The winner of "ocean tribute" Award 2021

What is Codemar?

CODEMAR (Coalition in Defense of the Ocean) is an NGO dedicated to ocean conservation. It was established by a group of specialists and younger but passionate people determined to make a difference in helping restore the health of our oceans and coasts and to promote their protection.

What is Equilibrio?

Equilibrio is a free magazine run by our NGO CODEMAR. Specialized in the oceans surrounding Mexico; it addresses coastal and marine ecosystem problems and solutions. We have published articles written by prestigious journalists, Donna Bertarelli, John Kerry, Tom Dillon, as well as internationally renowned experts in marine conservation.

It is supported by globally relevant NGOs, including Pew Charitable Trusts, Bertarelli and Wyss Foundations.

Equilibrio has been for many years an important voice in environmental journalism, edited by highly respected scientists, policy makers and community experts, raising awareness and sharing valuable information about Mexico’s seas

Equilibrio means balance, and so we also care deeply about other topics such as tackling illegal fishing, and the promotion of eco-tourism and sustainable activities.

Why is your project so important?

Equilibrio’s goal is to inform, raise awareness and promote marine conservation actions. In particular, the creation of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs,) and the strengthening of the existing ones as well as the MPAs network.The current MPAs cover only 5% of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, and Mexico needs to raise this surface to be able to comply with the Aichi targets, and even more so with the 30% UN’s set goal for 2030.

Mexico is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, and so are its oceans that together are in fact, 1.5 times bigger in surface than its land.

There needs to be a strong voice that brings awareness to the importance of our oceans, the public needs to know why MPAs and the international goals are of such relevance, we believe in CODEMAR, that Equilibrio, could be such a voice for Mexico.

“Communication is also conservation”. Society needs to know that the oceans we all depend on are in danger, and that only in coming together can we ensure a better future for them.

How will you implement your message?

Equilibrio reaches more than 80,000 readers per issue. It is read by university students, society as well as researchers, scientists, NGOs and, above all, opinion leaders, decision makers and stakeholders.

We are also working on relaunching Equilibrio’s digital and social media platform because we are aware that the world of communication is migrating more and more each day to the digital world.

 Having said this, the printed version of Equilibrio will always be strategically important, we believe it reaches certain places and groups of people where it’s digital version would not be able to do it. And we also are very much aware that the printed version in a country like Mexico will always be relevant because many don’t have easy access to internet, among them artisanal fisherman whose livelihoods depend on the sea, and who’s voice counts very much when trying to create MPAs near coasts.