Fishing for a Secure Future: Opportunities for Reforming Fisheries Governance

1. Fishing for a Secure Future: Opportunities for Reforming Fisheries Governance Robert Pomeroy University of Connecticut-Avery Point and Patrick Christie University of Washington

2. Presentation Outline Why Care About Fisheries Issues and Threats US Foreign Assistance Framework Recommendations and Opportunities

3. Purpose of Assessment Identify specific opportunities for investment in near-shore small-scale marine and freshwater capture fisheries to encourage: economic growth democracy and governance poverty reduction food and livelihood security biodiversity conservation Regions: ANE, AFR, LAC

4. Methodology Literature-based research (not a GAP analysis) Stakeholder consultations USAID operating units U.S. government agencies (such as State, NOAA, DOI) NGOs International organizations and donor community Universities Collective experience of the report team

5. Assessment Team Patrick Christie – Co-team leader Robert Pomeroy – Co-team leader Gene Helfman – University of Georgia Brian Crawford – University of Rhode Island Nancy Diamond – Diamond Consulting Tom Grasso - WWF Gareth Porter - WWF Don Jackson – Mississippi State University Ann Gordon – WorldFish Center Patrick Dugan – WorldFish Center Catrin Egerton – WorldFish Center Adaoma Wosu – WorldFish Center Natan Vinhateiro – WorldFish Center

6. Why Care About Small-Scale Fisheries?

7. Importance of Fisheries to Developing Countries • 1.5 billion people depend upon fish for food, income & livelihood • 2.6 billion people receive more that 20% of their animal protein from fish, compared to 8% in developed countries • Up to 50% of animal protein in some countries • Fisheries contribute to: • Secure livelihoods (commercial & small-scale/artisanal) • Human health (food security and nutrition) • Economic and community development • Regional & international trade, export earnings • Environmental health and biodiversity conservation • Security

8. Importance of Fisheries to Developing Countries • Fish are the most heavily traded food commodity and fastest growing international “agricultural” commodity • Developing countries provide 77% of global fishing production • Supply-demand relationship is “south” to “north” • Net exports of fish in 2002 earned $17.4 billion in foreign exchange for developing countries • Greater than combined net exports of rice, coffee, sugar & tea!

9. Small-Scale Fisheries • Labor-intensive, non-mechanized, small boats, traditional fishing gear • Activities take place nearshore during trips of one day or less • Small-scale fishers account for 96% of the world’s fishers • They catch 58% of the global fish catch • 12-50 million men and women are estimated to be directly involved in small-scale capture fisheries (full-time, increasingly part-time, seasonal) • 87% of world’s fishers are in the Asia-Pacific region • At least 20% of those employed in fisheries earn < $1/day • Far more people have become involved in fishing than agriculture since 1950 (total growth rate of 400% vs. 35%)

10. Large-Scale Fisheries 500,000 people directly employed People involved in fisheries-related occupations: 1.0 M Fishing household dependents: 2.0 M Annual catch for food is 15-40 Million tons Small-Scale Fisheries 50 Million people directly employed People involved in fisheries-related occupations: 150 M Fishing household dependents: 250 M Annual catch for food is 20-30 M tons

11. Gender & Fisheries: Fishing (and gleaning) part of a household livelihood strategy Wide range of men’s & women’s fisheries occupations (e.g., catching, growing, processing, trading) Household gender division of labor – varies by place Women’s and girl’s contributions less often recognized

12. Trends Capture fisheries are in a state of decline that began in the 1980s (and earlier for some fisheries) Causes: overfishing, habitat loss and other environmental degradation Example: South and SE Asia demersal stocks have been fished down to 5–30% of unexploited levels & 88% of SE Asia coral reefs are threatened by human activities Impacts: Livelihoods and employment, reduced incomes, vulnerability to poverty, food security and nutrition, export revenue, loss of resource rent, social stability and security

13. Importance of Fisheries to Developing Countries Decline in per capita availability and increasing prices leading to a widening gap between supply and demand, and disproportionate impact on developing countries & the poor Capture fisheries may not meet the increasing global demand for seafood products (1.5% annually through 2020 and 2% annually for Asia) unless: Improved resource management Sustainable aquaculture

14. Marine and Freshwater Biodiversity Serious threats to fisheries from declining levels of aquatic biodiversity Serious threats to biodiversity from poorly managed fisheries Developing countries have the most significant areas of marine and freshwater biodiversity and fisheries

15. Areas of Significant Marine Biodiversity and Fisheries Highest diversity of marine fish species is the Indo-Malay-Philippines Archipelago Global center of marine fish biodiversity is the central Philippine islands A second center or “peak” between peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra

17. Freshwater Biodiversity and Fisheries • Latin America: Amazon River system Richest fish fauna in the world, 3,000+ species, with at least 30 different families represented • SE Asia: Mekong River Basin Largest SE Asia river with a fish diversity upwards of 1,700 species • Sub-Saharan Africa: Rift Valley Lakes & Congo River Basin Support similarly high numbers of fish species

19. Issues and Threats: Weak Governance Overfishing and excess fishing capacity Open access Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing Lack of information Enforcement and compliance Low participation in decision making Conflict Weak management institutions and corruption Inappropriate policies

