Annual Report - MAR Fund · Message from the President Dear Friends, In 2014 as we approached the...

2014Annual Report

Table of Content

Letter from the President 1

SECTION 1: Protected areas as an opportunity to establish regional coordination platforms 2

SECTION 2: Promoting alliances and new initiatives that generate a promising future for the Mesoamerican Reef 8

SECTION 3: Sustainable Development – a strong connection for working with local communities – 11

SECTION 4: Funding for Mesoamerican Reef conservation and sustainable development 13

Acknowledgements 15

Annexes 16

Published by: MAR FundThis publication should be cited as: 2014 Rodríguez, C.; De Ferrari, G.; González, C.; González, M. J.: Rivas A.; Cabrera P. (ed Institutional MAR Fund Report 2014. 18 pp.)

Cover and back cover: MAR FundText compilation: Carlos Rodríguez Olivet, Claudio González, Ana Beatriz Rivas, Patricia Cabrera, Damaris Eguizábal (MAR Fund) Editors: Gina De Ferrari and María José GonzálezPrinted by: ServiprensaGraphic design and Layout: Mauricio Ponce-DG Comments and consultations: [email protected] [email protected]

MAR Fund 22 avenida 0-59 zona 15, Vista Hermosa II Guatemala, Guatemala 01015. Telephone number: (502) 2369-3188 Telefax number: (502) 2369-1978www.fondosam.org www.marfund.org Email: [email protected]

MAR Fund Board of DirectorsLorenzo Rosenzweig, PresidentNatalie Rosado, Vice-PresidentYvonne Ramírez, TreasurerCarlos Vigil, SecretaryJuan Bezaury, National Member for MexicoBeverly Wade, National Member for BelizeHeidy García, National Member for GuatemalaEdas Muñoz, National Member for Honduras

Christa Castro, CCAD RepresentativeGina De Ferrari, Additional Member Martin Goebel, Additional MemberMarco Cerezo, Additional MemberNancy Christiano, Additional Member

Work TeamMaría José González Fuster, Executive DirectorCarlos Rodriguez Olivet, Strategic Advisor Claudio González, Technical CoordinatorAna Beatriz Rivas, Project OfficerPatricia Cabrera, Administrative AssistantDamaris Eguizábal, Administrative Assistant IIEnrico Gasparri, Permanent Expert TYPSAEdgar Chalí, Messenger

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Message from the President

Dear Friends,

In 2014 as we approached the MAR Fund’s 10th year, I began to reflect on how far we have come. It coincides with the run up to the 20-year anniversary of the Tulum Declaration, when the heads of state of the MAR countries recognized the unique resource they shared and committed to conserve it. We’ve come a long way since then. Most of the reef’s protected areas are now under active management; new efforts are in place for herbivorous fish, which play a critical role in reef function; fishermen are taking initiative for managing their own resources; a biannual report card now takes stock of the health of the reef; and a cadre of young professionals dedicated to conserving the reef is robust and growing throughout the Mesoamerican Reef.

The MAR Fund is now widely recognized. We were asked to represent the region at the prestigious Clinton Global Initiative meetings in New York this year, where we confirmed our commitments to community fisheries efforts. We spurred the development of a regional strategy to control lionfish in the MAR -- to confront the explosion in population of this exotic species that is decimating the reef. We’ve secured funding for a Reef Rescue Initiative and are ready to launch it – to restore reefs that are damaged by storms or ship groundings. With MAR Fund support this year, community fisheries management advanced in

protected areas and fisheries enforcement was focused in targeted fishing grounds. MAR Fund is still coordinating the simultaneous connectivity exercises in the MAR region jointly with ECOSUR (El Colegio de la Frontera Sur), NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and University of Miami. And we’ve grown the MAR Fund endowment – dedicated to the conservation of the reef – to $23M.

