The Gulf of Fonseca is one of Central America's most vital and most vulnerable coastal ecosystems. Its mangrove forests, nesting beaches, and shrimp-rich waters sustain tens of thousands of families. And for decades, they have been disappearing.

As coastlines eroded and forests thinned, fishing communities felt it first. Floods came harder. Fish populations shrank. The shrimp industry that anchors the regional economy watched its own foundation weaken. For the people of southern Honduras, the loss was ecological, cultural, and deeply personal.

This is where FUNDESUR showed up, and where the work began.

Restoring What Sustains Us

Over 12 years, FUNDESUR has worked alongside local residents, schools, fishermen, and environmental leaders to restore and protect this bioregion from the inside out. The approach is holistic, community-led, and built to last.

🌱 1.3 million mangrove seedlings planted, restoring 150+ hectares of vital coastline
🐢 370,000+ Olive Ridley sea turtles protected and released through community-led conservation programs that also provide income and education for coastal families
💧 8 clean water systems built, reaching over 600 families with safe, reliable water
🔥 8,300 eco-stoves installed in family homes, cutting wood consumption by 50%, reducing CO₂ emissions, and protecting women and children from harmful smoke
♻️ 200,000 used tires collected and recycled, removing waste that contaminates soil and breeds disease

Community Ownership

Planting trees is easy. Making restoration last is the real work.

What makes this model sustainable is that the community owns it. Local planting brigades tend the nurseries. Families steward the coastlines. Schools teach the next generation why it matters. Environmental committees carry the work forward season after season.

And uniquely, the industry that depends on a healthy Gulf helps pay for it. $0.02 from every pound of exported shrimp flows back into these programs, creating a self-reinforcing cycle where healthy ecosystems and healthy communities grow together.

The foundation is proven. The need is greater than ever. Environmental degradation continues to threaten the shrimp supply chain and the communities woven into it. Expanding nurseries, strengthening conservation programs, and deepening community stewardship requires partners who see what we see:

That restoring this region is the only path to sustaining it.

Your support, matched by the Honduran shrimp industry, 2x the impact of every contribution and adds your voice to a movement proving that people, industry, and nature can grow stronger together.

Your generosity ❤️ + Ma Earth + 🦐 match = Transformation for 🇭🇳