Mayors unite to protect coastlines globally
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Mayors from the Philippines first inspired leaders in Honduras to protect local fisheries, leading to the creation of Coastal 500, a network of municipal leaders dedicated to ocean conservation across eight countries.
Before 2021, mayors in the Philippines had successfully protected nearshore waters with the help of Rare, an international conservation organization. This success caught the attention of leaders in Honduras, prompting them to adopt similar strategies.
The Coastal 500 network formally launched on World Oceans Day in 2021, connecting mayors directly to share effective solutions and bypass slow-moving national bureaucracies. The network addresses a critical gap in ocean conservation, as approximately 200 million people rely on coastal fisheries for their livelihoods, yet only 10% of the world’s ocean and coastal areas are protected. Mayors uniquely understand the challenges faced by fishing communities and can quickly respond to disasters like storms and floods.
The effectiveness of locally-led conservation became clear after Typhoon Rai struck the Philippine municipality of Del Carmen in 2021. Years of mangrove rehabilitation, initiated by local leaders, protected the community from the storm’s impact and provided a continued food source. By March 2026, Coastal 500 grew to include over 500 mayors across eight countries, stewarding more than 100,000 square kilometers of coastal waters. The network focuses on local action, global advocacy, peer-to-peer learning, and building long-term capacity within member communities.
