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REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG. COMPARISON AND CONTRASTS BETWEEN FISHERIES REFUGIA AND MARINE PROTECTED AREAS. UNEP/GEF RWG-Fisheries. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
COMPARISON AND CONTRASTS BETWEEN FISHERIES REFUGIA AND MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
UNEP/GEFRWG-Fisheries
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Fisheries of the South China Sea The riparian countries of the SCS are amongst the world’s top 20 fish producing countries Fisheries statistics rarely reflect production from the small- scale sector Most economically important species fully-fished or over- exploited – evidence of fishing down the marine food chain Trends suggest that production from capture fisheries will decline in the future unless total fishing effort is reduced Problem in reducing effort is that sector is overcapitalised and characterised by high coastal community dependence on fish for food and income
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Role of Fisheries Habitats in Sustaining Fisheries
Regional consensus that SCS habitats play a critical role in sustaining fish stocks, food supply, and incomes
Mangroves Coral Reefs Seagrass Wetlands
Habitats act as refuges for fish during critical stages of their life-cycles - e.g., as larvae, when spawning, and feeding
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Loss of Fisheries Habitats of the South China Sea
Continued decline in the total area of habitats has raised serious concerns for sustainability of fisheries
Estimated Decadal Rates of Habitat Loss:
Seagrass – 30%
Mangroves – 16%
Coral Reefs – 16%
Fishing identified as a key factor in the continued loss of marine habitats and biodiversity in the South China Sea
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Fishing and the Loss of Marine Habitats and Biodiversity
Key characteristics of marine fisheries in Southeast Asia contributing to habitat loss:
Over-capitalisation and over-fishing, particularly in the small-scale sector
Excessively high fishing effort in most inshore areas
High level community dependence on fish for food and income
Use of destructive fishing gear and practices
Need for Development of a Mechanism Aimed at Improving the Management of Fish Stock and
Habitat Linkages
Limited knowledge of fish life-cycle and critical habitat linkages; Low level community acceptance of “protected” area-based
approaches; and Limited practical experience in the integration of fisheries and
environment considerations.
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Barriers to Effective Action Identified by the RWG-Fisheries:
Developing a Mechanism Aimed at Improving the Management of Fish Stock and Habitat Linkages
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
The RWG-F recommended that any mechanism developed should:
Focus on maximising the benefit-cost ratio of management interventions for fishing communities;
Promote sustainable use rather than prohibition of fishing;
Focus on fish life-cycle and critical habitat linkages; and be
Relevant at the fishery level, i.e., should be easily understood by fishing communities, local government officials, and provincial level fisheries managers
Development of the Fisheries Refugia Concept
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Fisheries Refugia:Specific areas of significance to the life-cycle of particular speciesShould be defined in space and timeShould NOT be no-take zonesServe to safeguard spawning aggregations, nursery grounds, and migration routes
Fisheries Refugia are “Spatially and geographically defined, marine or coastal areas in which specific management measures are applied to sustain important species [fisheries resources] during critical phases of their life-cycle, for their sustainable use.”
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Stakeholder Consultations on Refugia Concept
Review of Fish Egg and Larvae Data for Refugia
Identification
Technical Workshops on Mapping Known Refugia
Conduct of Regional Training Events on Refugia Science and Management
Intergovernmental Guidelines on Refugia
Development of a Fisheries Refugia Information Portal
Identification of Fisheries Refugia Sites
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
14 sites for inclusion in initial system of refugia (green)
9 sites accorded high priority for action once initial set established (blue)
Additional 29 spawning and nursery areas for which further information are required (red)
Sites Identified
Do Marine Protected Areas Qualify as Fisheries Refugia and Vice Versa?
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Marine Protected Areas Fisheries RefugiaSimilarities
and Differences
?
Requires consideration of:Strategic
objectivesCriteria for site
selectionAcceptability to and
impacts on communities
Scientific basis of purported fisheries benefits Use Status
Definitions of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Fisheries Refugia
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Marine Protected Area Fisheries Refugia
“… any area of the inter-tidal or sub-tidal terrain, together with its overlying water and associated flora, fauna, historical and cultural features, which has been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment.” <www.iucn.org>
“Spatially and geographically defined, marine or coastal areas in which specific management measures are applied to sustain important species [fisheries resources] during critical phases of their life-cycle, for their sustainable use.”
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Marine Protected Areas Fisheries Refugia
Objectives • Protect biodiversity
• Tourism
• Increased fish production
• Improved management of fish stock and habitat links
• Increased resilience of stocks
Purported Fisheries Benefits
• Enhanced stock in MPA leads to bigger catches outside
• Safeguarding fish in places and at times critical to their life-cycle will reduce growth and recruitment over-fishing
Site Selection Criteria
• Species diversity/richness
• Uniqueness of the site
• Site’s representativeness
• Importance to the life-cycle of economically important spp.
• Likelihood to improve stocks
Use Status • Strict protection-multiple use (typically no-take fisheries zones in SCS)
• Based on sustainable use rather than prohibition of fishing
Acceptability to Communities
• Concern that costs outweigh benefits
• Enforcement is costly
• Objectives and scientific basis well accepted by fishing communities and local officials
Scientific Basis for Purported Fisheries Benefits of MPAs of Concern to the RWG-Fisheries
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Considerable amount of “perceived truth” that marine “protected” areas can simultaneously achieve improvements to biodiversity conservation and enhance catches outside the protected area
Critical that any spatial management sold to fishing communities in terms if improving the state of fisheries achieves just that
Scientific evidence that MPAs do result in improvements to the state of fisheries is marginal at best
Scientific Basis for Purported Fisheries Benefits of MPAs of Concern to the RWG-Fisheries
Little evidence regarding magnitude and extent of the contribution of larvae produced within reserves to recruitment outside reserves Some studies indicate that catch and CPUE may increase in areas immediately adjacent to MPAs but none have looked at effects of displaced fishing effort across the fishery
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Insufficient peer review of studies of MPAs efficacy
e.g., widely cited paper in Science (Roberts et al. 2001) purported to demonstrate how MPAs increase yields outside MPAs – study showed increase within one year of the establishment of the MPA
Impossible? Shouldn’t this require building of abundance over a generation?
Concern with the criteria used for selection of MPA sites
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Selection of MPA sites focuses on biodiversity conservation rather than fisheries
MPA sites sold to communities in terms of fisheries benefits – such benefits are unlikely if role of site in fish
life-cycle not key site selection criteria
Criteria for MPA site selection typically relate to concepts such ecological uniqueness, representativeness and
comprehensiveness
Focus on “No-Take” in the Establishment and Management of MPAs
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Regional experience indicates that prohibition of fishing is a difficult if not futile task
Due to high community dependence on fish, prohibition of fishing typically leads to displacement of fishing effort to
adjacent areas – localised depletions?
MPAs widely understood by key stakeholders (fishing communities, provincial fisheries officers, local government
officials) to be “no-take” areas in which fishing is “prohibited”
Refugia Concept Appears to be a Successful Approach to Addressing Barriers in Fish Stock and
Habitat Management
Objectives focused on links between fish stocks and habitats Science of purported fisheries benefits based on role of
habitats in fish life-cycle Addresses fisheries and habitat issue across the entire
geographical range of fish stocks Promotes sustainable use rather than prohibition of fishing High levels of community acceptance
REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
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