4. Coastal and Marine Resources and Local Livelihoods

Transcription

1 4. Coastal and Marine Resources and Local Livelihoods Social issues. About 1 million coastal. residents and their families about 5 percent of the nation s labor force earn a living directly from fisheries (Barut et al. 2004). Of the total number of individuals who rely on fish for. their livelihood, 69 percent are municipal. fisherfolk, 25 percent are engaged in aquaculture, and the remaining 6 percent are involved in commercial fisheries (Box 4.1). In many coastal communities, the majority of households depend directly on fish and other coastal resources for their livelihood. Several of the important fishing bays often have mor. than 70 fisherfolk per kilometer of coastline. Such areas include Manila Bay, Carigara Bay, and San Miguel Bay. Municipal fisherfolk are among the poorest in Philippine society, with an annual average household income of PhP 70,000 ($1,400), which is about half the national average of PhP 144,000 ($2,820). Other studies report even lower levels. of income among fisherfolk. In Palawan, for example, fisherfolk households have an average net income of no more than PhP 2,000 ($40). per month, or PhP 24,000 ($480) per year (Rivera- Guieb and Jarabejo 2001). Among fishing families, household sizes are generally larger than the national average and a greater proportion of their income is spent. on food. The level of education of fisherfolk household heads is lower than average. In. terms of access to basic services, fisherfolk households have lower rates of access. Within the coastal zone, near-shore fisheries. are the most heavily exploited. An increasing number of small fisher families compete with. each other, as well as with commercial fishermen (Box 4.2) for fishery resources that have. experienced serious declines in productivity in. the last 10 to 15 years. Box 4.1 Employment and Food Security. A multitude of stakeholders depend on fisheries, including municipal and commercial fisherpeople, canneries, fish markets, and various industries. In terms of employment, the sector annually generates an average of PhP 4,000 ($80) per household per month, or over PhP 62 billion ($1.24 billion) worth of employment per year. As a source of food, fish is indispensable; other natural animal or vegetable protein sources are poor substitutes in terms of nutrition and cost. Fish provides protein, essential fatty acids, and vitamins A, B-1, B-2, B-12, and D. It is also a source of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron, as well as trace elements and micronutrients like iodine and zinc. In the Philippines, fish remains a major component of the diet, accounting for over 50 percent of the total animal protein consumed in the country. At present, an average of 28.5 kilograms of fish per person per year is consumed in the Philippines. But with the population increasing and marine capture fisheries remaining steady, the future does not look good for the food security of the country, particularly for low-income families. Sources: Green et al. (2003); Kurien (2002); and ADB (2001). The average annual catch of a municipal fisherperson today has probably decreased to less than 30 percent of 1991 levels. It is thus not surprising that coastal communities are among the most impoverished in the country, with the poor fisherfolk, in most cases, suffering the dire effects of deteriorating fishery yields. Poverty among fisherfolk is exacerbated by. high losses and spoilage due to improper. handling of fish catch, possibly affecting as. much as 25 to 30 percent of total catch. There is an even higher level of discards, possibly 40 percent of all marine landings, due to the lack. of a post-harvest infrastructure in many areas. of the country. Inadequate cold storage and. poor roads contribute to inefficient marketing. 30

2 PhilippineS Environment Monitor Box 4.2 Conflicts Among Fisherfolk. Commercial (35 percent) and municipal (29 percent) fish production on average account for an almost equal share of production in terms of volume. This is, however, a far cry from the production figures of the 1950s, when 70 percent of the country s fish supplies came from municipal fisherfolk. Small fish traps in Dumaguete. These traps are often used in sea-grass beds to catch rabbit fish. Photo: Alan White. and a reduction in the value of fish. Estimates have shown that saving post-harvest losses may even wipe out the fish supply deficiency of the country, allowing self-sufficiency to be attained (Mendoza 2004). Understanding and taking into account food security and poverty alleviation for fisherfolk households is crucial to the success of any coastal resources and fisheries management program. Because of the link between resource. management and poverty, coastal management strategies could benefit from addressing. poverty issues through a dual objective:. (1) enabling the recovery of the local resource base, and (2) promoting economic development activities that will either compensate for a reduced level of extraction of a particular resource or produce parallel incomes through the rational utilization of other resources. Gender and coastal resources management. Traditionally, women and men fulfill different roles in the management of marine and coastal resources. Women, for example, with the. exception of coastal communities in Davao. where they join their husbands on fishing expeditions (Siason 2004) tend to have. little direct involvement in fish capture. Furthermore, of the seven top species caught by both sectors, 67 percent are harvested by commercial fishing companies, while only 33 percent are caught by municipal fisherfolk. Although these are two distinct sectors, they are in fact competing directly with each other. With weak law enforcement, a further expansion of commercial fisheries could mean the decline of municipal fisheries. Despite evidence of overcapacity in the commercial fishing fleet, the country is still encouraging investments in the industry, as shown by the increase in total tonnage of the commercial fishing fleet over the years. The fleet s total tonnage increased from 150,260 tons in 1988 to 270,281 tons in 2000 almost a 70 percent increase. Within the commercial fishing sector itself, there are questionable policies in place. The delineation of municipal waters that extend up to 15 kilometers from the shoreline has actually worked against a substantial number of small-scale commercial fishing concerns, who make up the majority of commercial fishing boats. Many of these are not capable of operating beyond 15 km. Furthermore, the most common commercial fishing gear (trawl, ring net, and purse-seine) are unsuitable for water depths found beyond 15 km. All this, coupled with weak law enforcement, has resulted in rampant encroachment of commercial fishing concerns into municipal fishing grounds, causing municipal fisherfolk to be further marginalized. Source: Authors. 31

