Addressing environment management and
local livelihood in Fiji’s coastal communities
Patrick Sakiusa Fong
The University of the South Pacific
Fiji LMMA Network
FIJI
Introduction
• Biodiversity
livelihood
vs
local
• Can conservation
benefit livelihood
actions
• Can measures to conserve
biodiversity and achieve
sustainable livelihood go
hand in hand
Fijian context- inshore management
• Top down vs bottom up
(Locally managed marine areas
approach- LMMA)
• Community empowerment and
participation
• Adaptive management
• Biological vs socioeconomic
effectiveness
STUDY SITES
Waitabu
Navatu
Malolo
Navakavu
Method and approach
• Socioeconomic data
from over 300
households, key
informants and focus
group
• 4 LMMA and 4 nonLMMA sites
• Pre-LMMA and LMMA
periods
• Secondary data
Results and Findings
Economic impacts
Household monthly income- LMMA vs non-LMMA
500
450
451
441
400
FJ$
350
300
279
250
LMMA
217
non-LMMA
182
200
141
150
100
50
0
Total
Marine related
Fishing
t-test of income
H0 : MMA  Non  MMA
H a : MMA  Non  MMA
• Null hypothesis- income in
LMMA=non-LMMA
• Alternative hypothesis- income
in LMMA>non-LMMA
• Total income- no sufficient
evidence to conclude that the
null hypothesis is rejected
• Marine related- sufficient
evidence to conclude that the
null hypothesis is rejected
• Fishing- sufficient evidence to
conclude that the null
hypothesis is rejected
Household monthly income- pre vs post LMMA
500
451
450
400
FJ$
350
345
300
250
217
pre-LMMA
LMMA
200
150
123
100
50
0
Total income
Fishing income
t-test of income
H 0 : Current  Baseline
H a : Current  Baseline
• Null hypothesis- income in
pre-LMMA=post-LMMA
• Alternative hypothesisincome in post>post-LMMA
• Total income- sufficient
evidence to conclude that
the null hypothesis is
rejected
• Fishing- sufficient evidence
to conclude that the null
hypothesis is rejected
Economic enhanced through
• Increase in fish catch and
fish sale
• MPA Access fee
• Incentives for MPA
establishment
• Research excursions
• Diversification of income
source
• Training and workshops
% of household
Perception on resource conditions
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
909595
85
80
70
Live coral
abundance
Fish and invert
abundance
20
15
10
Increase
5
10
5
10
0 0 0
No
Decrease Increase
change
LMMA
5
0
No
Decrease
change
Non-LMMA
Fish and invert
size
Some community observations…
The crab, Calappa calappa
Large schools of mullet
Large schools of trevally
Mussels
Resource use pattern
% of household
35
30
30
30
25
25
20
20
25
20
20
25
20 20
15
10
10
5
0
5
10
5
10
5 5
5
5 5
LMMA
before LMMA
non-LMMA
0
0
Gear type
0 0
Other key social variables- LMMA
70
60
% of household
60
49
50
39
40
30
51
49
35
Greatly improved
30
29
25
21
20
15
15
9
10
0
7
7
Improved
No change
22
Decreased
18
10
12
0
Skills and
knowledge
Participation Management Information
structures
sharing
Health
Impacts on 5 SL Principles
Natural
10
Resources,
use, diversity
8
non-LMMA
6
pre-LMMA
Financi
al (Income source,
4
Human
(Skills,
formal and
traditional
knowledge
etc.)
LMMA
2
diversification,
0
Physical
(Community
infrastructure and
development)
Social
(Cohesion,
governance,
togetherness)
Concluding remarks
• Community context
- biodiversity and livelihood are
interrelated
- conservation actions benefit
livelihood
• Adaptive management approach
- success in achieving
conservation and livelihoods
goals
• Conservation and livelihood goals
go hand in hand
Acknowledgement
• FLMMA Network partners
• Communities in Fiji
• Conservation International
• Asia-Pacific LMMA Network partners
• ICRS 2012 Organizers