Sustainable Fisheries Management for Improved Livelihoods of the Coastal Fishing Community

Outline

• Introduction• Meaning of Sustainability• Collaboration under the sustainable development• Directions for achieving environmental success• Project Partners• Stakeholder Involvement• Does change in rural area matter?• Drivers of Change• Analyzing The Drivers• Providing Financial Services to the Poor: Challenges of Micro Finance• Information Asymmetry • Maximize Impact of Micro Finance• Range of Micro Financial Services• Project Outcome• What are protected areas• Issues to consider in MPAs• Effectiveness of MPA• Fisheries resources management tools • State of Resources• Making the MPA Operational• The Goals• The Threats

Introduction

• International trade in fish and fisheries products is a major contributory factor to this excessive fishing pressure and over-exploitation.

• The fishing sector vital for social stability and the survival of the local populations, is threatened by:

• Destructive, unsustainable fishing methods and practices• Excessive by-catches of non-target organisms; including

endangered and protected species and wasteful discards.

Meanings of Sustainability

• Delivering Sustainable Development a strategy, which has four main objectives:  

• Social progress which reinforces the needs of everyone

• Effective protection of the environment • The prudent use of natural resources, and • The maintenance of high levels of economic

growth and employment

Collaboration Under Sustainable Development

• Help to solve issues of naturally depleting resources

• Help to resolve cultural issues• Maintain Biodiversity and achieve local

empowerment through stakeholder involvement, working together and collaboration

• Eco-tourism as an opportunity

Directions for Achieving Environmental Success

• Address the needs of the local people in regards to conservation and development, including tourism

• Locals should actively be involved as stakeholders in the protection of the environment

• Tourism should not increase pressure on local resources (I.e.: use alternative energy sources)

• Adequately dispose of human waste and other garbage.

Project Partners – IUCN ROWA

• IUCN-ROWA, as an applicant, will be the lead agency responsible for the overall Project planning, implementation and management

• IUCN will be responsible for innovative capacity building and training on sustainable fisheries management, bringing in its global expertise and experience, technical advice on biodiversity/ecosystem/fisheries issues (including the Marine Officer at IUCN ROWA and the IUCN Global Marine Programme), national/international communications etc.

Project Partners – ADR

• ADR will be responsible for the field actions implemented under the project (thus with all resources allocated to that being managed locally by ADR. This will include the community mobilization and facilitation the communication between the relevant stakeholders, involvement of local community in the implementation of the project, especially women, and lead the management of the revolving fund.

• To do so, IUCN will sign a partnership agreement with ADR spelling out all activities, required resources and the method of disbursement (installment made based on plans and progress and financial reporting). ADR will be responsible for timely planning, implementation and management of all resources allocated to through the partnership Agreement and is to report all to IUCN and Drosos..

Stakeholder Involvement

• Lebanese Government, Governorate of South Lebanon, Tyre Municipality

• Ministry of Environment, Dept of Ecosystem and Protected Areas

• Ministry of Agriculture, Dept of Fisheries

• Ministry of Transport and Public Works

• Council of Development and Reconstruction (CDR)

• Ministry of Defense, Lebanese Navy, Lebanese Army Intelligence

• Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, Coast Guard Directorate

• Fishermen Syndicate of Tyre• Tyre Coast Nature Reserve TCNR

• Research Institute CNRS• Regional Universities • Local Communities / Culture• Fish Markets / Restaurants• Natural Resource Organizations• Tourism Operators (eco-tourism)• Tourists• Fishing Syndicate and

Cooperative of Naqoura and Sarafand.

Does Change in Rural Areas Matter?

Surveys demonstrate tensions in public attitude

• People find it difficult to see what might be the balance between conservation and development, even in next few years

• Decision/policy makers views differ from those of public at large e.g. public think conservation more important than improving the farming industry

• People are anxious to conserve the countryside but don’t always express concern about development there

Drivers of change?

