Resource Management
MRAG Americas has extensive
resource management capabilities. There are four major areas of management that we focus on: Ecosystem management, Fisheries Management,
Policy. Governance and Protected Resources.
Ecoystem Management
At MRAG we have developed considerable experience in undertaking environmental assessments including environmental impact statements (EIS). Projects include research to support the establishment of ecological reserves, assessment of pollution control, studies on the effects of flood control systems, identification of conflicts between fishing gear types, threats to non-target species, and design of guidelines to minimize the loss of biodiversity. Assessments have been conducted on behalf of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Global Environment Facility (GEF), UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the European Commission.
Fisheries Management
MRAG can provide expert advice on and practical input to a wide range of development and management issues in fisheries and the environment including stock assessments and essential fish habitat (EFH) studies. Multidisciplinary teams of dedicated specialists provide a comprehensive and integrated resource management service from initial characterization and assessment of the resource, through the design and implementation of management schemes, to the subsequent regulation and monitoring of harvesting activity.
Our focus on integrated resource management requires consideration of the physical, biological, technical, social, economic, and institutional elements of resource utilization. We have undertaken assessments on a diverse range of living resources from fish, crustacean, and mollusk species to terrestrial livestock. In terms of fisheries stock assessment we have conducted assessments on resources of all sizes, from small tropical island fisheries in the Pacific and Caribbean, where catches are measured in a few hundred tons and vessels number less than a hundred, to industrial operations, where catches exceed 750,000 tons. We have also conducted assessments for extensive inshore and floodplain fisheries with in excess of one million fishers and 10,000 mechanized artisanal vessels. Through our involvement in artisanal fisheries (both coastal and inland), MRAG have demonstrated a capability in evaluating and developing alternative governance structures for fisheries management, including the use of co-management. Many of our projects have a direct positive impact upon social development on developing rural communities.
Policy/Governance
The creation of environmental and fisheries policy involves the consideration of a wide variety of interacting factors. We at MRAG understand the importance of the relationship between scientific research and policy development and provide clients with advice and guidance on the preparation of coherent policy frameworks. The building of institutional capacity and capability is an important step on the path to the implementation of sound resource management and environmental policy. With our wealth of experience, built up over many years at the forefront of the design of practical solutions to resource management problems, we are well placed to offer advice, services and personnel to assist in the enhancement of institutional capacity in developing countries.
Protected Resources
We have developed considerable experience in the undertaking of projects involved in developing countries. Projects have included provision of expertise in planning for protected area management, promoting institutional support and supporting community based fisheries management. Projects have been conducted on behalf of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Global Environment Facility (GEF), UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). MRAG also has experience in planning and managing Marine Protected Areas as part of an overall Coastal Zone Management Plan. Much of this experience has been fed into a series of guidelines for Caribbean Marine Protected Areas.
Other Services Provided by MRAG Americas
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