HARINAGAR, MUNSHIGANJ, SATKHIRA DISTRICT, BANGLADESH-FEBRUARY 2025: Sisters Puja (Left) and Kahlome (Right) Sana return from an evening fishing near Harinagar, Bangladesh. Subsistence fishing in the region often makes up a large part of household nutrition and is deeply rooted within the makeup of local culture. It is estimated that between 10-13 million people regionally rely on fishing for subsistence living or income.
KOYRA, KHULNA DISTRICT, BANGLADESH-FEBRUARY 2025: Subidita Munda stands in front of her home in Koyra, Bangladesh. Homes here are often made from a combination of eco-friendly materials including clay, mud, straw, and bamboo, and feature a thatched roof. These homes are structurally resilient, and provide stability during heavy rains and tropical storms. In the event that houses are lost in the aftermath of storms and flooding, these materials are readily available and make it easier for communities to repair or rebuild damaged homes more quickly.
Tangled in a ghost net in the Gulf of Tribugá, a deep-sea fish becomes one of countless victims of unchecked marine debris. Every year, more than 100,000 marine mammals, over one million seabirds, and countless fish are killed by plastic pollution, entangled, poisoned, or starved as plastic fills our oceans at unprecedented rates.
Benjamín González, co-founder of Guardianes Del Mar, removes lead weights from a recently recovered ghost net. The reclaimed metal is later melted down and repurposed into new diving weight belts.
An endangered Dogfish shark lies dead on the floor of a large commercial fishing vessel off the west coast of Latin America. This vessel prioritizes shrimp trawling, a practice widely known for its destructive, high-waste nature. Trawler nets sweep indiscriminately across the seabed, resulting in exceptionally high rates of bycatch and severe harm to marine habitats; for every kilogram of shrimp caught, trawlers may haul in as much as 20kg of non-target species. These nets are also among the leading sources of ghost nets, compounding their negative impact on the greater marine ecosystem.
A local fisherman carries a freshly caught red snapper, destined for the kitchen at Benjamín Gonzaléz’s La Jovesina eco-lodge in Guachalito, Colombia. Here, subsistence and artisanal fishing are lifelines that help preserve culture, sustain local families, and protect the marine ecosystem through sustainable practices.
In June 2023, UNESCO designated the Tribugá-Cupica-Baudo region as part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, the first such site on Colombia’s Pacific coast. Stretching nearly 600,000 hectares from Cabo Corrientes to Punta Cruces in Bahía Solano, the reserve shelters one of the most intact mosaics of ecosystems in the country: coral reefs, dense mangroves, and rainforest that feed directly into the Pacific.
