inshore fisheriespubs.iclarm.net/resource_centre/mfp-03-inshore.pdf · 2016-06-27 · donors other...
TRANSCRIPT
KEY MESSAGES
• Managementofinshorefisheriesresourcescanbeimproved.• Improvedinformationandstatisticsoninshorefisheriesmanagementcanbecollected.
• Laws and policies affecting inshore fisheries canbeharmonized.
MYA
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Securing Myanmar’s Inshore Fisheries Inshore fisheries’ critical role in the food security and
development of millions of Myanmar people
SUMMARY
Myanmar’sinshorefisheriessupportthelivelihoodsofmillionsofMyanmar
citizenslivingincoastalareas.However,inrecentyears,thecapacityof
thesefisheriestosupportviablelivelihoodsandcontributesignificantly
tolocaleconomieshascomeunderthreat.Thispolicybriefsetsoutfive
priorityareasthatneedimmediateattentionifcoastalresourcesareto
recovertomoreproductivelevelsandiffishercommunitiesaretocontinue
tobenefitfromtheseresources.Theseactionsmustbealignedwithkey
developmentprinciplesincludingworkingthroughpartnerships,promoting
co-managementandstrivingforgreatergenderequality.
SECTOR SNAPSHOT
Inshorefisheriesarethose lessthan10nmfromtheshore, including
estuaryfisheriesandotherfisheriesalongthecoastalzone.
• Nearlyhalf(48.68%)ofMyanmar’spopulationliveincoastalstates
andregions.
• Coastalhabitatsarevariedandincludecoralreefs,seagrassbeds,
mangroves,mudflatsandrockyshores.
• Coastalhabitatsare importantforMyanmar’s impressivemarine
biodiversity,which includesendangeredspeciessuchasdugongs,
marineturtlesandmigratoryshorebirds.
• Fishersusesmall-scalegears(seinesandstownets,longlines,gillnets
andtraps)andtargetnumerousspecies(fish,molluscsandcrustaceans).
• Locallyprocessedinshorefisheriesproductsareamajornutritional
componentoftheMyanmardietandareparticularlyimportantinthe
dryzoneanduplandareas.
WomancookingontheshoresofSittweharbor.PhotobyTJWebster
• Coastalcommunitiescanbestrengthenedandfisheries-basedlivelihoodssafeguarded.
• CloseralignmentofUnionandstate/regionallevelagenciesandinstitutionscanimproveinshorefisheriesmanagementandlawenforcement.
• WomenplayavitalroleinMyanmar’sinshorefisheries,particularlyin
connectionwithfishprocessingandrelatedactivities.
1. STRENGTHEN COASTAL COMMUNITIES AND SAFEGUARD FISHERIES-BASED LIVELIHOODS
Empoweringandstrengtheningofcoastalcommunitieswillbefundamental
toMyanmar’ssocialandeconomicprogress.Empowermentcanoccurthrough
givingcoastalcommunitiesastrongervoiceandgreaterroleinrule-making
andinfisheriesco-managementresponsibilities.Suchanapproachhasproven
successfulinmanycountriesintheregion.
Throughfisheriesco-managementarrangements,communityawarenessof
laws,rulesandregulationsrelatingtonaturalresourceusewillbeimproved.
Managementmechanismscanbelocalizedbyrecognizingandvaluingtraditional
andcustomaryfishingpracticesandtheindigenousknowledgeofcommunities.
Inmanycoastalcommunities,mostifnotallfamiliesdependonfishingfor
theirlivelihood.Toreducedependencyonasingleactivity,newlivelihood
optionslikesmall-scaleaquacultureandeco-tourism,aswellastechnical
supporttoimprovetraditionalwomen-ledvalue-additionpracticessuchas
fishprocessing,needtobepromotedincoastalcommunities.Inthisregard,
INTRODUCTION
Myanmar’s inshorefisheriessupportthe livelihoodsofmillionsofMyanmarcitizens living inthecoastalzone.Thesepeopleareamongthemost
marginalized,poorestandmostvulnerablepeopleinMyanmarsociety.ThecoastalzoneisalsohometosomeofMyanmar’sdistinctethnicminorities
suchasthe“Salone”peopleofThayintharyi.Coastalfishingfamiliesareoftenassetpoor,landlessandhavelimitedlivelihoodalternatives.
