Small-scale commercial fisheries in the Mexican Caribbean are economically significant, accounting for 97% of the fleet, and employ 104,028 persons full time in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean seashores. However, throughout the region fisheries resources have also experienced declines due to overfishing. In response, fisheries managers and conservation NGOs have looked to establish fish refuges to protect and restore marine resources. For the first time in 2012, five fishing cooperatives in the Mexican State of Quintana Roo proposed and established 13 fish refuges for a period of five years. In 2017, the first of these temporary fish refuges, is due for a performance evaluation as part of a renewal process. We will be spending the next year researching and providing solutions to the challenges faced with fish refuges in Mexico.