Rare is a global leader in accelerating social change for people and nature. Through their Fish Forever program, Rare works with fishing communities – fishers, fish buyers and traders, community members, local leaders and their local governments – to revitalize coastal fisheries across the developing tropics.
Rare focuses on revitalizing coastal waters, where high human activity meets high biodiversity. They call these the “Community Seas” as they are critical to the food security, livelihoods, and climate resilience of communities around the world.
67,118+
km² of coastal waters under protection and improved management
347+
mayors and local leaders committed to sustainable coastal fisheries
1,937+
coastal communities that benefit from improved protection and management of coastal waters
61+
policies passed that enable community-led and rights-based coastal protection and fisheries management
Key Focus Areas
Community-led Management
Protecting and managing coastal waters through community-led and rights-based approaches that benefit coastal communities across the developing tropics.
Community and Partner Engagement
Building the capacity of those closest to coastal resources to drive and sustain protection and management.
Local Leadership
Supporting Coastal 500, the largest global network of mayors and local government leaders committed to driving global action on coastal fisheries.
Financing
Demonstrating examples of public and private financing unlocked for coastal resources and fisheries protection and management.
Coastal 500
Coastal fisheries are widely distributed across thousands of communities, making mayors and local government leaders critical decision-makers in the use, management, and protection of coastal resources.
In 2021, Rare launched Coastal 500, the largest global network of mayors and local government leaders driving global action on coastal fisheries. The network aims to mobilize 500+ leaders, representing a constituency of one million fishers, and dramatically shift the way communities, regions, and entire nations protect their coastal waters and manage fisheries.
Across Indonesia and the Philippines, millions rely on coastal waters for their food and livelihoods. Yet these critical ecosystems are experiencing a global decline in marine fish populations, primarily due to overfishing and a lack of sustainable management.
Rare’s community-led approach puts the protection and management of natural resources directly in the hands of those closest to the fisheries. By ensuring that local communities and their leaders have the authority, capacity, and resources to understand, monitor and respond to changes in their marine habitats and fisheries, they can build climate resilience, improve fishery health, and increase economic opportunity.
As part of Revive Our Ocean, Rare will accelerate their work in the Philippines and Indonesia, supporting local leaders and communities to scale sustainable fisheries management and coastal protection.
We’ve seen how communities thrive as ocean stewards—protecting, managing, and benefiting from their resources. Revive Our Ocean can help many more do the same, and Rare is excited to bring it to key places where people and biodiversity meet.
Rocky Sanchez Tirona - Managing Director, Fish Forever, Rare
Read the Inspiring Story of Coastal 500 Member, Mayor Coro
Working on marine protection in the Philippines or Indonesia?
Revive Our Ocean supports a growing network of best in class practitioners working to scale community-driven marine protection. Tell us about your work — we’re mapping out collaborations and shared learning opportunities.