Much has been accomplished and we – collectively -- all who have been working toward the conservation of the reef – can share a sense of pride. But we cannot slow down. The threats have not abated and our efforts cannot wane. We need to strive to develop a truly “blue economy” -- in which people can continue to enjoy the marvelous natural resources the MAR offers while making a living from the sustainable use of those resources. We have the good fortune to have had generous donors who have shared this vision. It is with sincere gratitude that I thank them and all of you who’ve dedicated your efforts to the reef in 2014.

Lorenzo José de Rosenzweig Pasquel

President

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Annual Report MAR Fund 2014

Section 1: Protected areas as an opportunity to establish regional coordination platforms

The MAR Fund’s mission is to enable innovative, transnational solutions to critical Mesoamerican reef issues by providing meaningful, long-term

financial support and trustworthy reef management advice so that future generations can enjoy and benefit from a thriving reef. Much of the MAR Fund’s efforts are channeled through the reef’s network of marine and coastal protected areas. Since the MAR Fund’s inception, its small grants program has disbursed $993,422 to 24 civil-society organizations, academia, and

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governmental authorities to support reef conservation in the MAR’s marine and coastal protected areas. Through 6 separate call-for-proposals, 36 projects (15 in Mexico, 8 in Belize, 7 in Guatemala, and 6 in Honduras) have supported fish recovery zones; organizational and institutional strengthening; environmental education; regional dialogues; control and surveillance; monitoring; infrastructure, and other initiatives. The work has focused on a set of 14 MPAs covering more than a million hectares – MPAs that were identified as priorities for conservation by the four Mesoamerican Reef countries. Four of them are receiving intensive support through Phase I of the project “Conservation of Marine Resources in Central America”, supported by the German Cooperation through KfW.

Support for these MPAs this year has focused on promoting inter-institutional coordination relating to natural-resource management, community development, and control and surveillance in targeted areas of the reef, creation of economic alternatives for communities near the protected areas, and biological and social monitoring.

Improving MPA operation

The marine and coastal protected areas supported by the project “Conservation of Marine Resources in Central America, Phase I” (Yum Balam Flora and Fauna Protected Area, Mexico; Port Honduras Marine Reserve, Belize; Punta de Manabique Wildlife Refuge, Guatemala, and Sandy Bay West End Special Marine Protection Zone, Honduras) were collectively able to invest $555K this year in infrastructure including construction of park-ranger facilities, restoring small docks and bridges in Guatemala and Belize, and restoring protection walls and field stations in Mexico, Belize, and Honduras. Other investments in the four protected areas include law enforcement and monitoring equipment, vehicles and boats. Snorkeling buoys have been put in place and navigation channels have been marked to protect fragile ecosystems, and in every country, water-quality studies and coral reef monitoring have been undertaken.

In the Punta de Manabique Wildlife Refuge and Port Honduras Marine Reserve, strategic planning and management tools were provided to foster stakeholder collaboration. They served to strengthen the areas’ strategic visions and coordinate stakeholder efforts to support conservation and sustainable development, and confront threats affecting the reefs. FU

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Specific results achieved in each area are the following:

Yum Balam Flora and Fauna Protection Area, Mexico:

In 2014, two new technical staff joined the CONANP (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas) team at Yum Balam. Through this recruitment, fieldwork in marine and terrestrial activities was strengthened. A law enforcement program was implemented by CONANP in coordination with PROFEPA (Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente) and other institutions, which conducted patrols to protect the mangrove ecosystem and the marine and coastal zone of the protected area. During the whale shark season, activities were undertaken to ensure compliance on the part of tour operations with rules relating to swimming with whale sharks.

CONANP, with the support of two NGOs (Niños y Crias and Yaax Beh) and two government agencies (CONAFOR – Comisión Nacional Forestal and SENASICA – Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria) developed four campaigns to raise awareness about regulations in Yum Balam, with participation of dozens of people from Holbox, Chiquilá and Kantunilkin. The NGO CEMDA (Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental, A.C) held a workshop on environmental legislation and regulations with substantial participation of tour operators, fishermen, park rangers and local people from Chiquilá and Holbox.

