Sustainable Coastal Communities and Ecosystems: in Nicaragua

These areas are characterized by impoverished communities that depend on coastal resources for food and income. However, various physical, social, and economic factors threaten the health and sustainability of these resources. In Estero Real, a major watershed with high biodiversity, Hurricane Mitch caused devastating physical changes to the estuary, affecting the local and national economy. In Padre Ramos, a protected area management plan has restricted access to traditional livelihoods such as fishing and cockle gathering, exacerbating the community's isolation and lack of access to services and markets. In the areas surrounding Aserradores and El Realejo estuaries, overfishing, mangrove removal, commercialization of shrimp farms, land use conflicts, and increased population growth are major problems. The SUCCESS Program supports local and national partners, including CIDEA, ANDA, and MARENA, to build capacity for managing and conserving the natural resource base of these estuaries and their watersheds. The program aims to evaluate the potential of alternative livelihoods, promote best management practices for shrimp mariculture, test co-management and governance regimes, and develop institutional ties and agreements for coordinated strategies and actions. One key focus of the program is promoting sustainable, low-technology mariculture practices as diversified livelihoods. SUCCESS is testing alternative livelihoods and best practices to raise household incomes and increase food security. The program is working with farmers to identify better practices for small-scale shrimp farming, such as tracking key parameters like water quality and growth rates. Additionally, SUCCESS is piloting alternative mariculture activities, including tilapia culture trials in shrimp ponds, which can provide a high-value and easy-to-culture alternative for small-scale shrimp farmers. The program also supports improved cockle fisheries management, as the black cockle is an important source of income and food for local communities. SUCCESS is collecting basic biological data on bivalves for more science-based management and evaluating co-management strategies to address economic hardships faced by poor, female-dominant cockle gatherers. A management committee in Aserradores and the cockle gatherers are testing a new management approach, having small, permanently closed areas adjacent to open areas, which is being monitored and evaluated by communities and university scientists.