LiftingtheinhabitantsofcoastalfishingcommunitiesoutofpovertymustbeanimportantpartofMyanmar’ssocialandeconomicdevelopment.However,
thecapacityofinshorefisheriestosupportfisheries-basedlivelihoodsandmakeasignificantcontributiontothelocaleconomyisunderthreatfroma
numberofsourcesincluding,reductionsinfishstocks,damagetocriticalhabitats,andenvironmentalpollutionanddisasters.
Sustainingandincreasingthecontributionofinshorefisheriestopovertyreductionandfoodsecurityrequiresaddressingthreeinterrelatedproblems.
Firstly,theoverharvestingofstockscombinedwithinsecuretenureandcompetitionwithotherusershasdegradedtheresourcebase.Secondly,the
sustainabilityofinshorefisheriesisthreatenedbychangesinthemultipleusesandusersofthecoastalresources.Thirdly,evenwherelocalinnovations
addresssomeofthesethreats,thereisinadequatepolicyrecognitionoftheimportanceofinshorefisheriesandpooralignmentofUnion,state/regional
andlocalinstitutions.
Thechallengeistoputinplacegovernanceandmanagementframeworksthatwillsecureaproductivefutureforinshorefisheriesandthecommunities
thatdependuponthem.Theseframeworksmustachieveabalancebetweenmeetinghumanwell-beingneedsandsustainingthewell-beingof
coastalresources.
MeetingthischallengerequirescoordinatedactionfromUnionandstate/regionalinstitutionsworkingwithcoastalcommunitiestore-visualisehowcoastal
resourcescanbegovernedeffectively.Manyofthebuildingblockstodothisarealreadyinplace,andwhilestockandnaturalresourcesrecoveryisalong-
termchallenge,muchprogresscanbemadeintheshorttermthroughtimelyandstrategicactions.Inthispolicybrief,wehighlightfivekeyopportunities
foractionthatwillallowinshorefisheriesandfisheriescommunitiestoplayaproductiveandsignificantroleinMyanmar’simmediateandlong-termfuture.
Fisheries “Co-management” is a partnership arrangement between communities and government in which responsibility and authority for
management are shared.
Progress has been made in creating laws to better manage fisheries at local scales. In 2015, Rakhine passed a new Freshwater Fisheries Law that
was drafted following extensive consultation with communities, private sector actors, NGOs and CBOs. This new law explicitly supports community
fisheries organisations and small-scale fisheries development.
2. HARMONIZE LAWS AND POLICIES FOR INSHORE FISHERIES
ThereiscurrentlysomeconfusionandconflictamongUnion,regionaland
statelegislationandregulations,whichisconstraininginshorefisheries
legalreform.Coherenceamongtheselawsisthefoundationforeffective
decentralizedgovernanceandtheimprovedmanagementoffisheries.A
stronglegalfoundationforco-managementarrangementsisthebasisfor
empoweringcommunities.
WerecommendacomprehensivereviewofMyanmar’snaturalresource
lawsandpoliciestoenablemoreeffectivepolicyandregulationinsupport
ofthereformof inshorefisheriesgovernance.Greaterparticipationby
communitiesandlocalinstitutionsaswellastheintegrationoftraditional/
customarylawswillresultingreateracceptanceofandcompliancewith
lawsandpolicies.Animportantcomponentoflegalandlawpolicyreform
willbeareducedemphasisonrevenuecollectionandagreaterfocus
onthesustainabledevelopmentof inshorefisheriesandcommunities.