Fishermen from Chiquila and Holbox visited the fishermen from the Sociedad Cooperativa de Producción Pesquera Cozumel in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, to learn how they use live lobster cages, or “casitas” and regulate their own lobster fishery in the Reserve. They also visited the María Elena fishing camp, also in Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, to see their environmentally sustainable lobster fishery management practices first hand and to learn about their diversification into tourism. Moreover, 30 people from three community brigades were trained in management and control of forest fires.

Port Honduras Marine Reserve, Belize:

In 2014, the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) installed mooring buoys in Port Honduras Reserve to prevent anchor damage to corals and demarcation buoys to mark the Reserve’s boundaries. The field ranger station on Abalone Caye was secured by constructing a wall to protect it from waves and to initiate soil accretion to reverse past erosion. The Managed Access Program was strengthened through two Fishers Forums that helped facilitate communication between TIDE and the fishing community, and the effort was showcased at the World Park Congress in Australia. The park ranger team was trained in law enforcement, sustainable fishing, public relations, and Geographic Information System management. Community development and sustainable tourism plans were developed for the three buffer communities of Port Honduras Marine Reserve: Monkey River, Punta Negra and Punta Gorda. Young people from the nearby communities were trained in natural resources monitoring techniques and employed by TIDE. And the Ridge to Reef Expeditions Program was launched to contribute to the Reserve’s financial sustainability, supporting conservation and creating local jobs.

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Punta de Manabique Wildlife Refuge, Guatemala

In Punta de Manabique Wildlife Refuge, the project has made important strides in the establishment of fish refuges. Fishermen participated in the project’s baseline surveys; they signed an agreement with CONAP to protect the areas and have installed demarcation buoys. An infrastructure diagnosis was developed to help CONAP prioritize infrastructure investments to better manage the Refuge. A control and surveillance program implemented by CONAP, in coordination with the Marine Infantry Brigade, the Army and the National Police through the Division for the Protection of Nature (DIPRONA –PNC) provided an institutional presence to curtail illegal activities. The project also established small local stores in three communities (La Graciosa, Santa Isabel and Punta Gruesa), which provided credit to fishermen during the shrimp fishery’s closed season. The stores are making it economically – having grown 30% in the first six months.

The must important achievement in the area is related to the establishment of an Advisory Committee integrated by strategic stakeholders including MAR Fund, FCG (Fundación para la conservación de los recursos naturales y ambiente en Guatemala), ADA2 (Alianza de Derecho Ambiental y Agua), HRI (Healthy Reefs Initiative), FUNDAECO (Fundación para el Eco Desarrollo), MUNDO AZUL, ASOPROGAL (Asociación Programa Gestión Ambiental Local), Red de Pescadores (Network of Fishermen), among others, that were appointed by CONAP to help them discuss strategic issues concerning the protected area.

Sandy Bay West End Special Marine Protection Zone, Honduras

In Sandy Bay West End Marine Park the Project supported the two NGOs that co-manage the protected area -- Roatán Marine Park (RMP) and the Bay Island Conservation Association (BICA). BICA has undertaken a program to monitor water quality to assess impacts of sewage discharge and other human activities on seawater and a program to monitor fish larvae. BICA has produced a water quality map based on the data it has collected and the information is regularly shared with the local government. RMP has increased its law enforcement capacity through the purchase of equipment and supplies for rangers and has undertaken staff training. Thirty demarcation buoys to mark navigation channels, swimming areas and areas for vessels, along with fishing buoys were constructed and positioned in Sandy Bay to improve the management of aquatic activities.

RMP worked with the Corozal community on a beekeeping project; the first two harvests yielded 76 bottles of honey, which sold for $867. BICA is undertaking studies on tourism and recreational capacity and on operation of the two-wastewater treatment plants in Sandy Bay West End. The results of these studies will be ready in 2015.

