In Mexico, important gaps in financial inclusion mean only 68% of adults use at least one financial product, even though internet access is at 75.6%. The UK’s Financial Services Programme sponsored the Sandbox Challenge (SC), which helped increase financial inclusion in Mexico. It did this by helping Fintech entrepreneurs develop their offerings of digital and innovative financial solutions. The second edition of the SC initiative attracted 200 participants from the United States, Taiwan, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador.

To help SC winners develop their business models, they obtained bespoke support covering legal advice, business-consulting mentoring, financial modelling, cyber security advisory, and programming services, among others.

MoneyWays, a Venezuelan firm, provides a digital alternative to the high costs associated with cross-border fund transfers, which disproportionately affect migrant workers sending money to their families back home. MoneyWays solution consists of a platform providing money transfers, remittances, prepaid cards services, and payments through a real-time wallet system. According to MoneyWays, the support they received allowed them to accelerate the development of their services and have a presence in the Mexican market, which, in turn, helped them reduce the financial burden on remittance beneficiaries.

Plataforma 9.9% devised an innovative solution to help women and informal workers access home ownership through a collective, circular form of financing. Plataforma 9.9% recognised that participating in the Financial Services Programme gave them an opportunity to build their methodology whilst at the same accessing professional advice that guided them in structuring their services to comply with official regulations. Sagrario Gutiérrez, member of Plataforma 9.9%, shared:

We were provided with skills, tools, guidance, structure, transparency and certainty; it has been an outstanding experience to help build our solution.

Escrivan helps consumers regularise their real estate assets, which is critical given that over 50% of homeowners in Mexico currently have “irregular” property status. By resolving this issue, more consumers are able to access equity on their property, increase their purchasing power and credit opportunities, and thus contribute to a more financially inclusive market.

Another seven winners of the SC initiative received similar benefits and were able to advance their offerings of digital and innovative financial solutions. With support from the UK’s Financial Services Programme, they too are contributing to the expansion of Mexico’s Fintech sector and to the financial inclusion of some of the country’s most vulnerable populations.

The Marine Management Organisation have been tasked with preparing the Channel Demersal NQS (non-quota species) FMP, which will stretch from Sussex to Cornwall and will cover a range of demersal species.

This FMP is one of 43 FMPs to be developed under the Joint Fisheries Statement to support a sustainable and profitable fishing industry. The Channel NQS FMP will be among the first of six frontrunner FMPs being developed, with an aim to publish the plans at the end of 2023.

The process is being evidence led and the first step is to scope out what we know and identify evidence gaps. We are looking for recently graduated students to gain some excellent experience by taking up an unpaid internship to work with the MMO on this exciting new area.

Successful applicants will be expected to undertake a targeted literature review/evidence gathering process for the following evidence questions:

• What management measures have been implemented previously for the species (exploring amongst these what has or hasn’t worked and why).
• Biological distribution of the priority species.
• Biology of the priority species incl. Life history characteristics such as: fecundity, species resilience, vulnerability and size at sexual maturity.
• Associated food webs/forage fish.
• Define low/medium/high impacts of human activities and climate change for these species (going beyond gear/feature interaction to include additional environmental criteria).
• Dealing with sentience within fisheries – focusing on the newly designated status of cephalopods (the scope could expand to include sentience in terrestrial harvest for comparison).

Species currently being looked at include: red (Chelidonichthys cuculus), tub (Chelidonichthys lucerna) and grey (Eutrigla gurnardus) gurnards; bib (Trisopterus luscus); john dory (Zeus faber); red mullet (Mullus surmuletus / Mullus barbatus); lemon sole (Microstomus kitt); brill (Scophthalmus rhombus); turbot (Scophthalmus maximus); lesser spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula); stary smoothhound (Mustelus asterias) and smoothhound (Mustelus mustelus); common (Alloteuthis subulata) and European squid (Loligo vulgaris); common (Sepia officinalis) and elegant (Sepia elegans) cuttlefish; and lastly, the common (Octopus vulgaris) and curled octopus (Eledone cirrhos). Exact species to be prioritised under the FMP will be determined through the evidence gathering and stakeholder engagement processes.

This is a rare opportunity to be involved in helping steer England’s new approach to fisheries management. You will be expected to contribute either 15 hours a week for five to eight weeks or 30 hours a week for three to four weeks and we aim for work to commence at the end of September at the latest. The experience you gain here will be invaluable in terms of your employment prospects going forward.

If you are interested, we request that you submit the following to the addresses given below by midnight on Sunday 4th September:

1. We require a CV and a supportive reference from your dissertation supervisor or tutor with a focus on your research experience. Our minimum requirement is 70% or over in your dissertation and 65% or over in your degree.
2. You must also have evidence of undertaking a literature review related to a marine species or a fishery and include a page excerpt from your dissertation with your application.
3. Please submit a cover letter (1-2 pages) introducing yourself, outlining your topic(s) of interest, topical questions and approach to evidence gathering. Please provide your email and telephone/mobile number with the cover letter. These requirements

Successful applicants will be contacted directly following the sift of applications. Before undertaking any work, applicants will be provided a point of contact to help guide and steer the evidence gathering. An engagement plan, detailing: timeline, milestones, check-in and support sessions will be agreed between the applicant and their designated point of contact.

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch through the submission email below.

Application submissions should be sent to fmp@marinemanagement.org.uk