Participa / Convocatoria

PescaData

What is the project about?

PescaData is a free mobile application, available for iOS and Android, designed by and for small-scale fishers in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Its goal is to strengthen the resilience of the fisheries sector by providing digital tools for data recording, administrative management, and knowledge exchange. Through its digital ecosystem—which includes web dashboards and a cooperative directory—PescaData enables users to log catches, manage income and expenses, analyze fisheries information, and connect communities to share solutions and good practices.

Beyond business management, PescaData serves as a bridge between fishing communities, fostering collective learning and adaptation to challenges such as climate change. All of this is grounded in the principle of data sovereignty, ensuring that each user owns the information they generate.

What does COBI do?

COBI has been a key driver in the development, expansion, and strengthening of PescaData through:

1. Participatory processes with fishers to ensure the tool responds to their real needs.

2. Workshops and trainings to promote its adoption in communities across Mexico and other Latin American and Caribbean countries.

3. Strategic partnerships with organizations, academia, and governments to encourage its use and improve its functionalities.

4. Technical development of the app, website, and administrative dashboards, ensuring the platform is practical, accessible, and culturally appropriate.

Who participates?

1. Small-scale fishers from 13 countries (including Mexico, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the United States, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina).

2. Fishing cooperatives and permit holders (more than 50 active cooperatives across seven countries in the region).

3. Civil society organizations and seafood buyers/marketing groups.

4. Academic institutions, tourism service providers, and the private sector.

5. Government authorities related to fisheries and marine conservation.

Since 2020, more than 1,047 people have been trained in the use of PescaData, with 2,915 active users and a presence in 12 Mexican states and multiple countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.