On December 19, 2014 the Co-management Agreement of the Bay Islands Marine National Park was signed. This agreement promotes the conservation and sustainable use of the Bay Islands Marine National Park through the technical and legal implementation of the shared management between NGOs and the government.

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1. A consolidated governance for protected area management platform: CONAP technical unit and a solid support from civil society actors committee.

2. Development of a Master Plan that strategically ordered conservation activities and management of the protected area.

Relevant contributions from the Project “Conservation of Marine Resources in Central America Phase 1”.Some important results of this project are presented below:

Yum Balam Flora and Fauna Protection Area, Mexico

Sandy Bay West End Special Marine Protection Zone, Honduras

Port Honduras Marine Reserve, Belize

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1. Organizational strengthening in the fishing cooperatives.

2. CONANP strengthened as governing body of natural protected areas.

1. Strengthening tools controlled access to fishing (Managed Access).

2. Strengthening community involvement and researchers in sustainable resource management.

3. Promoting sustainable economic activities.

1. Improvement and strengthen the protection of reefs through buoys and navigation channels.

2. Realignment of marine infrastructure.

3. Sustainable economic alternatives.


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an effort to help protect these resources. Cuerpos de Conservación de Omoa (Omoa Conservation Corps—CCO in Spanish) in Honduras consolidated the recovery of important fishing sites by equipping offices, holding environmental-education workshops for fishermen, and promoting good practices among fishermen and local schools.

In Mexico, Comunidad y Biodiversidad (Community and Biodiversity–COBI in Spanish) undertook a study of mega-fauna in the Mexican Caribbean, as an indicator of biodiversity recovery in fishing refuges. Training for Sian Ka’an fishermen was held, as part of the program to monitor stingrays, sharks, and marine turtles outside the fish refuges.

The MAR Connectivity Network held the third regional exercise to establish a baseline for data on reef-fish larvae, which will be used to inform decision makers about regional dynamics of commercial and non-commercial reef fish species.

Management Effectiveness EvaluationsAn analysis of socio-economic, governance and biological indicators of effective management of the four protected areas targeted in Phase I of the “Conservation of Marine Resources Project in Central America” was developed and presented by MAR Fund at the IV Mesoamerican Protected Area Congress in Costa Rica.

Strengthening regional, national and local platformsThe Tri National Alliance for the Development of the Gulf of Honduras (TRIGOH), the regional organization in the Gulf of Honduras, continued to develop and promote protocols and databases to monitor biological indicators in the fish refuges for decision-making purposes. The Centro de Estudios del Mar y Acuicultura (Center for Marine and Aquaculture Studies—CEMA in Spanish) at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, developed a map of sightings of sharks and stingrays in the Guatemalan Caribbean, in

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Foster community engagement in MPA managementThrough the Project to Conserve Marine Resources in Central America – Phase I, supported by the German Cooperation, a number of activities have been undertaken to foster the participation of communities in the management of natural resources and protected areas. This year, in collaboration with protected area managers and local NGOs, people living near the protected areas participated in efforts to promote practices that foster sustainable management of marine and coastal resources.

In Yum Balam, Mexico, fishermen from Holbox and Chiquila lobster cooperatives are working with CONANP, to promote compliance with regulations and better fisheries management. In Port Honduras, Belize, fishermen work with TIDE and the Belize Fisheries Department to improve collaboration through “Managed Access Forums.”

In Punta de Manabique, Guatemala, the communities of Santa Isabel, La Graciosa and Punta Gruesa are collaborating with CONAP and other governmental agencies and NGOs through the “Local Group for the Fishing Refuges located in La Graciosa Bay.” They met four times this year to discuss fish refuges – how to protect them and how to implement recommendations made by consultants who worked on a baseline project in 2013. To engage the fishermen themselves in the management of the natural resources they depend on, CONAP, in collaboration with the NGO

Community Fisheries Program

The MAR Fund has been working for five years on the establishment of a network of fisheries recovery sites or fish refuges. In 2014, four protected areas (Río Sarstún Multiple Use Area, Punta de Manabique Wildlife Refuge, Cuyamel-Omoa National Park and Port Honduras Marine Reserve) and eleven fishing communities in these areas continued to participate in fisheries co-management. In addition, four fishing organizations in the Río Sarstún Multiple Use Area were legally established.

