11/13/2015 1 small-scale fisheries management and governance

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Small-Scale Fisheries Management and Governance

Why Care about Small-Scale Fisheries

• Small-scale fishers account for 96% of the world’s fishers

• They catch 58% of the global fish catch

• 12-50 million men and women are estimated to be directly involved in small-scale capture fisheries (full-time, increasingly part-time, seasonal) (500,000 large scale)

• 150 million people involved in fisheries-related occupations; 250 million fishing household dependents

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Why Care about Small-Scale Fisheries

• 87% of world’s fishers are in the Asia-Pacific region

• At least 20% of those employed in fisheries earn < $1/day

• Far more people have become involved in fishing than agriculture since 1950 (total growth rate of 400% vs. 35%)

• Number of full-time fishers doubled while part-time fishers increased 160% between 1970 and 1990

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Issues and Threats: Weak Governance

• Overfishing and excess fishing capacity

• Open access

• IUU fishing

• Lack of information

• Enforcement and compliance

• Low participation in decision making

• Conflict

• Weak management institutions and corruption

• Inappropriate policies04/21/23 4

Issues and Threats: Socioeconomic Conditions

• Poverty

• Poorly managed globalization of trade and market access

• Technological advances

• Rapid population growth

• Health: HIV AIDS, nutrition

• Political and economic marginalization

• Gender inequity and inequality

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Issues and Threats: Ecosystem Changes

• Climate change

• Habitat loss and pollution (coastal development)

• Removal of key species, introduction of exotics

• Altered freshwater inflows

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Opportunities in Small-Scale Fisheries

• The SSF sector has great potential to contribute to poverty reduction and economic growth

• Moderate scope for increased benefits to poor fishers and consumers and resource rents to society, with responsible & equitable governance

• Some indication that fishing is no longer the “employment of last resort,” and that fishing households are actively diversifying livelihoods.

• Increasing successes with a range of new governance approaches

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Innovations in SSF Governance

• Recognize SSF as integrated social-ecological systems

• Integrated resources management and economic/community (livelihoods) development

• Rights-based management • Co-management• Ecosystem-based management (MPAs) • Adaptive management• Markets, certification

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Principles for Investment in SSF

• Support the continued operation and development of small-scale fisheries where this is possible

• Promote the adoption of rights-based fishing

• Ensure that compensation schemes or livelihood alternatives are included in programs supporting a transition to rights-based fishing

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Principles for Investment in SSF

• Support livelihood diversification

• Build on existing strengths and strategies of small-scale fisherfolk to increase their adaptive capacity and build resilience of the fishery system

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Implementing the Principles

Two case studies of governance reform in small-scale fisheries:

1. Investment in local management in Mexico

2. Investment in policy reform in the Philippines

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Implementing the PrinciplesMexico: Strengthening governance through

ecosystem-based management of the Sea of Cortez fisheries

• Biologically rich area• 50% of Mexico’s fish catch• Overfishing, aquaculture, pollution, loss of

habitat, tourism, conflicts, overcapitalization • Subsidies to both sectors are still abundant

and confound efforts at capacity reduction 04/21/23 12



David and Lucile Packard FoundationCOBI (Comunidad y Biodiversidad, a local NGO)WWFConservation International (CI)The Nature Conservancy (TNC)others

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• Co-management in context of decentralization

• Active participation of fishers through community organizations

• Empowerment to participate in decision-making

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• Community property rights• Concession on an area is given to local community

members in order to maximize resource exclusivity, guarantee the welfare of the community, and develop cooperation among stakeholders in conservation efforts

• Conflict resolution strategies between small-scale and industrial fishing sectors focused on area restrictions and separation of fleets

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• Marine protected areas (MPAs)• Based on a conservation plan to protect ecosystems,

important ecological processes, and of critical habitats that is compatible with human

• Network of MPAs that includes both fully protected marine reserves and other marine protected areas (MPAs) where different activities take place

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• First developing country small-scale certified fisheries - MSC Certification of the Baja California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus)

• Nine fishing cooperatives

• Regulation includes a minimum legal size, restrictions on keeping egg-bearing females, restrictions on fishing gear (tangle nets), and rights in specific zones and areas

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Need for: • more effective enforcement and compliance

mechanisms • solve the overcapacity problem in the small-

scale sector • ecosystem-based fisheries management

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Implementing the PrinciplesPhilippines: Scaling-up management, effort

reduction and networking

Sector problems and constraints:

• overfishing

• illegal and destructive fishing activities

• siltation and pollution of coastal waters

• weak institutional and management capabilities

• Degradation and depletion of fisheries and marine resources

• persistent poverty among municipal fisherfolk.04/21/23 19

Implementing the PrinciplesPhilippines: Governance reform, scaling-up

management, and networking Four large programs/projects:• FSP (ADB 1989-1996)• FRMP (ADB/Japan 1998-2007)• CRMP (USAID 1996-2004)• FISH (USAID 2003-2010)

• These four projects build on one another to improve fisheries governance

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management, and networking

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management, and networkingFSP (ADB 1989-1996)

Series of policy and institutional reforms:

• decentralization of municipal water management to local governments

• enactment of municipal fishery ordinances

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management, and networkingFRMP (ADB/Japan 1998-2007)

• Community-based co-management • Community organizing • Community-based law enforcement• Income diversification

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management, and networkingCRMP (USAID 1996-2004)• Enhancing the capability of national and local

governments and the communities themselves to develop and implement resource management processes and systems (co-management)

• Develop coastal resource management as a basic government service

• Local government capacity-building • Building constituency groups and empowerment of

coastal communities04/21/23 24


management, and networkingFISH (USAID 2003-2010)

• Builds of CRMP• Works with stakeholders in each target area to

develop an ecosystem-based fisheries management program

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management, and networking FISH (USAID 2003-2010)

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Scaling-up• Sustainable SSF management will result in economic

growth that provides jobs, food, and cultural values over the long-term.

• Sustainable SSF management will reduce humanitarian crises and food insecurity and provide opportunities for nations emerging from conflict and poverty.

• Investment in governance reform• Participatory and equitable SSF management is

fundamental to success and sustainable policies. • Investment in human resources and technical capacity to

undertake and support successful fisheries management efforts.

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11/13/2015 1 small-scale fisheries management and governance

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