The 29 de Agosto Cooperative Implements the Value Rescue Model Independently

On February 28, members of the 29 de Agosto and El Resbalón Cooperatives, representatives from the Sonora Secretariat of Fisheries and Agriculture, HealthyFish, SmartFish AC, Comunidad y Biodiversidad AC, and the Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans AC, as well as fishers from Puerto Peñasco, Desemboque, and Golfo de Santa Clara, gathered in San Carlos, Sonora. Together, they celebrated the conclusion of the implementation phase of the Value Rescue Model (VRM) by the 29 de Agosto Cooperative.

The cooperative has fully internalized the processes to enhance the value of their catch and sell it in preferential markets. Having transitioned to the ownership phase of the model, the cooperative will now operate autonomously, with SmartFish AC providing support only when requested.

During the event, the video Value Rescue by the 29 de Agosto Cooperative premiered, highlighting the challenges and benefits of applying this model. The official inauguration of the cooperative’s processing plant also took place, with the ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Andrés Grajeda, President of the 29 de Agosto Cooperative, Isis Morales, member of the cooperative, Lic. Gabriel Raúl Sánchez Almeida, Subsecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Cecilia Blasco, Executive Director of SmartFish AC.

This milestone underscores the cooperative’s commitment to sustainability, quality, and economic empowerment within small-scale fisheries.