Five new ventures which are part of the ““Entrepreneurial Community of the Galapagos Seafood System” presented their business ideas and plans. These ventures have received technical assistance in the context of the Coastal Fisheries Initiative Challenge Fund (CFI-CF) Ecuador, and are aligned with a new vision of the Galapagos seafood system that aims to transform it into a resilient, autonomous, prosperous and fair system.
During the meeting, Manuel Yépez, founder of Galapagos Artesanal Sea Food, explained how the traceability system records and discloses everything related to the fishing trip, including where, when, and how the product that reaches the table was caught.
The entrepreneur and acuaculture engineer, Wilson Rivadeneira, indicated “Info-Mar will be an app to promote responsible consumption of fish among residents and visitors. This initiative was proposed within workshops to construct a new vision of the Galapagos seafood system”.
Other ventures that were presented in the workshop transform fishing discards into inputs for the agricultural sector, produce gourmet smoked tuna and tuna pate contained into returnable jars to promote waste reduction on the islands.
The aim of the presentations was to receive feedback from various stakeholders, especially from the financial sector.
Liseth Lucas, representing Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito FUPROGAL, mentioned: “The success of a technical assistance process lies in involving all stakeholders that are able to support these ventures to emerge and thrive”.
The workshop has held on February 3th 2022, and involved the participation of 50 people, including Katherine Llerena, President of the Governing Council of the Special Regime of Galapagos; Danny Rueda, director of the Galapagos National Park; Ana Albán, director of Fondo para la Inversión Ambiental Sostenible (FIAS); and representatives of the financial, retailing, and tourism sectors of Galapagos, as well as academia and NGOs. Entrepreneurs prompted great interest during their presentations which were based on the identification of a problem, a value proposition, and the development of a business model. During the meeting, new business opportunities surged and potential financing sources were identified for these ventures.
The Entrepreneurial Community of the Seafood System is a platform to strengthen the local business and innovation ecosystem with the aim to support sustainable development and the resilience of the Galapagos islands. The CFI-Challenge Fund is a Global Environmental Facility (GEF) project implemented in Galapagos by the World Bank Group with the technical support of the consortium led by the Charles Darwin Foundation, and made up by: Conservation International, Presencing Institute and Commonland. More information about the project in www.pescagalapagos.ec. We acknowledge the Galapagos Hub for Sustainability, Innovation and Resilience for supporting the workshop organization, and EDES Business School of the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL) for providing technical assistance.
Andres Cruz
Protect Galapagos, Impact the World
The impact you make on this small ecosystem of enormous biodiversity is part of a larger footprint you are leaving for the world's future. Join us on our mission to safeguard one of our planet’s most important natural treasures through science and conservation action by making a donation today. Thank you for making an impact with us.