Coastal Management in the AsiaPacific Region

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Coastal Management in the Asia-Pacific Region

• Kem Lowry
• Department of Urban and Regional Planning,
  UH-Manoa

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Objectives for this Session

• Identify basic approaches to coastal management
  in the Asia-Pacific region
• Describe newest approach community-level
  management
• Identify basic issues and dilemmas in
  community-level management

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Basic Approaches to Coastal Management

• Top-down comprehensive management
• Sectoral management
• Special area management
• Marine protected areas
• Community level management

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Basic Design Issues in Conventional Top-Down
Coastal Management

• How large is the coastal area within which
  management authority will be exercised?
• What coastal resource use issues will be
  addressed in the program?
• What management tools will be used?
• What level of government will exercise management
  authority?

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Varieties of Top-Down Management

• Managed coastal areas 100 yards in Hawaii 300 m
  in Sri Lanka 1 km. in Philippines
• Issues Sri Lanka coastal erosion, habitat,
  cultural resources
• Management tools permits for uses, coastal
  structures, education, etc.
• Level of government management national in Sri
  Lanka local in Philippines

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Dilemmas in Designing Local Top-Down Coastal
Management

• What management authority has been decentralized?
  Is local authority adequate for management?
• Do local authorities have sufficient capacity for
  management? Are there capacity deficits?
• What management resources are required for local
  management? Are they sufficient?

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Dilemmas in Designing Local Top-Down Coastal
Management

• How committed are local officials to effective
  coastal management practices? What, if anything,
  has been done to induce or coerce commitment?
• What inter-governmental coordinative mechanisms
  have been established?
• To whom are local officials accountable?

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A Diagram of Coastal Zones

Source Land Management Bureau
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Sectoral Management

• Erosion control
• Fisheries management
• Port management

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Special Area Management

• Sri Lanka Hikkaduwa Special Area
  Management/Marine Sanctuary
• China Xiamen Island zonation scheme for
  shipping, port development and biodiversity
  conservation

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Marine Protected Areas

• Bunaken National Park (Indonesia) 790 sq. km
• Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park (Philippines)
  332 sq. km.
• Lenger Island Marine Protected Area (Pohnpei
  Island, Federated States of Micronesia) 2 sq. km.

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Levels of Human Use Access

• Strict Nature Reserve/ Wilderness Area
• Wilderness Area
• National Park
• Natural Monument
• Habitat/Species Management Area
• Protected Landscape/Seascape
• Managed Resource Protected Area

No-take
Multiple Use
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Spectrum of MPA Management
Top-down MPA
National Government
Co-management
Local Community
Community-Based
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Conventional Bottom-Up Coastal Management

• Emphasis on local agreements at community level
  governing resource uses (e.g. restrictions on
  gear, seasons, etc.)
• Emphasis on rights of access to resources rather
  than conventional property rights
• Emphasis on local enforcement of rules
• Need for careful monitoring of resource conditions

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Apo Island Example

• 178 acre volcanic island in the Visayan Sea
• In 1978 a coral reef conservation program started
  by Silliman University group working with local
  community
• Formal agreement establishing reserve around the
  island and reef sanctuary initiated in 1980

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Apo Island
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Local Management of Apo Island

• Within 500m marine reserve some fishing gear
  restrictions (SCUBA allowed)
• No fishing or resource collection within reef
  sanctuary area
• Admission fee shared by community is charged for
  admission to sanctuary

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Community-Level Marine Protected Areas in the
Asia-Pacific Region

• Kem Lowry
• Department of Urban and Regional Planning, UH

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Community-Based Marine Protected Areas

• A CB-MPA is a small, protected area within
  coastal waters which the community has taken
  leadership in developing and managing. In a
  tropical context a CB-MPA often consists of a
  coral reef and associated habitats. CB-MPAs are
  often areas in which fishing or other extractive
  activities are significantly restricted.

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How are CB-MPAs Distributed?