• Climate Change – increasingly important• Population – numbers and types of people and

households• Lifestyles • Technology• Global politics….• Economics and world trade

Analysing the Drivers

Governance and planningFisheries (agriculture) policy and supportEnvironmental legislation and strategiesHousing and wider development policyTransport provision/policy and other infrastructureEnergy policy

DemographyMigration trends and population characteristics

Societal values and behaviourLife style choicesLeisure activitiesLand ownership

Economic and market trendsAgricultural / Fisheries economySkills base

TechnologyAgricultural / Fisheries technologyICTEnergy

Environmental changeClimate changeEnergy sources

Providing Financial Services to the Poor: Challenges of Micro Finance

• Risk management challenges due to information asymmetry problems

• Accessibility (geographic accessibility and easiness to deal with)

• No collateral, Low value and cash intensive nature of the business

• Staff training and motivation

High transaction costs

Information Asymmetry

Decision to take loan Loan usage Loan repayment

Adverse selection

Moral hazard

The Adverse selection: incomplete information problem (before the loan)Fishermen profile has to be reviewed by the steering committee and approved based on panel criteria. Only active fishermen will benefit from micro-credit

The Moral hazard: hidden action problem (after loan)Fishermen have to commit to fill up and submit the data collection sheets on weekly basis, linking the micro-credit to the conservation efforts.

Maximize Impact of Micro Finance

VulnerabilityNeed for More than credit

Differences amongFishermen

Need for customizedpackages

Understand what programmes work the bestand for whom

Range of Micro Financial Services

• Individual lending• Insurance• Health insurance• Livestock insurance• Weather insurance• Commodity price derivatives• Savings and investments products• Remittances

Project Outcome

MPA / Sustainability

Project Partners

International organizations

Science / Universities

Beneficiaries /Stakeholders

Regulators/policymakers

What are Protected Areas?

According to the UNEP, a protected area is defined as:An area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity and of natural and associated cultural resources, managed through legal or other effective means

A Marine Protected Area is defined as:Any area of the marine environment that has been reserved by governmental, or local laws or regulations to provide lasting protection for part or all of the natural and cultural resources therein.

Issues to Consider for MPAs

Primary conservation goal • Natural Heritage • Cultural Heritage • Sustainable Production

Level of Protection • No Access • No Impact • No Take • Zoned With No-Take Areas • Zoned Multiple Use • Uniform Multiple Use

Permanence of Protection • Permanent • Conditional • Temporary

Constancy of Protection • Year-Round • Seasonal

Scale of Protection • Ecosystem • Focal Resource

Allowed Extractive Activities • Commercial Fishing • Recreational Fishing • Subsistence Hunting/Fishing • Scientific/Educational

Collecting • Mineral/Energy Extraction • Other

Effectiveness of MPAs

Most assessments of the effectiveness of MPAs have revolved around assessing in increases in fish stocks/ fisheries

Assessment of the socioeconomic effects of sanctuaries has not been evaluated to such an extent, but are nonetheless important indicators of effectiveness:

– increasing recreation/ tourism– increasing community and public awareness of marine conservation– community “buy in” to, and support of, the marine protected area

Other issues can also be examined – frequency and occurrence of damaging activities (e.g. blast fishing/ jet skis etc)

In general, all sanctuaries show improvements, or maintenance of, ecological variables over time

- especially in contract to adjacent non-sanctuary areas which showed maintenance of the status quo or declines over the same periods.

One of the most critical factors with respect to sanctuaries is ENFORCEMENT of regulations As resources allocated to enforcement are often minimal, “buy in” and support from the local community (i.e. voluntary regulation) is essential for most MPAs

Fisheries Resources Management Tools

• Limitation on amounts of fish landed (quotas)• Limitation on gear usage (type and nature of

gear)• Limitation on total effort deployed (effort =

number of vessels x fishing days)• These Tools are deployed in order to attempt

to keep the fisheries stocks above a safe biological level.

State of the Resources

• Adoption of new fishing strategies• Significant reduction in mean individual sizes

of landed species• Recent Marine Survey indicates a serious over-

exploitation• Stagnation or reduction in landings per type of

fishing in spite of the increasing level of fishing effort

Making the MPA Operational

High Level Policy Goals(Economic, Social, Environmental)

Broad Objective Relevant to the Fishery

Priority Issues

Operational Objectives

Indicators and Reference Points

Decision Rules

Review and Performance Evaluation

SUBSISTENCEFISHERY

DEMERSALFISHERY

ECO-TOURISMSECTOR

PROTECTIONBIO-

DIVERSITY

PROTECTIONCRITICALHABITATS

SEA BIRDCONSER-VATION

TUNAFISHERY

RECREAT-IONAL

FISHERYSMALL

PELAGICFISHERY

The Goals: Feasible, Reconciled Objectives for all Stakeholders

Threats to Implementing Sustainable Fisheries Management

• Mismatch between expectations and resources.• Reconciling much expanded set of conflicting

objectives.• Insufficient or inadequate participation by

stakeholders.• Insufficient knowledge.• Equity issues.• Etc.