At the Biodiversity Summit (COP16), held in Cali, Colombia, fishermen from Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, The Bahamas, Dominican Republic and St. Lucia arrived at the event wearing T-shirts of different colors and designs, and with a clear and forceful demand: the right to small-scale artisanal fishing to protect biodiversity and the environment.
The action did not go unnoticed. What started with the fishermen wearing T-shirts with the specific points they requested from the authorities, organizations and lobby present at the summit, also caught the attention of the security and authorities of the event, who qualified the action as a threat to order or a rally. The misunderstanding was resolved, but the demands prevailed and during the week, the group of fishermen held a press conference expressing their needs and demands.
This story was produced as part of the 2024 CBD COP16 Fellowship organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network. It was originally published by ContraCorriente on October 26, 2024.
Banner image: Two Honduran fishers attending COP16 / Credit: Maria Celeste Maradiaga.
María Celeste Maradiaga