Alianza de Derecho Ambiental y Agua (ADA2) , initiated a participatory process to revise the fisheries management plan for Punta de Manabique. In a parallel effort to engage the communities near the refuge, local NGOs established a working group that meets every two months to discuss sustainable development in an effort to improve the livelihoods of local communities and people. In Sandy Bay West End, Honduras, the two NGOs that co-manage the protected area (RMP – Roatán Marine Park and BICA – Bay Island Conservation Association) worked with local communities and students on environmental education activities, including mangrove restoration and coral reef water quality monitoring to promote the conservation and management of natural resources.

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Section 2: Promoting alliances and new initiatives that generate a promising future for the Mesoamerican Reef

MAR Fund firmly believes that achieving a mission as ambitious as protection of the reef for future generations is not a task for only one actor or sector;

rather, it recognizes that one of the most effective ways to fulfill its mission is by fostering coordination of regional, national, and local efforts to conserve the reef. It therefore aims to catalyze collaborative efforts and models to achieve sustainable development and conservation.

In regard to consolidating marine and coastal protected areas, MAR Fund has encouraged and supported a network of protected area managers and co-managers, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and grassroots organizations and communities.

Four alliances stand out in 2014: MAR Fund supported two regional entities that are providing strategic, technical and financial resources for conservation in the MAR – TRIGOH and the Connectivity Network; is partnering with the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD) on a Reef Rescue Initiative, and organized a regional workshop to define a strategy for the control of the invasive lionfish.

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Tri National Alliance for the Development of the Gulf of Honduras (TRIGOH)

With MAR Fund support, in 2014 TRIGOH held its fifth Tri National Fishing Forum and third Festival of the Sea.

The fifth Tri National Fishing Forum was held in Punta Gorda, Belize, from July 31 to August 01, 2014. The two main results of the Forum were:· The socialization of the Systematized Research

Protocol developed by the TRIGOH Technical Team for the establishment of the baseline of fisheries recovery sites in the Gulf of Honduras. This protocol addresses coral reefs, lionfish, mangroves, sea grass, commercial fish species and water quality.

· The generation of the Gulf of Honduras Fisheries Recovery Sites map, identifying eleven sites as potential areas for the establishment of new fishery recovery areas: six in Belize and five in Honduras. Guatemala recognized that it needs to strengthen its existing recovery sites before establishing additional sites.

Connectivity Network

The third Mesoamerican Reef Connectivity Exercise (ECOME3) was held from August 22 – 28, 2014. Thirty-four participants from nine Coastal and Marine Protected Areas collected 177 organisms representing 16 families, 21 genera and at least 26 species. This exercise added 10 more taxa to the list of post larvae and juvenile fish from two previous exercises undertaken in previous years, and these were included in the MAR fish post larvae catalogue.

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Regional Strategy For the Control of Lion fishA workshop to develop a regional strategy to control the lionfish invasion in the Mesoamerican Reef was organized in partnership with UNEP (United Nations Environmental Program); CAR-SPAW-RAC (Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Regional Activity Center); Reef Check DR, the government of the Dominican Republic, and CONANP, Mexico. It resulted in the creation of a regional committee with representatives from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize, a national committee in each country, and commitments to develop national strategies, in response to the activities approved in the regional strategy.

Reef Rescue Initiative

Thanks to the generous support of the German Government through the KfW, recovering damaged and degraded reefs in the region is now a possibility. The Reef Rescue Initiative will provide for the restoration of damaged reefs in two ways: by providing an emergency response to reef damage resulting from hurricanes or ship groundings and by undertaking ongoing reef restoration in targeted areas using corals cultivated in nurseries. Both approaches will involve capacity building activities, enforcement, and economic incentives.