• Philippines 400
• Fiji 138
• Indonesia ?
• Papua New Guinea 35
• Solomon Islands 20
• Micronesia 11

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Why Local Management?

• Weaknesses/failures of centralized efforts to
  reduce over-fishing, control land based sources
  of pollution and protect significant habitats
• Recognition of threats to significant coral reefs
  and other coastal habitats
• Opportunities for improved management through
  communities

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Rationales for Establishing CB-MPAs

• Protecting important ecosystems or habitats
• Creating sustainable fisheries through no-take
  zones
• Preserving species and genetic diversity
• Protecting areas of intense biological
  productivity
• Protecting critical habitats for important
  species
• Protecting important cultural sites.
• Source Salm, et al.

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Intended Benefits of CB-MPAs

• Increase fish density, sizes, diversity
• Spill-over of adult and juvenile fish
• Increased protection of vulnerable species
• Protection of habitat loss from over-fishing or
  destructive fishing
• Separation of conflicting human uses
• Empower local communities to manage resources

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Varieties of technologies
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Criteria for CB-MPAs

• Usually small communities adjacent to reef or
  other significant habitat
• Frequently high degree of subsistence or use of
  marine resources
• Perceived management crisis or potential for
  crisis (e.g. destructive fishing practices)
• Tradition of community participation in the
  decision-making

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Other Site Selection Criteria

• Habitat is in good health
• High abundance and diversity of marine organisms
• At least 10-20 adjacent to and within village
  area
• Not subject to heavy siltation
• Area is not frequently used by outside fishers

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Key Assumptions

• Resource users have formal or informal resource
  use rights
• Traditional knowledge is useful for successful
  management
• Local groups have resources needed for management
• There are relevant strategies for involving key
  stakeholders
• Participation in planning will increase
  involvement in enforcement

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What Size Should an MPA Be?

• May be of various shapes and sizes, but simple
  and enforceable
• Should include 95 of species in area
• Should be directly related to conservation goal
• Most established MPAs are between 12-124 acres

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Steps for Creating CB-MPA Management Plans

• Site profile/information gathering
• Community identifies key issues
• Community (or committee) develops management
  strategy (zoning, rules, penalties)
• Community review and approval
• Implementation/enforcement

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Key Management Mechanisms

• No-Take areas
• Other zoning
• Restrictions on types of fishing gear and/or
  seasons

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Effective Enforcement

• Benefits of MPAs depend on effectiveness of
  protection
• The more users respect MPA, the more successful
  MPAs will be
• Education and community involvement can help
  build support
• In early stages, MPAs need strong enforcement

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Effective Enforcement in MPAs

• Effective enforcement requires surveillance,
  patrolling, catching violators and penalties for
  violations
• Penalties can be fines, confiscation of gear or
  catch, imprisonment, shame, etc.

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How Can MPA Enforcement Be Made More Effective?

• Regional research and experience shows that
  community based or co-managed marine protected
  areas result in a higher degree of compliance
  with management rules if
• Goals and rules are clear
• A well-developed enforcement system is in place
• Sanctions for non-compliance are enforced
• Tenure rights of stakeholders are clear
• Residents are educated about the plan
• Management imposed.

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Monitoring Evaluation

• How are resource conditions changing with
  management?
• How successful are management interventions?
• To what extent are local communities benefiting
  form MPA? How?
• Do stakeholders understand the need for
  management?

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How Sustainable are Site Projects?

• Building commitment of stakeholders is a key
  factor in the sustainability of individual
  projects.
• People should be seen as part of the ecosystem.
  Good outcomes for residents are as important as
  good ecosystem outcomes.
• Stakeholders stay committed as long as they can
  see the benefits of management and they believe
  benefits are distributed fairly.
• Commitment is high at most sites for which
  management plans have been developed.
• Reduced outside support would result in a reduced
  surveillance system at some sites.

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Federated States of Micronesia - Pohnpei