3 Box 4.3 Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous groups or ethnic minorities account for more than 20 percent of the population. Many of these groups live in coastal lowlands where they practice agriculture, fish and shellfish gathering, and trade in locally manufactured items. The indigenous communities have strong attachments to their land and resources; most see themselves as the caretakers of their resources. To varying degrees, these communities have indigenous natural resources management regimes in place within their territory. To protect the rights and customary claims of indigenous peoples, the concept of ancestral waters has now been included in national legislation. The term refers to all marine areas exclusively and actually possessed, occupied, or utilized by indigenous cultural communities by themselves or through their ancestors in accordance with their customs and traditions since time immemorial, and as may be defined and delineated by law. Aeta family collecting shellfish during the rainy season on a coast in Northern Luzon (See box 4.3). Photo: Finn Danielsen. Despite their lack of involvement in the direct catch of fish, studies of coastal communities. show that women are important stakeholders in coastal resources management. Women are naturally responsible in the values formation. and transformation of the family, and thus can. be effective in education and advocacy and influence decisions. In addition, many of the. LGU officials in the MAO, MENRO, and LGU extension offices are women, who play very critical roles in CRM implementation. Many. CRM champion Mayors or local legislators are also women. The Tagbanwa People on Coron Island, Palawan achieved their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) in Their ancestral domain was the first to include both terrestrial and marine components, and covers a total area of 22,284 hectares. Under the IPRA Law (RA 7942), no ancestral land or waters can be opened for mining operations without the prior consent of the indigenous cultural community concerned. In the event of an agreement with an indigenous cultural community, the royalty payment for the utilization of minerals must be agreed upon by the parties and form part of a trust fund for the socioeconomic well-being of the indigenous cultural community. Source: Authors. Instead, they assist with maintaining gear,. process and sell the catch after the men return, and, often together with their children, catch. small fish and fry in shallow waters or collect edible shellfish for household consumption or. sale at local markets. Future support for local livelihood. improvement and CRM could benefit from incorporating gender concerns into the planning and design of activities; currently, few projects include a gender dimension. Training for entrepreneurship would be a priority, as. women already are involved in small-scale. trading activities. In addition to taking gender into account, it is. also important to involve the local youth, an example of which is described in Box 4.4. Box 4.5 provides examples of successful communitybased ecotourism. 32 PEMFinal.indb 32 10/08/ :32:46

4 PhilippineS Environment Monitor Box 4.4 Involving Young People in Coastal Resource Management. The Port Barton Marine Park, set up in 1997 and 1998 with help of the local community, is now regarded as a model for marine conservation in Palawan. Each year, tourists from all over the world, drawn by the area s natural attractions, visit Port Barton. Apart from the white sand beach on the main cove of the village, there are coral reefs and unpolluted beaches in the outlying islands, two waterfalls, and a forest that remains heavily wooded despite years of intensive logging. Through the marine park initiative, the local community is increasingly involved in protecting its marine resources, and the local youth organization also pitches in. We organize coastal cleanup activities and help in waste management, says Marvin Ballesteros, chairman of Port Barton s youth council. The mayor is banking on the young people of his town. We must show and teach them the importance of our environment, and that they are responsible for its protection. Barangay Captain Romeo Garganta Sr., (see image), says he wants the Port Barton Marine Park to succeed. We know it will be good for the community, he says. Port Barton is also the site of an LGU-led Barangay Environmental Sanitation project, which is supported by the World Bank. The project seeks to preserve the water quality of the beaches from domestic sewage and other household wastes. Source: Over Seas, The Online Magazine for Sustainable Seas, January 2000, Vol.3, No. 1. Barangay Captain Romeo Garganta Sr., shown with youth leader Marvin Ballesteros (right) and Boatmen s Association chairman Wilfredo Ruiz. Source: Authors. Opportunities and lessons learned: Improving local livelihoods. A number of programs in. recent years have sought to improve the. livelihoods of fishing families in coastal communities. Some of the main lessons from. these livelihood programs are: The design of livelihood improvement activities needs to be based on a strong participatory process with a thorough understanding of the many social and economic factors at play. Participation of women and community youth in the. process is vital for long-term sustainability. Livelihood improvement activities need. to involve a community organization. Capacity building and organizational strengthening. are also important elements. Good quality technical assistance is. fundamental to the identification and. creation of economically viable enterprises. at a micro level. The technical assistance should be attuned to and familiar with the capabilities of the recipients. A credit element is important, as productive enterprises in agriculture, fisheries, and aquaculture normally entail relatively high start-up costs. Poor fisherfolk organizations often lack the collateral needed to receive credit, so different options should be assessed, including savings-and-credit, revolving. funds, and village banks. It is important to have a coherent land use plan and coastal waters zoning. In recent. years, mariculture enterprises have become 33

