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Tela’s Coral Reefs

Tela Bay, on the north coast of Honduras, is home to over 800 clusters of critically endangered corals. It’s known for it’s spectacular coral reefs, with over 68% live coral cover compared to the Caribbean-wide average of approximately 18%. It is also home to large stands of critically endangered elkhorn corals. The area is an important source of coral larvae for other parts of the Mesoamerican Reef—which means keeping them healthy is critical to protecting coral reefs throughout the Caribbean. 

But overfishing has put severe pressure on the nearshore coral reefs. Fishing is the primary source of food and income for local residents, and Tela Bay’s coral reefs support 13 different communities. Over 90% of the fish caught in Tela Bay are consumed locally. 

Our researchers have found that fish in Tela Bay are biologically connected to fish populations throughout the Honduran Caribbean and possibly the Mesoamerican Reef region. So what happens to fish in Tela affects other parts of the coastline hundreds of miles away. Because of that connection, managing fish populations in Tela is vital to protecting coral reefs and supporting communities throughout the entire Honduran North coast.

Our Work

After years of advocating, building awareness, and forming partnerships, we helped create a marine protected area in Tela. The Honduran national government approved the Tela Bay Marine Wildlife Refuge in 2018, allowing us and our partners to better protect the coral reefs. 

Our role is to create structures and increase community capacity to allow local stakeholders to manage their own resources. We collect data that supports a fisheries management plan, and we helped implement fishing regulations and restrictions in Tela Bay based on the plan. To enforce the regulations, we train and support our local partners to implement regular patrols.

But with Tela’s fisheries supporting so many families, we also work with fishers to provide alternative sources of food and income and reduce the pressure on the reef long-term.

Get Involved

If you’re a local resident in Tela, get involved in efforts to protect your coral reef by following our partners at AMATELA and Fundacion PROLANSATE. You can also send an email to AMATELA or PROLANSATE.

If you’re not a resident of Tela, you can still support Tela’s coral reefs. Help share the resources below to spread the word about Tela’s fisheries and the importance of sustainable tourism in Honduras.

 

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