2. With the support

3. When life returns to the sea!

4. Social resilience is
strengthen

5. Dignity and equity return!

6. Construction of new
knowledge!

7. Just distribution of benefits!

8. A future for fisherworkers!

9. The Pacific of Costa Rica

10. Threats

13. The main actor:
CoopeTárcoles R.L
 On December 13, 1985, CoopeTárcoles R.L. was legally
registered as a cooperative, rule by the Minister of Work, by
the Department of Social Organizations, and the
INFOCOOP (The National Institute for Cooperative
Advancement).
 The artisanal fishing cooperative was founded on several
objectives: direct marketing of fishing products, eliminating
the middleman, obtaining better prices, encouraging better
working conditions, creating sources of employment, and
raising the fisherfolk’s organizational level and
participation.

14.  In the General Assembly held in 2001, the members reviewed the
articles of the Statues.
 “Article 9. The aims and purposes for organizing this Cooperative
are:
 Obtain better working conditions.
 Improve its members’ socio-economic situation.
 Eliminate the middleman.
 Create sources of employment.
 Obtain better prices for the product.
 Open up new markets for the product so the Cooperative will be
able to grow quickly.
 Raise the fisherfolk’s organizational level and participation.
 Promote investigation on forms of sustainable management of
natural and cultural resources. ”

15. The analysis
 Before the formation of the cooperative the gubernmental
policy priority in Costa Rica (absent today) helped to launch
and strengthen the cooperative. There was also a developing
social movement amongst the fisher folks that promoted the
creation of a collective enterprise to defend their interests.
 Coope Tárcoles R.L is essentially an entrepreneurial
organization dealing with economic activities, but its
activities also include a strong social dimension. The social
dimension links people living in the community to actions
aimed at promoting community wellbeing. This is not only
about strengthening economic resilience but also requires
that steps be taken towards providing social and cultural
benefits more widely.

16. Conditions that where key
at the beginning:
 An appropriate political framework provided
by the State: a State which in the 1970s was
concerned with social welfare
 What the model of organization has given back
providing a learning process adapted to local
needs and capacities

18. Recommendations

19.  A:_ policies that support social development and provide
small-scale fisheries with adequate infrastructure, the
necessary conditions of access, and the possibility to become
better organized.
 This support has also been valuable in strengthening the
cultural and productive identity of the community; it is
essential for achieving the necessary conditions for
responsible fisheries that guarantee both biological richness
and human well-being.

20.  B.- The cooperative provides learning opportunities and serves as
foundation for adequate leadership.
 These two factors allow the cooperative to remain flexible in a
changing environment. Which can also be seen as potential capacities
like resilience, governance, and an integrated management that
considers human-rights based approaches to conservation.
 C.- For the moment, Coope Tárcoles R.L is meeting its commercial
objectives. There is no obvious need to develop product certification
(quality, ecolabels etc.), or to develop international markets.
 The cooperative primarily accesses local and national markets. Very
few kilograms of fish are exported and the product has a very
important value for the food production for the cooperative ( food
security).

21.  Establish appropriate public policies to support small-scale
fisheries development as well as promoting local sustainable
use in the small-scale fishery.
 There is also an important need to train and prepare the
social organizations targeted by the guidelines and to
promote local follow up and auto-evaluation of the
implementation process

22. Thanks and recognition of
Global Advisor / ICSF