Case Study
Latin America & Caribbean

Victor Sho, a sport fishing coordinator in Belize, worked with a group of stakeholders throughout the Caribbean to assess how climate change might affect key species of the recreational flats fisheries. They utilized the Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA) Tool to estimate the overall vulnerability of these species to climate change.  The process brought together fishers, scientists, and managers to prioritize the needs of the fishery and actions to be taken to increase resilience.

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The CVA Tool helps prioritize the climate change related risks of the fishery and gives a platform for stakeholders from different backgrounds to build relationships and share knowledge.

Victor Sho
Sport Fishing Coordinator

Victor Sho: “I’ve been working as the Sport Fishing Coordinator at Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute in Belize for the past seven years. I work with CZMAI, institutional partners, and stakeholders within local communities to help guide the development of the industry. EDF approached me about doing a climate vulnerability assessment for the recreational fish species in Belize and it was a great opportunity to work along with a variety of different stakeholders and hammer out how we should be prioritizing our work to increase resiliency in the fishery.

CVA in Action

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I would definitely recommend the CVA Tool, to know what challenges climate change is expected to present in your fishery in the near future, and to start to prioritize how to deal with those challenges within the fishing sector.

Victor Sho

Advice from User

Victor: “While using the CVA Tool, when you are planning meetings, make sure there is adequate representation from the local communities and strongly advocate for the inclusion of local leaders from the specific area you are researching. For example, in recreational fishing, I’d recommend including the chairperson of the local recreational fishing association. This gives more significance to the report and allows you to capture the views of many community members without having huge meetings. If possible, always make sure to have local researchers at these engagements as well. They are very passionate about what they do and can bring nuggets of wisdom to these discussions.

 

Read more in an academic paper written about this CVA process