On Thursday, November 18th, Mexican oceanologist Dr. Pablo Alvarez, Fisheries Improvement Project Coordinator at Pronatura Noroeste (PNO), was awarded the 2021 Alliance Spirit Award by the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions (CASS). This distinction is given annually to individuals who represent the collaborative spirit of the Alliance and share with firmness and enthusiasm their work in favor of sustainable fisheries.
The award ceremony was held as part of the CASS annual meeting, which is attended by companies and NGOs, as well as academics, human rights experts, and specialists in various disciplines that promote sustainability and responsibility in seafood products that reach our homes.
Pablo Álvarez became the first winner of this award, with which CASS will annually distinguish outstanding individuals and organizations in three categories: Alliance Board Member of the Year, Outstanding Contribution and Alliance Spirit Award. This award seeks to honor those who stand out for their collaborative spirit and strong commitment to the environment, as well as for publicizing their work and contributing proactively with their peers and collaborators.
In announcing the award, the Alliance noted the following reasons: “Pablo consistently exudes a positive attitude and a tremendous spirit of collaboration. He is a key participant in the FIP (Fisheries Improvement Projects) community of practice, who takes every opportunity to offer his valuable input and ideas, and is eager to apply the Alliance’s knowledge and tools to the fisheries he and his team work with.”
Upon receiving the recognition, Pablo said “I feel more than honored that my colleagues have identified this spirit in myself and of course it is largely the result of the enabling environment in the Alliance, where each person can develop their potential.”
He also shared his vision of environmental conservation: “I believe that the profound purpose of moving towards sustainable and responsible fishing is to be happy as humanity, this happiness that, rather than being achieved at the end of an inexorable path, resides in the here and now.”
In 2020, Pronatura Noroeste joined this Alliance, with the aim of collaborating in the sustainability of fisheries in northwestern Mexico and supporting various international initiatives in this area. Among PNO’s projects, the work with the verdillo FIPs in Punta Abreojos and the octopus in Bahía de los Angeles, in Baja California and Baja California Sur, as well as with the chocolate clam in Altata-Ensenada de Pabellones, Sinaloa, stand out. For his part, awardee Pablo Álvarez has been coordinating the FIPs of the Marine Conservation and Sustainable Fisheries Program at PNO since 2017. He is an Oceanologist, Master of Science and PhD in Environment and Development. He is also an Associate Technical Consultant in the MSC Registry of Technical Consultants that provides support to fisheries. Since 2007 he has taught at the Faculty of Marine Sciences of the Autonomous University of Baja California. He has been collaborating with fishing communities and organizations in northwestern Mexico since 2002. His field of interest is self-managed projects for the sustainable management of fishery resources and the welfare of localities.
“Pablo always volunteers, makes everyone smile with his encouraging words and humor on calls, and embodies the welcoming and positive spirit that makes the Global Hub the vibrant and supportive community we all know it to be,” noted Alliance Executive Director Mariah Boyle.
