The small community from the Utila Cays has been inextricably linked to fishing since it was founded in the 1800s. Fishing with low tech gears from small open topped boats “dories” on the reefs, banks and drop offs in the waters around Utila, the cays fishermen have become expert watermen. However, with no management, unsustainable fishing practices such as targeting spawning aggregations and increasing pressure from commercial fishing boats, the reef fish have become scarcer an scarcer over the past two decades. Today, Utila cay's fishermen like traditional fishing communities across the north shore, are facing increasing uncertainty as the populations of their traditional fisheries dwindle.

The goal of UCME Sustainable Fisheries Programme is to identify economic incentives for local fishermen to actively participate in management practices which lead to the sustainable use of marine resources. Part of this goal is to reduce the pressure on reef fish by developing a sustainable fishery of non-reef associated species as well as encourage participative management of more resilient reef species.

Fair Fish aims to promote quality of fish in the place of volume to increase incomes and sustainability.

UCME have been working with the fishing community on the Cays since 2007 and since then, have been exploring the possibilities of different socio-economic incentives for the fishermen that would allow for more sustainable fisheries practices.

UCME have been working with the fishing community on the Cays since 2007.

We are working to develop and promote the market for high quality, sustainably caught fish, which will appeal to local, and national high end consumers (including tourist restaurants and hotels). We are also training the fishermen with capture, handling, cleaning and packaging techniques that will ensure increased quality and hygiene standards for their products whilst developing market chains that ensure they receive a greater profit share. This project is a partnership effort that consists of a fishing cooperative, UCME technical staff and the creation of a for-profit social enterprise that will handle the marketing, sales and distribution of the fish.