Cooperativa Mujeres del Golfo (CMG) is a unique cooperative within the Baja California Peninsula region, and it is composed of nine women from Ligüi, a community inside the Loreto Bay National Park (LBNP). Over the years they have developed clam aquaculture projects, and captured fish and invertebrate species for aquaria.

Comunidad y Biodiversidad (COBI) is working with CMG on implementing and evaluating a resource management plan for the ornamental fishery that includes marine reserves and annual stock assessments. In collaboration with COBI and Reef Check, cooperative members are getting trained in the use of best practices to minimize mortality of the commercial species, and habitat degradation at every step of the delivery chain (capture, holding, handling and transportation).

CMG is using the revenue from this aquarium fishery to create and maintain long-term, quality jobs and social benefits for themselves and their families, their employees, and the community.

A label for best practices is also being explored. The goal is that through the label consumers recognize the efforts made by producers like CMG to conduct their aquarium trade operations in a socially and ecologically responsible way. If this project yields positive results, we hope to convince other fishers that this is an intelligent exploitation model that can be replicated in any part of Mexico.