20. Issues and Threats: Socioeconomic Conditions Poverty Poorly managed globalization of trade and market access Technological advances Rapid population growth Health: HIV AIDS, nutrition Political and economic marginalization Gender inequity and inequality

21. Issues and Threats: Large Ecosystem Changes Climate change: SLR, elevated SST, acidification Habitat loss and pollution (coastal development) Removal of key species, introduction of exotics Altered freshwater inflows

22. Opportunities in Small-Scale Fisheries The fisheries sector has great potential to contribute to poverty reduction and economic growth Moderate scope for increased benefits to poor fishers and consumers and resource rents to society, with responsible & equitable governance Some indication that fishing is no longer the “employment of last resort,” and that fishing households are actively diversifying livelihoods. Increasing successes with a range of new management approaches

23. Management Responses Ecosystem-based management Integrated coastal management Precautionary approach Adaptive management Stakeholder participation via co-management & CBNRM Rights-based management (use rights & limiting access) Marine protected areas “Data less” management in information-limited situations Markets and certification Livelihoods approach

24. Strategy • Address underlying factors of vulnerability • Build resilience of fishing communities • Understand the diversity of fisheries • Utilized in a cross-sectoral manner to address the complexity of issues and threats

25. Relationship of Fisheries to theNew U.S. Foreign Assistance Framework Framework Goal: Helping to build and sustain democratic, well-governed states that respond to the needs of their people and conduct themselves responsibly in the international system.

26. Fisheries & the Framework Components 1. Governing Justly and Democratically • Weak governance • Enforcement problems • Lack of stakeholder participation in decision-making 2. Economic Growth • Political and economic marginalization • Trade and market access • Loss of economic rents • Poverty and livelihoods

27. Fisheries & the Framework Components 3. Peace and Security • Maritime security • “Leaky borders” (piracy, smuggling) • Conflict and “fish wars” 4. Investing in People • Food security, nutrition, health (HIV/AIDS) • Rapid population growth • Loss of biodiversity and ecosystem health 5. Humanitarian Assistance • Vulnerability to disaster

28. Small-Scale Fisheries and US Government Leadership A new fisheries initiative: SECURE FISHING COMMUNITIES and SUSTAINABILITY

29. Recommendations • National • Regional • Global

30. National Assistance Overview • Improve assessment capacity • Reform fisheries governance • Reduce excess fishing capacity and improve access management • Reduce IUU fishing • Develop human and institutional capacity • Build appropriate trade capacity • Conserve biodiversity for enhanced & sustained productivity

31. National: Improve Assessment Capacity • Work with governments to conduct national assessment of small-scale fisheries leading to national fisheries and development plans • Assess characteristics and state of fishers and fisheries, socio-economics & gender analysis, current policies, etc. • Use information as platform for developing appropriate policies and monitoring change over time

32. National:Reform Fisheries Governance Changing the mindset: • Acknowledge overfishing & build political and public will for reform • Moving from production orientation to sustainable management • Manage access • Manage different types of fisheries in an integrated manner, especially for shared stocks

33. National:Reform Fisheries Governance • Encourage transparency and accountability • Reduce corruption • Promote co-management including women and minorities • Sustainable fisheries concept encoded in law • Integrate fisheries with other sectors and planning processes • Build alliances with private sector & other partners • Adaptive management

34. National: Reduce excess fishing capacity • National and local plans of action • Managing access to fisheries resources • Alternative livelihoods to support transition out of fishery sector

35. National: Develop Human and Institutional Capacity • Developing champions for sustainable fisheries within government • Reform fisheries education • Create lifelong learning opportunities for government policy makers and technicians, both women and men • Institutional reform

36. National:Build Appropriate Trade Capacity • Improve phyto-sanitary measures • Increase value of fisheries products via processing, improving value chains, increasing competitiveness • Engaging women traders in market and trade reforms • Ensure that international trade does not undermine local food security

37. National:Conserve biodiversity for enhanced & sustained productivity • Mainstream conservation policies • Maintaining ecosystem health and functions • Move toward ecosystem-based management as appropriate

38. Example: The Philippines PROJECT FISH (www.oneocean.org) • Increased fish stocks through ecosystem-based fisheries management • Tools: • Fishing effort regulation • Marine protected area networks • Monitoring (scientific & participatory); progress metrics • Improved enforcement • Next steps: • Regional scaling up • National educational program

39. Example: Nicaragua/Honduras • Reform of spiny lobster & conch fisheries • Create public-private sector alliance (governments, restaurant chains, importers and exporters, NGOs, foundations) • Consider moving toward certification scheme • Link to US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)

40. Regional • Regional workshops for donor coordination and sharing lessons learned • Transboundary fisheries management

41. Global: Alliance Development • Energize donor interest in small-scale fisheries • Public-private partnerships • Two emerging alliances: • PROFISH/World Bank • Resilient Small-Scale Fisheries Campaign/World Fish Center

42. USG Leadership:Presidential Initiative • Justification: US Commission of Ocean Policy and US Administrative Response called for leadership on sustainable fisheries • Build from globally recognized USG leadership in: • Integrated approaches • Capacity development • Integrated science • Improving governance • Build coalition around secure fishing communities and sustainability