The Corporation of Artisanal Fishermen of the Gulf of Morrosquillo and the Islands of San Bernardo “CORPAGOLFO” is a non-profit organization that brings together 24 fishing organizations from the Gulf of Morrosquillo. While its collection center was equipped with the necessary equipment and tools to carry out processing, cutting, packing, freezing, and refrigeration processes, the organization lacked the commercialization and management skills to run it successfully. Through this seven-month project funded by a private company donor, Fundación ACDI/VOCA LA worked to improve the livelihoods of CORPAGOLFO members by strengthening the fisheries value chain, especially with regards to capture, supply, and commercialization. It also further strengthen the management and administrative processes to establish a sustainable collection center. Finally, the project also worked to strengthen the social fabric of the fishing communities by incorporating activities that provided psychosocial support to the CORPOAGOLFO members and their families.
Project Objectives
The goal of this project was to set up 16 associations for local fishermen to help them establish collection centers and gain entrepreneurial and responsible fishing skills.
Project Activities and Approaches
- Define the service portfolio
- Train the fishermen on responsible fishing practices
- Strengthen administrative, operational, commercial, and financial processes to ensure long-term sustainability
Project Results
We created a commercial brand for the fishermen and facilitated commercial linkages with two restaurant chains in Bogotá and another four end buyers locally. The responsible fishing strategy has proved to be effective for the brand’s marketing, improving sales by 30 percent.
Project Director: Carolina Blackburn, CBlackburn@acdivoca-la.org