5 one of the most viable and attractive. income-generating activities in coastal municipalities. Experiences in Lingayen. Gulf, Taal Lake, and Bolinao, however,. point to the fact that mariculture viability. runs the risk of being threatened irreversibly by unmanaged growth of investments. Defining the extent of mariculture areas. and putting management control mechanisms in place to check overcrowding and environmentally unsustainable operations should be part of the underlying framework for mariculture micro-enterprise development. Proactive efforts are needed to demonstrate the link between income-generating options and conservation. The sustainability of. popular participation in natural resource management initiatives is largely influenced by the economic benefits derived from the efforts to protect and conserve forest and coastal habitats and resources. Community stewardship of mangroves and coral reef areas, river estuaries, and artificial reef complexes can thus be associated with livelihood opportunities such as agro-. orestry, fruit processing, mud crab culture, seaweed farming, milkfish culture in. cages, and ecotourism. The economic viability of such projects will depend on the healthy condition of habitats that serve as infrastructure for these economic activities. A need for public sector investments in support facilities such as seedling propagation and certification facilities, fish nurseries,. brood stock, and feed development. In terms of the economic improvement of. coastal communities, it is important to move beyond the development of traditional small-. Box 4.5 Successful Community-Based Coastal Tourism Experiences. Olango Island Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary, situated 5.5 kilometers east of Mactan Island near Cebu, is a protected wetland of international importance because of its high number of migratory bird species. With the assistance of the Coastal Resource Management Project (CRMP) of DENR, Olango Island Bird and Seascape Tour was developed in 1997 as a community-based tourism project that provides alternative livelihoods for island residents. Tubbataha Reef One of the best destinations for scuba diving in the country, the famous Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park, is a World Heritage Site. Attracting international markets, Tubbataha generated around PhP 3 million ($60,000) in fees and permits in 2005 during its three-month dive season. Alongside protection efforts, affected communities are provided with seed funding for local livelihoods and training on coastal resource management. Donsol Whale Shark Encounters Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world and grow up to 20m long. Congregating in the coastal waters of Donsol in Sorsogon, whale sharks are threatened because of the strong demand for their meat and fins. Ecotourism activities in Donsol have created an awareness of whale shark conservation among the local community and contributed to a national conservation strategy. (See also Box 2.3.) Bais Dolphin and Whale Watching Tours The Bais dolphin and whale watching tours organized by Bais City LGU in the Tañon Strait have successfully brought revenue to local communities. In 2000, the operation handled a total of nearly 7,000 tourists, including 251 foreigners. Gross revenue in 2000 was PhP 1.8 million ($36,000). El Nido Resorts Large-scale resort developments that adhere to principles of ecotourism can be an effective and sustainable means of providing continuous benefits to the community. The El Nido Foundation helps local communities develop a variety of business and development opportunities. Source: Over Seas, The Online Magazine for Sustainable Seas, January 2000, Vol.3, No