HarmonizedUnionandstate/regionallawsandpolicieswillprovideasolid
foundationforsecuringthecontributionof inshorefisheriesforfuture
foodsecurityanddevelopment.
3. STRENGTHEN INTEGRATION AND COORDINATION TO IMPROVE MANAGEMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
TheMyanmarConstitutionsupportsthedecentralizationofinshorefisheries
authoritytoStatesandRegions.Areviewofthisdecentralizationprocessis
requiredsothatStatesandRegionscanbeguidedonwaystoharmonize
approachestothegovernanceofinshorefisheries.Collaborationbetween
differentUnionandState/Regionalorganizationsisessentialforimproving
inshorefisheriesmanagement.Forexample,1)coastalcommunitiesfrequently
complainaboutthenumberofoffshorefishingvesselsfishingillegallyin
shallowcoastalareas.Surveillanceofillegalfishingandenforcementof
fisherieslawsrequiresclosecooperationbetweenandcoordinationamong
severaldifferentbodies,includingtheDepartmentofFisheries(DoF),Navy,
coastguard,andcommunities.2)Theprotectionofcoastalconservationareas
CONCLUSIONS
Thesefiveactionsarerequiredurgently ifMyanmar’s inshorefisheriesaretobesecuredforfuturegenerations.Webelievethatprogresstowards
implementingthesefiveproposedactionscanonlybedonethroughtheestablishmentofpartnershipsinvolvinggovernment,CSOs,NGOs,theprivate
sectorandcommunities.Thesepartnershipswouldbeginto“turnthetide”onthedamagingpracticesthataredegradingtheseresourcesandthreatening
theviabilityofcoastalcommunitylivelihoods.
InshorefishermenunloadingcatchesinSittwe.PhotobyTJWebster
“10yearsago,onetrammelnetsetintheSittaungRivercaught10Hilsa.Nowawholedayfishingonlycatches1anditishardtosupportourfamilies”Coastalfishermen,SutPaNut,KyaikHtoTS,MonState,2015
improvedinfrastructureforefficientlanding,post-harvestprocessingand
marketingoffishproductsiscritical.Ruralfinanceschemesthatsupport
livelihooddiversificationareessential.Thepotentialforwomentobenefit
fromnewlivelihoodactivitiesmustbefullyexplored.
Theworkingconditionsofthefishersandfish-workersareoftenharshand
dangerous.Healthandsafetyatworkcanbeimprovedthroughthestrength
ofcohesivecommunitygroupsandtheimplementationofco-management
arrangements.Improvingfishersafetyatseaandlocalemergencyresponses
arealsorequired.
isregardedasamajorstrategytoachievefisheriessustainability.Clarification
ofresponsibilitiesandimprovedcooperationbetweenenvironmentagencies
andtheDoFisalsorequired.3)InmanyofMyanmar’scoastalareas,tourism
isgrowingfast.Cooperationbetweentourismrelatedagenciesandthe
DoF,isessentialsothatresponsible(eco-)tourismispromotedandcoastal
resources,includingfishstocks,arenotdamagedasaresultofpoorlyplanned
infrastructuredevelopmentandwastemanagement.
4. IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT OF INSHORE FISHERIES RESOURCES
CriticaltomanagingMyanmar’sinshorefisheriesresourcesistheneedto
strengthenexistingfisheriesmanagementsystemsanddevelopnewapproaches.
Tobeginwith,inshorefisheriesboundariesarepoorlydefinedandvariable
acrossstates/regionsandneedtobestandardizedanddelineated.Thisshould
befollowedbyaninstitutionalreviewoftheDoF’smanagementfunctions,
structures,andworkingpractices,includingrevenuecollectionandallocation.
Newfishinggearlicensecollectionarrangementsshouldbedevelopedthat
aretransparentandnotoverlyburdensometofishingcommunities.
