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Fostering collaboration, innovation and capacity development for an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries in the LMEs of South and Southeast Asia

GEF/FAO

By IW:LEARN

June 9^th, 2022

The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) is a holistic approach that broadens traditional fisheries management, inspiring people to take action through participatory processes. The EAFM leads to plan, develop and manage fisheries in a manner that addresses the multiple needs without jeopardizing the options for future generations (FAO 2003)[1]. Engaging in EAF planning processes offers a practical way for stakeholders to engage around complex fishery management planning. Despite the recognition of its importance, the design and implementation of EAFM plans in the Asia-Pacific region has been slow, due in part to a lack of skills on EAF of fisheries managers This limitation has been addressed in the last years through the roll out of EAFM training courses[2] . The next step requires adaptive learning based on the implementation of national and regional EAFM plans with a focus on learning by doing.

Three GEF-IW supported LME projects that are being led by FAO (different stages of design and implementation) serve as tangible examples of designing and implementing EAFM plans in South and Southeast Asia

The BOBLME II Project[3] is starting implementation in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The project aims to address issues related to the overexploitation of marine living resources, the degradation and loss of critical habitats and water pollution. For this, countries have agreed to work together and collaborate in the implementation of the BOBLME Strategic Action Programme (SAP), (developed under the BOBLME I) and through the collaboration of the project’s Executing Agencies (SEAFDEC, BOBP-IGO and IUCN). The BOBLME project innovation strongly focuses on livelihoods by directly supporting women in the fisheries sector, directly addressing their past exclusion of fisheries development programs. The project also focuses on shared fisheries resources but bringing innovation through the EAFM in Marine Managed Areas (MMAs) for rebuilding fish stocks to sustain livelihoods while achieving positive biodiversity outcomes. The project will also have a strong focus on marine pollution and reduction of plastics from fishing.

The GoTFish Project[4] is at the final stages of project development, and will be implemented in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam. The project will address key barriers such as the lack of an appropriate forum for multi-national dialogue for planning, monitoring and reporting to address current unsustainable practices in fisheries resource use and management and conservation of aquatic biodiversity in the Gulf of Thailand; lack of integration of socio-economic constraints such as lack of or inadequate incentives, climate resilience and gender considerations into the planning and management of GoT Fisheries. The project will be executed by SEAFDEC, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), and University of Queensland (UQ). The GoTFish project innovation focus on EAFM will be at a regional scale, fostering partnerships and networking platforms to develop solutions for national and transboundary fisheries, and by ensuring that knowledge related to marine fisheries and biodiversity in the GoT is integrated into the development of EAFM plans. These EAFM plans will be tailored to multispecies fisheries, such as trawl and purse seine fisheries, making these fisheries among the first in the world to apply tropical multispecies sustainability guidelines that balance sustainable utilization of the fishery resources with biodiversity concerns. The GoTFish project will introduce innovative assessment methods, such as multispecies MMSY assessments and ecosystem modelling in an attempt to inform fisheries EAFM planning at national and regional levels in the GoT. The project will also have direct engagement of the private sector through the development of incentive mechanisms in two supply chains that depend upon the raw material from fisheries that rely upon the catch of keystone species of the ecosystem while also looking at improving livelihoods of small-scale fishers and fishing communities.

The ISLME project[5]. is designed to strengthen regional cooperation and support effective and sustainable management, by addressing transboundary concerns and assisting Indonesia and Timor-Leste (ISLME countries) to restore and sustain coastal and marine fish stocks and associated biodiversity. The project is being implemented with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) of Indonesia and Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) of Timor-Leste. The ISLME project is innovative in the use of the EAFM (and the Ecosystem Approach to Aquaculture (EAA)), exploring the balancing of fisheries activities with the ability of the ecosystem to support these activities, whilst seeking options to mitigate negative impacts on non-target species and environments. The project also integrates with other broader multi-sectoral ecosystem-based approaches and integrated coastal management approaches. The project is working with other partners (e.g. CSRIO) on migratory fish and valuation of ecosystem services.

For more information about these projects please contact Simon Funge-Smith or check the corresponding profiles at iwlearn.net.

Fostering collaboration, innovation and capacity development for an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries in the LMEs of South and Southeast Asia

Future Needs for Capacity Development

These GEF LME projects are focusing on improving the overall assessment frameworks and implement robust management plans to improve the sustainability of these sectors over the next decade. Developing long-term capacity to assess and manage fisheries sustainably in the region following the EAF should focus on:

- Improving our understanding of the status and trends of fisheries, and strengthened capacity for fishery management in Southeast and South Asia

- Strengthening capacity to facilitate development and application of appropriate fishery assessment models that can be applied by countries to multi and single species fish stock assessments.

- Contribute to rebuilding, restoration, and sustainable use of marine capture fisheries resources to support Asian countries

- Improving our understanding of country level progress towards SDG 14 Goal that in turn helps to empower and promote better management of the fishery resources, and improve the contribution to SDG 2 (zero hunger) as fisheries are a substantial portion of the protein diet of these regions.

Collaboration

The legacy of cooperation between FAO, Sweden, Norway and the GEF extends for many years, with direct support provided to capacity development and regional cooperation mainly in the Bay of Bengal countries, and that is also making its way in the new projects (e.g. the GoTFish project was initially conceived as a follow up to the work done by the SEAFDEC-Sweden project working group in the Gulf of Thailand). Some other relevant examples of this collaboration include efforts directed to the implementation of the FAO SSF Guidelines[6], the development of the EAFM guidelines and training modules, the EAF-Nansen research program, the SEAFDEC-Sweden project[7] and livelihoods initiatives such as the Mangroves for the Future[8] This collaboration is expanding to include other partners in the LMEs, such as BOBP-IGO (established under a previous SIDA project), SEAFDEC, IUCN, the University of Queensland and SFP, among others.

Footnotes

[1] FAO 2003. Fisheries management: The ecosystem approach to fisheries. FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries., No. 4, Suppl. 2., 112pp. [2] The Essential Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (E-EAFM) training course provides capacity development in how to: manage fisheries more holistically, better resolve fisheries issues and challenges, reduce user group conflicts, work cooperatively with other stakeholders, and help unlock financial resources. The E-EAFM was developed through a consortium of APFIC/FAO, NOAA and IMA International and funded by a wide variety of sources including the GEF, BOBLME, REBYC, USAID, Coral Triangle Support Partnership, NORAD and SIDA (Sweden), while the training has been managed by SEAFDEC. [3]BOBLME II full title is: Sustainable management of fisheries, marine living resources and their habitats in the Bay of Bengal region for the benefit of coastal states and communities [4] GoTFish full title: Promoting the blue economy and strengthening fisheries governance of the Gulf of Thailand (GoT) through the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries [5] ISLME project full title: Enabling Transboundary Cooperation For Sustainable Management Of The Indonesian Seas [6] https://www.fao.org/voluntary-guidelines-small-scale-fisheries/implementation/sida-project/en/ [7] http://www.seafdec.org/seafdec-sweden-project/ [8] http://www.mangrovesforthefuture.org/ Cover photo credits: FAO. Text photos credits: SEAFDEC