6 PhilippineS Environment Monitor scale alternative livelihoods and attempt to expand proven livelihood projects into microenterprises that are capable of bringing the. profit margins and employment potential up to higher economic levels. One approach is the development of. entrepreneurial businesses with better technical systems that aim for more stable and bigger returns. Noteworthy examples of such an enterprise process are Mountain Fresh jams and jellies of the Ikalahans; the Olango Seascape. Tour (see Box 4.5); sardine production in San Vicente, Palawan; the milkfish cage culture industry in the shallow areas of the open sea;. and seaweed farming. The key success factors behind such microenterprises were the availability of a lucrative. and firm market and the assistance of experienced and competent institutions and project implementers brokering with the private sector. From these tie-ins, post-harvest and product distribution networks emanated, stepping production up to a higher gear and more competitive market standards. The objectives of any potential livelihood/ microenterprise program could be along the following lines: To provide opportunities for more stable incomes and a wider range of benefits. among members of the recipient organization and other members of the community. who will eventually benefit from the. expansion of the enterprise; To intensify popular participation in. natural resource management by showing. that significant economic benefits can be derived when resources and habitats are conserved and protected; To develop a broad support base for. upland and coastal zoning systems and. the management of protected areas. From a microenterprise development. perspective, we need to look at the following essential ingredients when preparing and implementing coastal microenterprise projects: 1. Economic viability and potential for business expansion Product marketability and demand Project site suitability and access to cash economy Production costs and profit margin Potential for expanding production Income stability Potential for tie-ins with other funding windows and private business 2. Credit assessment Capacity to manage business Organization s collective will and confidence Overall track record 3. Impact and correlation with wise coastal management practices Presence of successful coastal management initiatives such as Marine Protected Areas and mangrove reforestation projects Firmness of institutional commitment. to Coastal Resources Management 4. Counterpart funding from other institutions Microenterprise acceptability to other funding institutions to be tapped Buy-in by other institutional services/ donors 5. The People s Organization as micro-enterprise development cooperator and recipient Organizations of fisherfolk that are. actively and consistently participating. in coastal resources management and protection could be the focus of. livelihood development assistance 35

7 6. Business Plan The management of microenterprise development could be based on a business plan developed from proactive and thorough planning sessions with the community. Seaweed farming near Olango Island, Cebu provides a steady income to island residents. Photo: Alan White. Box 4.6 provides an example of a successful. small-scale enterprise established by a woman, and Table 4.1 provides some potential microenterprise options that could help. improve livelihoods in poor coastal communities. Several of these options are well-suited to. women and young people. Box 4.6 Seaweed Farming in Port Barton, Palawan. One seaweed farmer, Florencia Alimodin, has shown a tenacity that promises well for the future of Port Barton. A single mother with two school-age children, Alimodin set up her farm with help from the Coastal Resource Management Project in She toiled under the sun for months, only to see a strong typhoon wipe out all her efforts. Undeterred, she started over. The others in my group lost interest, but the thought of giving up never occurred to me, even when I had to use my own money to start up a new farm, she says. Today, her seaweed farm serves as a model for the rest of her community. Seaweed farming offers an economically promising alternative source of income that is also environmentally sound. Wilfredo Ruiz, chairman of the boatmen s association, had their group accredited last year so they could obtain government financing for seaweed farming. He explains, The tourist season and therefore our boat operations last only four months each year (November-February). Seaweed farming will allow us to earn income during the off-season. We are also told it will not harm the marine environment, which is important to us who depend on tourism, because it is our marine ecological destinations that the tourists come to Port Barton for. Sources: Over Seas, The Online Magazine for Sustainable Seas, January 2000, Vol.3, No. 1; Authors. 36

8 PhilippineS Environment Monitor Table 4.1 Micro-enterprise Options for Livelihood Improvements in Poor Coastal Communities. Livelihood Option Advantages Disadvantages Requirements Community-based ecotourism Non-marine based crafts/ souvenirs (wooden shells, T- shirts, mats, carving, artwork, food, etc.) Fish cage culture Seaweed culture Mud crab fattening Fermented fish processing Drying/salting of fish Source: Authors. Local control spreads the wealth from tourism Communities become active participants instead of tourism objects Can be long lasting Lucrative and rewarding to pride of workmanship Can raise awareness of marine conservation/ advocacy for conservation, protection, sustainable development Income may be expected within 6 months Capital investment may be low Technology may be simple and ecologically sound Potential for live market Short growth cycle Seed for next cycle can be gathered from harvest Enhances local fish resources High market price Short cycle Increases shelf life Makes use of local materials Value-added product Good for home consumption Reduces perishability Good fish processing alternative during peak season of fish catch Also good for home consumption Tourists bring garbage Tourists may not be culturally sensitive or may have a negative cultural impact Needs strong link-up with travel and transport groups, DOT, LGU Needs training, skills, and dedication Needs market Can overexploit certain resources (e.g., wood) Grazing by fish may be high Market may demand high quality Some buyers only take large lots Fluctuating price of some species Boat anchoring Recreational activities Increasing runoff Sewage and, wastewater discharge Collecting stock may deplete supply Difficult to find stable sources of crablets Availability of feed Seasonal May promote an unsustainable fishery Site: natural attraction (reef, forest, wildlife); good transportation and accommodation facilities; clean, modern sanitary facilities; clean drinking water Skills for making a craft Good ideas Capital to buy materials Training Tourist or local market available Quality Control Appropriate conditions (protected cove) in site selection Brackish water for some species Tenure/access rights to area Availability of feeds Knowledge and skills in managing project Good water flow Brackish to full seawater No history of disease in site Brackish water site Muddy bottom or cages Stable supply of crablets Quality control Processing plant or kitchen Storage facility Skilled labor Hygienic environment Knowledge/skills in drying/ salting Constant supply of fish 37