This initiative will be carried out by MAR Fund in close coordination with the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD) in the four countries of the MAR.

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Section 3: Sustainable Development a strong connection for working with local communities

The MAR Fund has provided support to strengthen local coordination platforms as a means of bolstering conservation of the Mesoamerican Reef. In Port

Honduras, Belize, TIDE has promoted community-participation mechanisms, such as the Port Honduras Marine Reserve Advisory Committee, and the Managed Access Committee, which brings together fishermen and authorities to coordinate the distribution of rights-based fishing access within the protected area. In Guatemala, the Working Group to Implement the Agreement on Fishing-Recovery Zones is engaging the community and the Support Committee for the Punta de Manabique Wildlife Refuge is promoting good governance in the

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protected area. The same governance practice is being implemented in Sandy Bay West End, Honduras, by the Community Consultative Council. These coordination platforms reinforce more collaborative relationships with communities near the protected areas and facilitate their engagement in managing and conserving those protected areas.

Through the project “Conservation of Marine Resources in Central America, Phase I,” annual operating plans are developed for the four protected areas it supports. The project has been successful in engaging nearby communities in the development of these plans – with the help of the MAR Fund’s Member Funds –(Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (Mexican Nature Conservation Fund–FMCN), Fundación Biosfera (Biosphere Foundation–FB), Protected Areas Conservation Trust –PACT, Fideicomiso para la Conservación de Guatemala (Trust for the Conservation of Guatemala–FCG) which administer the grants in their respective countries. In Yum Balam in Mexico, the Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (National Commission of Natural Protected Areas–CONANP) established effective links with the lobster cooperatives in Holbox and Chiquila, to encourage and promote good fishing practices and live-lobster capture with selective fishing gear, and compliance with legal size limits. At the Port Honduras Marine Reserve in Belize, concrete actions were taken to implement the Community Development strategy, by executing alternative income projects. TIDE’s scholarship program for fishermen’s children will provide long-term benefits to the young people who are receiving an education. At the Punta de Manabique Wildlife Refuge in Guatemala, MAR Fund supported a community-development strategy, providing funds for women to open community stores, establishing the Community Development Committee,

and rehabilitating the primary school in the community of La Graciosa. In Sandy Bay West End in Honduras, the Roatán Marine Park helped local young adults obtain professional diving licenses, and several of them are now working at diving centers and as tourist guides.

Through the Community Fishing Program, MAR Fund promotes active participation of organized fishing groups in the establishment and management of fish recovery areas (aka no-fishing zones, fishing refuges, community marine reserves). The goal is an increase in fish abundance and size, improved food security, and positive impacts on local economies. Working groups established by CONAP in Guatemala; enhanced fisheries law enforcement efforts in Cuyamel Omoa National Park in Honduras, and new fish recovery areas in the Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve in Mexico are examples of the progress made by this program -- by helping local people undertake concrete actions that sustain both local communities and the reef. MAR Fund’s investments in the Community Fisheries Program in 2014 amounted to US$ 113,222, in support of Punta de Manabique and Rio Sarstún Wildlife Refuges in Guatemala, Cuyamel Omoa National Park in Honduras, and the regional Alliance with TRIGOH.

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Section 4: Funding for Mesoamerican Reef conservation and sustainable development

Investments by MAR Fund and its strategic partners in the Mesoamerican Reef are part of the strategic vision of being a trustworthy and transparent

mechanism to finance conservation activities that, ultimately, provide wellbeing to the population in the region. 2014 saw a substantial increase in the MAR Fund’s endowment and the flow of funds for ongoing projects and operation exceeded $2 million.

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Endowment Fund

At the beginning of 2014, the MAR Fund endowment was $14.83 million. In December of 2014, the German Cooperation through KfW made a generous contribution of $8.28 million earmarked for the Reef Rescue Initiative (see Section 2), bringing the value of the endowment to $23.11 million.

