Latin America

Across Latin America the small-scale fisheries sector directly employs millions of people and supports millions more who rely on these fisheries for food and livelihoods.

From the highly productive waters of the Humboldt Current (responsible for roughly 20% of global wild marine fish catch) to coastal fisheries across Central America and Mexico, Latin America plays an outsized role in global seafood production. Fish consumption in the region is also rising rapidly, expected to increase by more than 33% by 2030, further elevating the importance of sustainable fisheries for both local and global food systems.

Yet despite this importance, many small-scale fisheries in Latin America remain underserved by traditional sustainability approaches. Efforts have often focused on environmental performance and export-driven markets, without fully accounting for the economic realities, governance challenges, and community priorities that shape fisheries on the ground.

As a result, many fishers operate within a cycle of low value and limited market access — selling poorly handled or undervalued catch, which drives the need to fish more, often in ways that put additional pressure on already vulnerable ecosystems. Breaking this cycle requires approaches that go beyond conventional models — linking environmental improvements with stronger livelihoods, functioning markets, and locally grounded solutions.

At Ocean Outcomes, we work alongside communities, partners, and supply chains to bridge that gap. We’re building practical pathways toward sustainability that reflect the realities of Latin American fisheries and create lasting change where it matters most.

Our approach: building conditions for change

Our work in Latin America is grounded in a triple impact approach that integrates environmental sustainability, economic viability, and social well-being. Originally shaped through close collaboration with SmartFish AC, Wilderness Markets and Conservation International, this model focuses on aligning incentives across the system — so that better fishing practices, stronger businesses, and improved community outcomes reinforce one another.

Rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions, we co-design approaches with partners and communities, ensuring that strategies reflect local realities and can be sustained over time. Across the region, this means working not just on the water, but across value chains, governance systems, and community structures to build the conditions for lasting change.

Building regional momentum through partnerships

Across the region, we collaborate with partners and support clients and a growing network of local organizations to address the needs of Latin American fisheries.

In Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico and elsewhere in the region — we are helping to:

Pilot and scale community-centered improvement models
Strengthen fisheries governance and policy frameworks
Improve traceability, transparency, and market access
Build capacity within fishing communities and local institutions

Community-centered fisheries improvement in Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, we are advancing community-based fishery improvement projects (C-FIPs) in partnership with Conservation International and local stakeholders.

Building on traditional Fishery Improvement Projects, CFIPs are designed specifically for small-scale fisheries, shifting from top-down interventions to bottom-up, community-led action. Fishers and local stakeholders define priorities, co-design solutions, and lead implementation. CFIPs apply the triple impact lens, allowing actions to be sequenced and adapted based on local realities — ensuring that improvements are relevant, achievable, and durable.

Strengthening fisheries governance in Belize

In Belize, we are working alongside Oceana to support a comprehensive fisheries sector assessment.

This work helps evaluate management performance across policy, transparency, and stock health — identifying priority actions to strengthen the system. While Belize has made important progress, including modern fisheries legislation and gear restrictions, gaps in data collection, transparency, and stock monitoring continue to limit effective management. By connecting these insights with on-the-water realities, the work supports stronger governance, more informed decision-making, and more resilient fisheries systems over time.

Scaling triple impact models in Mexico

In Mexico, we worked with SmartFish to demonstrate how business-driven models can transform small-scale fisheries.

In Baja, we’ve worked with fishing cooperatives to strengthen operations, improve product quality, and increase the value of their catch — aligning economic incentives with more responsible fishing practices.

Looking Ahead

As seafood demand in Latin America continues to grow, so does the opportunity to shape a more sustainable and equitable future for fisheries.

By working alongside communities, partners, and supply chains, we are helping build the conditions for change — where improved livelihoods, healthy ecosystems, and thriving fisheries go hand in hand.

Stories from the Field: Latin America

Meet SmartFish

SmartFish Rescate de Valor, AC is a non-profit organization founded in 2013 with the mission of fostering a market for environmentally sustainable and socially responsible seafood in Mexico. To catalyze supply of environmentally sustainable and socially responsible seafood, SmartFish incubates artisanal fisher cooperatives to optimize their fishing, handling, processing and commercial capacities, thereby rescuing the value of their landings. To generate demand for sustainable seafood, SmartFish recently launched a buyer engagement project to assist large buyers, namely retail companies, to analyze their supply chains and develop and implement sustainable sourcing policies. SmartFish’s buyer engagement model is based on the experience of the members of the Conservation Alliance for Seafood solutions. www.smartfish.mx/