About us

The Center for Marine Justice is a nonpartisan civil society organization founded in 2019, dedicated to building the capacity of communities and their organizations, as well as to research and advocacy.

Our focus areas are: marine justice and climate action, sustainable small-scale marine fisheries, environmental education about the oceans, and coastal marine governance.

Mission

Our mission is to promote marine justice and the sustainable and equitable use of marine biodiversity by defending and promoting the rights of coastal and island communities—especially artisanal fishing communities—recognizing them as essential guardians of marine and coastal ecosystems. Through legal action, advocacy, community capacity-building, education, and research, we link the health of the oceans to human rights, marine justice, and inclusive governance.

Vision

By 2030, the organization will be a leader in coastal marine governance and marine justice, and will have contributed to the implementation of SDG 14, particularly the target of ensuring artisanal fishers’ access to biodiversity and fair markets.

Our Values 

• An ethical commitment to working on behalf of coastal and island communities—especially those engaged in artisanal fishing—and their rights.

• Respect for the traditional and ancestral knowledge of communities engaged in artisanal fishing.

• Promotion of marine justice and the sustainable and equitable use of the ocean.

Our “Marine Justice and International Law” Research Group

The Center endorses the “Marine Justice and International Law” research group before the Colombian Ministry of Science and Innovation. The group’s mission is to contribute to the generation of academic knowledge and the social appropriation of knowledge. The research is based on solid, ongoing work with local communities and combines critical analysis with an impact not only at the academic level but also at the practical level.