Marine Elasmobranch Nursery Area Advocacy

Overview

Beginning in mid-2025, the Marine Elasmobranch Nursery Area Advocacy (MENAA) project uses a holistic and integrated approach to improve the conservation and protection of marine elasmobranch, otherwise known as sharks and rays. MENAA looked at their socio-ecological systems as a whole, highlighting the key role the fishing community play as users of our coastlines and oceans. By focusing on relationship and trust building, we aim to support our fishing community while working together towards sustainable fisheries for Sint Maarten. Our accomplishments include: 

• Outreach and collaboration between Nature Foundation and the fishing community of Sint Maarten.
• The successful completion of our Fishers’ Compensation Program by local fishers who completed workshops in sustainable fisheries with us to receive $1500 in goods and services of their choosing.
• Regional collaboration with neighbouring islands that led to the development and pilot launch of Sint Maarten’s first ever fisheries monitoring protocol.
• Collection and documentation of Saint Martin’s fishing heritage knowledge and media.

What we are working on currently:

• Next rounds of our Fishers’ Compensation Program: if you are a full-time fisher and would like to participate please reach out or stop by our office for a chat to see if you are eligible!
• Comprehensive fisheries legislation review by a lawyer to assess the feasibility, effectiveness, and fairness of current fisheries legislation for the protection of fishers rights and the environment.
• Shark education campaign for local schools and organisations on the crucial roles sharks and rays play in our environment and debunk the myths that are commonly associated with them.
• Conducting pilot trials of our fisheries monitoring protocol with fishers to begin collecting data on fish stocks and other key species.

Background

Previous research on Saint Martin strongly supports the island as a nursery area for marine elasmobranchs, namely sharks and rays, many of which are classified as critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). However, very little has been done to monitor these populations, and no fisheries monitoring has ever been conducted on the island, meaning there are little to no figures indicating fish stock values or how they have changed over time.

At the same time, past recounts of Saint Martin’s fishing grounds from one to two generations ago point to massive losses that remain undocumented, despite their importance for informing sustainable practices and nature policy. Our marine ecosystems are facing increasing threats from climate change, global overfishing, and habitat loss due to development, with serious implications not only for marine biodiversity but also for quality of life on the island.

Recognising the key role that the fishing community plays as both users and protectors of the marine environment, MENAA began by building trust and collaboration with local fishers and fish vendors to address these interconnected challenges. This project is only a first step, but we hope it will open new doors and lead to a meaningful, long-term collaborative future with the fishing community.

Deliverables

Funder

MENAA was funded by Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Territories of European Overseas (BESTLIFE2030) of the IUCN. This granting mechanism focuses on preserving and restoring biodiversity in the EU’s outermost regions (ORs) and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), which host rich biodiversity but also face significant climate change threats. BESTLIFE2030 projects go past research and instead emphasise capacity development, local community engagement, and knowledge sharing. Find the official BESTLIFE2030 page for the MENAA project here.

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