Financing for the Future

Mesoamerican Reef Fund

María José González

December 2016

Mesoamerican Reef Fund

PurposeProvide financial and technical support for conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, goods and services of the MAR

Core Concept• Four environmental funds coming together in a powerful coalition

• To “put the reef first” by planning and implementing a singular set ofstrategic priorities for the entire MAR ecoregion.

Member Funds• Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza A.C.

• Protected Areas Conservation Trust

• Fundación para la Conservación en Guatemala

• Fundación Biosfera

MAR Fund, a long-term financial

mechanism

Designed to raise and distribute funds at a

regional scale

• Complementary funds

• Additional to national funds

• Endowment and sinking funds

Effective regional funding mechanism

Responds to the needs of the region

Strategy

To strengthen a network of priority

coastal and marine protected areas:

• Initial network: 14 MPAs

• 2015 revision and update: 14

additional sites

Also addresses issues affecting the

integrity and health of the network, e.g.

overfishing - Community Fisheries

Program fish recovery sites

Vision of a Blue Economy

Programmatic Activities

• Protected Areas

• Community Fisheries

• Adaptation to Climate Change

• Reef Rescue Initiative

Operation mechanisms

• Small Grants

• Re-granting

• “Conservation of Marine Resources”

Project

• Endowment Fund

• Belize Marine Fund

• GAGGA Initiative

Financial resources for the region

Sinking funds

$19.1 million raised

$13.8 already disbursed to programs and operation

€10 M for Project “Conservation of Marine Resources in Central America,

Phases I and II.

Phase III, for €5 M, possibly for the new priority areas, in the pipeline for

2017.

Project “Conservation of Marine

Resources in Central America,

Phases I and II”

• Concurrent phases

• 9 of the 14 priority sites targeted

• Small Grants Program – 14 priority

areas

• 5 years / €5 million

Component 1

Component 2

Component 3

Endowment Fund

As of August 2016: $23.6 M

€10 M

€ 7 M

€ 1 M

Capital campaign goal: $50 M

Objective: to integrate scientific knowledge, sound leadership,

human capital and conservation finance at a regional scale.

New opportunities in the

Mesoamerican Reef that require

long-term support:

• Regional networks

• Conservation/recovery of resources

• Protection of new sites / expansion

• Strengthening of local conservation

groups

Oak Challenge Grant

• Their legacy: $10 million endowment sub-account for Belize in MAR Fund

• Challenge grant: $15 million in 5 years

• Upon completion: $10 million transferred to MAR Fund

• $500,000 annually to MAR Fund for key marine conservation initiatives in

Belize

Great opportunities

Belize Marine Fund is

now part of the capital

campaign

Will actively seek

support from

foundations, individuals,

bi-lateral and multi-lateral

agencies

Initial conversations with

organizations/donors

interested in

participating

Thank you

www.marfund.org

www.facebook.com/MARFund/

twitter.com/MAR_Fund