The growth of the endowment fund will allow MAR Fund to provide long-term dependable funding to critical conservation and sustainable use strategies in the region. To meet the MAR Fund’s goal of growing the endowment to $50 million by 2025, MAR Fund is developing a capital campaign.

Annual Fundraising

Financial contributions in 2014 amounted to $2,079,465. These revenues were invested in fish refuges; the “Conservation of Marine Resources in Central America” Project; the Small Grants Program; the projects managed by MAR Fund for strategic partners in the region and MAR Fund operations.

During 2014, the four protected areas involved in Phase I of the Project Conservation of Marine Resources in Central America spent US$321,930 on Component 1, which included infrastructure, equipment, control and surveillance, research and monitoring, among others. The areas spent US$232,956 on Component 2 that supported sustainable alternative livelihoods, involvement of fishermen in the monitoring of natural resources, and other activities directly with the coastal communities that live inside or near the protected areas.

MAR Fund’s Small Grants Program has become an important source of support for conservation and development initiatives in the MAR. In the past 9 years, 6 calls for proposals have been issued, with $993,422.

In 2014, 6 projects received $201,030 from the Small Grants Program. MAR Fund, as a regional financial mechanism, also manages third party donations for strategic partners in the region. This includes the Healthy Reefs Initiative, the MAR Leadership Program and the Project “Improving Resilience through Coral Reef Restoration in No-take Areas”.

Programmatic Expenses 2014

Source: MAR Fund

In terms of funding for conservation, MAR Fund has been a critical and assertive actor in developing short-, medium-, and long-term alliances with various international–cooperation partners, such as the German Cooperation through KfW, the French Fund for the Global Environment (FFEM), and foundations such as the Summit Foundation, the Oak Foundation, the Overbrook Foundation, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, among others.

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“Conservation of MarineResources in Central America” Project

Grants administrated forpartners in the Region (HRI, Oceanus, A.C., Connectivity Network)

Small Grants Program / Fish Refuges

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Acknowledgements

During 2014, a considerable number of local, national, and international partners supported MAR Fund’s strategic vision, and it is a pleasure to acknowledge and thank them for their generous contributions to further conservation and development in the region.

The German Cooperation through KfW, continues to place its trust in the MAR Fund by granting funds to support the conservation and management of the regional network of coastal and marine protected areas, through grants and through the endowment fund. Phase I of the Project “Conservation of Marine Resources in Central America” has helped to improve the administration and management of protected areas in the four countries. A process for initiating Phase II in the field began successfully in 2014.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the government institutions that are collaborating with us:

· Comisión Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo (CCAD)

· Organización del Sector Pesquero y Acuícola del Istmo Centroamericano (OSPESCA)

· Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales MEXICO (SEMARNAT)

· Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas MEXICO (CONANP)

· Comisión Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca MEXICO (CONAPESCA)

· The Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development (BELIZE)

· Fisheries Department (BELIZE)· Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas GUATEMALA

(CONAP)· Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales

GUATEMALA (MARN)· Dirección de la Normatividad de la Pesca y

Acuicultura en Guatemala (DIPESCA)· Secretaria de Recursos Naturales HONDURAS

(SERNA) MI AMBIENTE, ICF · Dirección General de Pesca y Acuicultura

HONDURAS (DIGEPESCAH)

The support of many institutions helps to strategically develop MAR Fund initiatives, programs and projects, and therefore helps improve the health of the reef and the lives of the people who depend directly or indirectly on its conservation.

· Clinton Global Initiative· Global Giving Foundation· German Cooperation through KfW · JRS Biodiversity Foundation· National Fish and Wildlife Foundation· Oak Foundation· Paul M. Angell Family Foundation· The Overbrook Foundation· The Summit Foundation

We would especially like to thank the members of the Board of Directors and the Advisory Committees that support the MAR Fund for their commitment, cooperation and time invested in strengthening the Fund. Our thanks go also to the Strategic, Technical, and Administrative Staff working at MAR Fund and its Member Funds for their dedication and passion. We invite you to visit our webpage www.marfund.org and/ or our Facebook page <http://www.facebook.com/MARFund>.


