KEY MESSAGES

• Managementofinshorefisheriesresourcescanbeimproved.• Improvedinformationandstatisticsoninshorefisheriesmanagementcanbecollected.

• Laws and policies affecting inshore fisheries canbeharmonized.

MYA

NMAR

FIS

HERI

ES P

ARTN

ERSH

IP

2IN

SHO

RE

FISH

ERIE

S

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)