practices and benefit local communities by allowing fish stocks to recover and permitting new income opportunities through sustainable tourist activities like whale watching and snorkeling. We look forward to supporting the fisher men and women on their conservation journey!
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