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AnnexesCommunications and Administrative Matters In response to changes in Guatemalan Law, in 2014, MAR Fund undertook the necessary steps to operate locally by establishing a branch office in Guatemala. A Visibility Plan to raise the profile of the MAR Fund was developed, laying the groundwork for an updated webpage, dissemination of information through social networks, and the 2015 celebration of MAR Fund’s 10-year anniversary.

Functional Organizational StructureAs a participatory, privately managed fund, the MAR Fund Board is comprised of experts, and the in-country funds from each of the Mesoamerican Reef countries. The four funds have permanent representation on the Board of Directors. In addition, the Board has a representative of the regional Central American Commission on Environment and Development, notable conservation experts from

each participating country, and up to seven representatives from the international donor community. To ensure the highest possible performance and sound decision making, staff and Board are advised by six committees: Executive, Investment, Grants Review, Evaluation, Development and Audit.

The MAR Fund derives its management capacity from the existing technical, administrative, and financial capabilities of the four funds (listed below). It thus builds on existing regional structures looking for the most efficient and effective deployment of programs and funds. A lean organization by conception, the MAR Fund is run by an Executive Director and six professional member staff. See figure 1.

Member Funds:

· Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT), in Belize, · Fundación para la Conservación de los Recursos

Naturales y Ambiente (FCG), in Guatemala, · Fundación Biosfera (FB), in Honduras, and · Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la

Naturaleza, A.C. (FMCN), in Mexico.

Executive Committee

Investment Committee

Grants Review

Committee

Evaluation Committee

Development Committee

Audit Committee

Executive Director

Strategic Advisor

Technical Coordination

In-country administration and oversight

Administrative Coordination

External Consultant (Conservation of Marine Resources in Central America

Project)

Board of Directors:

4 Environmental Funds 4 National representatives 1 CCAD representative 7 Donors / Collaborators

Mexico Fund

(FMCN)

Belize Fund

(PACT)

Guatemala Fund (FCG)

Honduras Fund (FB)

Figure 1. MAR Fund´s Organizational Structure

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Transparency and Commitment: Financial Statements

The firm Arévalo Pérez, Iralda y Asociados, S.C., member of PKF INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, performed the 2014 external audit. Their expert opinion is that Mesoamerican Reef Fund, Inc. – MAR Fund - financial statements are reasonable and positive insofar as all the important aspects of its financial situation.

BALANCE SHEETS

As of December 31, 2014 and 2013 (Expressed in US$)

ASSETS 2014 2013LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS 2014 2013

CURRENT: CURRENT:Cash $ 292,537 $ 243,775 Accounts payable $ - $ 8,756

Advances 49,807 23,280 Total liabilities - 8,756

Current assets 342,344 267,055 NET ASSETS

INVESTMENTS 23,338,056 14,834,997 Net assets 23,338,056 14,834,997 Accumulated excess 258,346 739,618

FURNITURE AND COMPUTER

(Deficit) Surplus of the year 84,048 - (481,272)

EQUIPMENT 50 47 Total Net assets 23,680,450 15,093,343

Total Assets $ 23,680,450 $15,102,099 Total Liabilities and Net Assets $ 23,680,450 $ 15,102,099

STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENSES

For the year ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 (Expressed in US$)

2014 2013INCOMEIncome from donations $ 2,079,435 $ 1,277,335

PROJECT EXPENSES $ (1,995,417) $ (1,758,758)

$ 84,018 $ (481,423)OTHER INCOMEOther (expenses) income $ 1 $ 123 Bank interests earned $ 29 $ 27

$ 30 $ 151

Net (deficit) surplus of the year $ 84,048 $ (481,272)


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Annual Report - MAR Fund · Message from the President Dear Friends, In 2014 as we approached the...

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Transcript of Annual Report - MAR Fund · Message from the President Dear Friends, In 2014 as we approached the...