Giventhewidespreadthreattoinshorefisheriesfromillegalfishing,thereisa
criticalneedtodevelopandimplementstrategies,involvingallco-management
partners(DoF,NGOs,theprivatesectorandcommunities)toeradicateillegal
fishing.Capacitybuildingofallpartnersinfisheriesco-managementwillbe
critical.SpecialmeasuresarerequiredtoprotectandconserveMyanmar’s
mostcriticalcoastalhabitats(coralreefs,mangrovesandseagrassmeadows)
andtheirextraordinarybiodiversity(e.g.,dugongsandturtles).
5. IMPROVE INFORMATION AND STATISTICS FOR INSHORE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
Informationcollectionfromcoastalcommunitiesandfisheriescurrently
focusesonlicensingandfishproductionstatisticsforState/Regional
andUnionreporting.Therearemanyinconsistenciesinthestatistics,and
theyprovideaweakbasisforeffectivefisheriesmanagement.Thereare
currentlynospecies-specificdatacollectedoncatchandeffortinMyanmar
inshorefisheries.
Werecommendpriorityinvestmentinthedesignandimplementationofa
nationalfisheriesstatisticssystemthatincludesinshorefisheries.Effective
implementationofthissystemwillrequiretheintegrationofTownship,
DistrictandState/Regionalagenciesaswellasthetrainingandresourcingof
DoFofficersincollecting,managingandanalyzingthesedata.Information
gatheredshouldbeexplicitlylinkedtotheimprovedsustainabilityoffisheries
ratherthansolelyforuseinnationalproductionplanningandreporting.
Morebroadly,thereisanurgentneedtobuildMyanmar’sfisheriesresearch
capacitythroughestablishingresearchpartnershipsbetweentheDoF,
universities,NGOs,CivilSocietyOrganizations(CSOs)andcommunities
andthroughstrengtheningtheFisheriesResearchDevelopmentNetwork.
DONORS OTHER SPONSORS MYANMAR FISHERIES PARTNERSHIP
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• RickGregory,Pyoepin• KenMackay,NetworkActivitiesGroup• NeilAndrew,WorldFish• YinNyein,NetworkActivitiesGroup• AungNaingOo,DepartmentofFisheries• RudolphHermes,FoodandAgricultureOrganization
KEY REFERENCES
• DANIDAFisheriesSector Identification/Scoping,WorldFish(November/December2014)
• RakhineStateFisheriesPartnership.ADevelopmentPartnershipforimprovingtheGovernanceofFisheriesinRakhineState,FirstDraft(June2013)
Disclaimer: The recommendations and opinions expressed in the policy brief are entirely those of the participants and not necessarily those of the parent organization.
INSHORE FISHERIES
PURPOSES
TheaimofthisbriefistoinformpolicymakersattheUnionandState/Regionallevelabout:
Promotepeacefulandinclusivesocietiesforsustainabledevelopmentthrough
improvedinshorenaturalresourcesgovernance
PEACE, JUSTICEAND STRONGINSTITUTIONS
Ensuretheconservationandsustainableusetheoceans,
seasandmarineresourcesforsustainabledevelopment,through
equitablelawsandpolicies
LIFE BELOW WATER
Encouragecoastalcommunitiestoadapttoclimatechange
CLIMATEACTION
Reducepoverty,stimulatedecentemploymentandcontributetosustainableeconomicgrowth
DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
Createopportunitiesforwomen’sempowermentthroughemploymentwithinthefishvaluechain
GENDEREQUALITY
Improvehealthandwell-beingthroughincreasedfishconsumption
GOOD HEALTHAND WELL-BEING
Increasefoodsecuritybymakingfishmorewidelyavailableandaffordable
ZEROHUNGER
Reducepoverty,stimulatedecentemploymentandcontributetosustainableeconomicgrowth
NO POVERTY
1.Theimportanceofinshorefisheries;2.Thethreatsthatfishingcommunitiesface;and3.Optionsforimprovingmanagementofthissub-sector.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)