Blue Ventures, supported by the Cisco Foundation's $100M climate commitment, is working with coastal fishing communities in Belize to build a Community Fisheries Data system. The initiative trains local fishers to collect, visualize, and own data on fish species, weight, and quantity, enabling evidence-based decisions about sustainable fishing practices. Community members like Ron Escobar, Paula Jacobs Williams, and Victor Jacobs describe how climate change is affecting their livelihoods and how data ownership empowers them to advocate for their interests in conservation policy. Blue Ventures has already seen success in Indonesia, where community-owned data shaped a national fisheries management plan, and hopes to replicate this model in Belize and beyond.
