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Fishing Rights and Lagoon Co-management

- For Better Understanding -

22 July 2010Baku Takahashi, IMOLA Project

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1. Understanding Fishing Rightsand Co-Management

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Co-Management is Sharing of Responsibilities and Tasks

Authorities= public agency

Fisheries Associations= fishers’ organization

Fishing Rights

Resource Management Responsibilities

CO-MANAGEMENT

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Benefits of Co-Management

• Participation of resource users into the management process would increase the sense of ownership on the issues

• Well-consulted and agreed-upon management regulations would have better compliance by resource users

• Self-management among the local resource users creates more pressures or more incentives to follow the regulation due to social cohesion

• Resource management by the local FAs could reduce the burden on the authorities as well as management cost

• Local FAs have better knowledge on how to control fisheries activities (e.g., location and timing of illegal fishing)

• And many more…

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Interrelationship among Three Key Activities

Fishing Rights Allocation

Zoning PlanFishing Gear Rearrangement

Fishing Rights will be allocated based on

the zoning plan (FR is area based)

Content of fishing rights would be

changed if fishing gear is rearranged

Fixed fishing gear area is a type of areas

in the zoning plan

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2. Immediate Issues that FAs Need to Tackle

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Issues that FAs Need to Tackle

1. Membership coverage2. Fee collection3. EB operation4. Awareness raising of fishers5. Monitoring and enforcement6. Authorities’ support to FAs7. Coordination with neighboring FAs

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Membership Coverage

• Many fishers using FA water surface in Huong Tra are still not members of the FAs include them!!

• The fishers should know that they would not be allowed to fish if they are not FA members (after the fishing rights allocation) -- it is not an option but obligation of the fishers to be FA members.

• The above (disadvantage of not being FA members) should be communicated to all fishers using FA water surface in HT.

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Fee Collection

• Fees are the main sources of income for the FAs to undertake the lagoon management at this moment.

• Membership fee has not been fully collected from FA members.

• A strong initiative needed to collect the fee fully by EB and sub-group leaders (weak efforts at this moment).

• The EB and sub-group leaders should strongly stand against non-payees (non-payment would eventually undermine the very foundation of FAs).

• The above will be the same for resource user fees.

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EB Operation

• The EB is very important group representing and steering the FAs with heavy responsibility.

• The EB should take initiative to start the FA activities rather than being passive (do not wait for instructions from someone).

• EB allowance support from IMOLA will be finished soon – need to switch the source to the FA Fund.

• Two issues to be discussed:– Number of EB members -- is everyone working actively and

effectively ? non-active ones should be removed from EB.– Level of EB allowance -- the level can be adjusted by FAs.

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Awareness Raising of Fishers

• All fishers (including non-members) should be informed and understand well of:1. FA functions2. Lagoon zoning3. Lagoon management regulations

• The EB and members should make a maximum efforts to disseminate the above info using word, meeting, workshop, training, leaflet, loud speaker, radio, TV, and other possible media.

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Monitoring and Enforcement

• Monitoring and enforcement including patrolling should be enhanced further as they will be keys for successful implementation of the management regulations

• NO enforcement = NO impacts!!• The violation should be handled seriously and

equally without personal favor and coziness• Police should provide full support to the patrolling

team.• Frequency of patrolling should be increased.

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Authorities’ Support to FAs

• As lagoon co-management is a joint and collaborative process of management, the authorities including CPC, district, and province should also consider how they can support the process.

• Local FAs should actively send a request for support to the authorities (e.g., through PFA to the Provincial DARD).

It is important to know who (which FAs) are operating and managing the lagoon water around your FA to avoid conflicts and for better coordination.

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In the Future…(after the Fishing Rights Allocation)

1. Fishers can no longer fish freely everywhere anytime in any ways – all fishers should be members of FAs and follow their regulations – this is to conserve common resources of all fishers

2. All water surface will be under the management of FAs – no-one should enter the water for exploitation purpose without informing and registering under the FAs

Steps in OperationalizingLagoon Co-Management

Initial survey of local

conditions

Est.and strengthenin

g of FAs

Lagoon co-managemen

t planning

Lagoon co-managemen

t implementat

ion

M&E

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Preparatory Inception Planning Implementation M&E

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2010 2010-

Fist contact to fishers FA mobilization meetings Community res mapping User and gear registration Criteria & indicators

Socio-econ surveys FA mobilization board est. Lagoon mgmt strategies Patrolling & conflict mgmt M&E framework est.

PRA-SLA surveys Awareness raising of fishers Lagoon mgmt regulations Environ conservation M&E schedules

Co-mgmt F/S FA charter development Water surface demarcation Awareness raising, training… M&E implementation

… EB and sub-group est. Zoning plan FA econ activities Feedback to FAs

Formal est. of FAs User fee system dev. Pilot projects …

Meetings and congresses Patrolling team est. Meetings and congresses

Traditional festivals … CMB and fishing rights … …

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Thank you very much

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