Ecosystem Approach to Small

Scale Tropical Marine

Fisheries (EAFM)

Solomon Islands Project updates

Reuben John Sulu

Tanzania

Philippines

Indonesia Solomon Islands

Australia

New Zealand

EU EAFM Project Objectives

• Assess existing institutional arrangements and understand

how an EAF can overcome barriers to effective integrated

small-scale fisheries (SSF) management

• Develop EAF strategies and actions for SSF management

suitable for developing country context

• Strengthen the capacity of local fishery stakeholders and

government agencies and work within an EAF

Target groups and final beneficiaries

• Members of coastal communities including women with

broader benefits to regional and national economies of target

countries

Estimated results

I. Increased commitment to implementing EAF for SSF management in focal countries achieved through better understanding of its potential contributions to poverty reduction and environmental sustainability

II. Better integration of EAF and existing institutional arrangements in focal sites

III. Enhanced understanding of the roles of MPA‟s in the effective implementation of EAF in developing country context

IV. Active participation of final beneficiaries including women in participatory research and collaborative implementation of EAF strategies in focal sites

V. Capacity development of target groups achieved through collaborative research and implementation of EAF strategies in project sites

VI. Practical guidelines for EAF action programmes and policy recommendations for long-term EAF planning produced and disseminated

Participatory Diagnosis and Adaptive Management

(in the framework of EAFM) T

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Project Site: Langalanga Lagoon, Malaita

Characteristics of Langalanga Lagoon

People live within very thin strip of

coastal area/ artificial islands

Limited land for crop cultivation

Livelihood revolves mostly around

the sea for several hundred years –

“soltwata pipol”

Declining marine resources over the

years due to population growth,

increasing livelihood demands,

market pressures and destructive

fishing practices

Several ongoing initiatives at the

moment to rehabilitate some of the

destroyed ecosystems.

Main livelihood activities at present

• Shell money and shell jewelry

production and trade

• Fishing and selling of fish

• Boat building, inter-Island shipping

services and stevedoring

• Small business enterprises

• Food gardening

• Remittances

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laulasi_Island

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laulasi_Island

Resource Ownership, Governance and Resource

Management

• Land and sea area owned under customary system by tribes

and rights to use are inherited patrilineally, although different

types of user rights exist.

• Traditional resource management mechanism was access

control (Taboos) which were usually preceded by traditional

rituals involving sacrifices. This however has waned in

modern times due to Christianization of the area. Most LLL

people do not want their return as they are considered too

dangerous.

• Presently “open access” seems to be the norm

• Christian taboos at present are sometimes enacted but are

mostly ignored

What do we know about small-scale fisheries in LLL?

1. No quantitative data available on fisheries related

parameters such as

I. Number of boats

II. Types of boats

III. Fishing methods

IV. Species targeted and sizes,

V. Catch landings

VI. Trophic characteristics over time of landed catches

VII. Coral cover and other ecosystem characteristics/indicators

VIII.Socio-ecological relationships

2. A few studies on socioeconomics and anthropology do exist

which provide back ground understanding of the location and

some aspects of livelihoods, resource use & consumption

patterns.

Participatory Diagnosis and Adaptive Management

(in the framework of EAFM)

1. DiagnosisA. Review of EAFM in Sol. Is

Which was done by a consultant:

Gillian Goby

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Brief over-view of EAFM Policy on the National Level (Gillian Goby

report) for CTI

• Progressed with offshore fisheries, which remained a draft in 2012 and up to now,

owing to: i) support from South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency and ii) economic and

national interest and support for tuna fisheries

• Focus is on offshore fisheries and little attention to developing an EAFM framework

for inshore fisheries

• EAFM concepts however are embodied in some relevant environment related

legislations and policies (Fisheries Act, Environment Act, Protected Areas Act etc.)

and practices (e.g. SILMMA , CBRM, CTI working group). Again raises the whole

question of „how different is it from some existing practices‟.

• Solomon Islands signatory to the FAO code of conduct for responsible fisheries

• According to the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Fisheries, EAFM will be spelled

out more clearly in the currently revised Fisheries Act

• The EAFM policy is not as well advanced in Solomon Islands compared to other

implementing countries

Participatory Diagnosis and Adaptive Management

(in the framework of EAFM)

1. DiagnosisA.Review of EAFM in Sol. Is - Consultant

B.Inception meeting on 24th May 2012

Workshop

• Target species, uses & status

• Opportunities for mgt

• Past and ongoing activities

which are EAFM in nature

• Discussion on links, NGO

• Coordination and synergies

• Voting of priorities: Thematic

and specific

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Management plans Mangrove habitat awareness & Information

Value adding and productivity

Mangrove alternatives

Vo

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General thematic groups

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Specific Issues

Adaptive Management (in the framework of EAFM)

Management constituency• Steering Committee selection and

meeting to decide on activities

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Activities subsequent to the inception cum diagnosis

meeting: Management constituency

• Selection of a steering committee – 26th July 2012

• EAFM Activities – 11th September 2012

Summary of activities to date after inception meeting and

steering committee meeting

• Dynamite awareness – December 2012

• Mangrove replanting workshop – March 2013

• Household Socio-economic survey – March/April 2013

• Policy brief on mangrove – May 2013

• Construction of Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD) and Awareness – June

2013

• Deployment of FADs and FAD fishing training – October 2013

• Coral replanting training – November 2013

• Production of an EAFM newsletter for Langalanga –Oct 2013

• Shooting for production of a Langalanga Lagoon DVD – Oct/Nov 2013.

Released in Sept 2014

Summary of activities to date after inception meeting and

steering committee meeting

• Monitoring of FADs continues from Feb – Nov 2014

• Processes in establishing a marine managed area is also

continuing, major issues are around social issues, marine

tenure etc

• Analysis of Household survey data also continuing from

2013/2014

Collaborative Initiatives and Activities with other NGO’s

• Save the Children

– Mangrove nursery for disaster risk reduction

• Foundations for the People of the South Pacific International

– Mangroves replanting/rehabilitation

– Coral farming

Participatory Diagnosis and Adaptive Management

(in the framework of EAFM)

3. Building an EAFM Plan•Desired outcomes

•Actions needed

•Indicators to evaluate

4. Testing & Implementation•Compatible Livelihood options

•Sustainable Management systems

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Quite unlikely that the last

steps in the framework will

be achieved in the life of this

project

However……..

• We hope to have a better understanding of EAFM and where

it can or cannot work, particularly in a location where:-

– There is weak governance

– Intense pressure and livelihood demands

– Fragmented land/marine tenure systems

• The understanding generated from other work on CBRM

combined with what we understand about LLL on the EU

EAFM project may feed into the national EAFM policy/Coral

Triangle objectives

Teri Makasi