panel 10: strategies for preserving common pool resources thursday, april 20 th (2:00-3:00pm)

Panel 10: Strategies For Preserving Common Pool Resources

Thursday, April 20th (2:00-3:00pm)

13th Symposium on

Development and Social Transformation

Fisheries Co-Management In Thailand

Rachel Fleishman

Panel 10: Strategies For Preserving Common Pool Resources

13th Symposium onDevelopment and Social Transformation

Fisheries Policy in Thailand

Co-management as an innovative solution

Rachel Fleishman “Fisheries Policy in Thailand”

Common Property Resources (CPR)

Four management regimes Open-access Private property State property Communal property

Thailand uses mostly State property… ‘command-and control’ regulation “Co-management”… combination of state and community

control

Rachel Fleishman “Fisheries Policy in Thailand”

Importance of fisheries in Thailand

Employment Food… important source of animal protein Foreign exchange and portion of GDP Dependence on fisheries in coastal communities

Represents a high percentage of income Few alternative employment options

Rachel Fleishman “Fisheries Policy in Thailand”

Problems in Thai fisheries

Over-exploitation Indications… declining CPUE, lost species and

habitats, increasing proportion of “trash fish” Causes… new technology (for catching and

processing), excess fishing capacity, exclusion from EEZs of other countries

Conflicts between small-scale and commercial fishers

Rachel Fleishman “Fisheries Policy in Thailand”

‘State control’ policies

Main legislation Thai Vessels Act (1938) Act Governing the Right to Fish in Thai Fisheries Waters

(1939) Fisheries Act (1947)

Types of regulations imposed…Gear restrictions (seasonal and spatial), licensing, maximum allowable catch

Non-regulatory actions…Subsidizing infrastructure improvements, restoration, non-destructive gear, & alternative livelihoods.

Rachel Fleishman “Fisheries Policy in Thailand”

Regulatory failure

Main goals… Increased production (esp. deep sea fishing and

aquaculture) Sustainable yields Improved quality of life for fishers & fisher participation Global competitiveness & development of a domestic

market

Problems with regulatory policy…. Lack of enforcement capacity Lack of political will Lack of input and participation from fisher communities.

Rachel Fleishman “Fisheries Policy in Thailand”

Co-management

Definition…. “an arrangement where management responsibility is shared between the government and fishing communities…. a set of institutional and organizational arrangements (rights and rules), which define the cooperation among the fisheries administration and relevant fishing communities (Neilsen, et al 2004).”

Role of government… provide the legal/political support for co-management institutions to function; enforce system of rights and rules.

Role of the community… determine system of rights and rules; monitoring; incorporation of local knowledge into system.

Rachel Fleishman “Fisheries Policy in Thailand”

Application of co-management in Thailand

Pilot projects Several sponsored by int’l organizations (FAO, UN,

DANIDA) and research institutes (ICLARM, IFM) Key actors: government agencies, local government

officials, local NGOs, village organizations, academics, and religious leaders

Baan Ao Lom case… a success? Importance of informal community institutions; cultural

solidarity/homogeneity; and ability to exclude outsiders Exclusion within and outside of the community

Rachel Fleishman “Fisheries Policy in Thailand”

Co-management impacts

Benefits Better policy through incorporation of local preferences &

knowledge Investment from community yields longer-term effectiveness Cost-savings for government Spin-off benefits in terms of community organizing Diversification of fisheries policy

Costs Transaction costs Exclusion and inequity

Rachel Fleishman “Fisheries Policy in Thailand”

Policy recommendations

Continue to experiment with co-management Direct careful attention to equity concerns

* Evaluation by a disinterested third party, such as an NGO * Strengthening national democratic institutions 

Improve enforcement of existing government regulations and look for ways to coordinate these with community monitoring efforts

Promote alternative livelihoods in fishing communities; provide adult education and technical training.

Elimination of subsidies by developed countries on vessels fishing in developing country waters.

Rachel Fleishman “Fisheries Policy in Thailand”

Conservation Efforts In Africa: Lessons From Community-based Conservation

Sharon Pailler

Panel 10: Strategies For Preserving Common Pool Resources

13th Symposium onDevelopment and Social Transformation

Community Based Conservation in Africa

Lessons Learned

Africa’s Biodiversity

• Unique, extensive biodiversity

• 50,000 plant sp

• 1,500 bird sp

• 1,000 mammal sp

• Extreme, rapid biodiversity loss

• Mostly human activity

Poverty

• Africa’s profound, widespread poverty

• SSA GNI per capita (excluding S. Africa), $307

-World Bank 2004

• Role of poverty in biodiversity loss:

• Unsustainable resource use• Prioritize objectives other than

conservation

Conservation measures: Effects on rural poor

• Protected areas

• Cannot use resources • Food

• Shelter

• Fuel

• Livelihoods

Community Based Conservation (CBC)

• Emergence: 1980’s

• Address conservation issues AND

community needs

• Using:• Community participation

• Sustainable resource use

• Economic incentives

Effectiveness

• CBC widely implemented

• Little progress in either goal

• Underlying basis of CBC may not promote conservation or poverty alleviation

Potential Reasons

• Preferences for security and welfare

• Conservation-friendly economic activity

• Sufficient economic benefits

• Replace or supplement

Potential Reasons

• External exploitation • Community participation

• Perceived vs. actual participation

Conclusions

• CBC falls short

• Increasing pressure on biodiversity

• Shortcomings of CBC provide a lesson for future efforts

Climate Change: Science vs. US Public Policy

Mark Sergott

Panel 10: Strategies For Preserving Common Pool Resources

13th Symposium onDevelopment and Social Transformation

Climate Change: Science vs. U.S. Public Policy

Mark S. SergottSyracuse University

Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs

April 20, 2006

Influential Factors

1) Climatic Problem Recognition

- Presently, no crisis exists (i.e. death, disease, disastrous event).

- Widespread fear or panic is not spreading across the country.

- Absence of climatic warning indicators diminishes the severity of scientific claims.

Influential Factors

2) Scientific Uncertainties

- Estimating future anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases.

- Predicting the frequency of severe weather events.

- Predicting future global trends:

• population growth• industrialization in developing countries• technological advancements• changes in global energy consumption

- Due to these uncertainties, predicting future climatic conditions is highly speculative.

Influential Factors

3) Financial Costs

- Key government barrier that prevents climate change from making it to the forefront of the political agenda.

- Concerns to the stability of the national economy.

- Insufficient infrastructure to support the use of alternative fuels.

- Technologies are still developing.

Influential Factors

4) Interest Group Presence

- Many have vested interests in the economy.

- Publicize the testimony of skeptical scientists.

- Competition over legislative attention.

- Disagreements have heightened partisan conflict, which ultimately has lead to policy gridlock.

What the Scientific Community Needs to Do:

- Gather support from other actors not currently involved in the climate change debate.

- Strengthening governmental relationships with states that have begun taking steps in coordinating efforts to combat climate change.

- Facilitate dialogues at both the national and regional levels.

- There is hope that environmental education and awareness will lead to reform.

Panel 10: Strategies For Preserving Common Pool Resources

Thursday, April 20th (2:00-3:00pm)

Rachel Fleishman Fisheries And Co-Management In Thailand

Sharon Pailler Conservation Efforts In Africa: Lessons From Community-based Conservation

Mark Sergott Climate Change: Science vs. US Public Policy

13th Symposium onDevelopment and Social Transformation