ASSERTING
RIGHTS, DEFINING
RESPONSIBILITIES
Small-scale Fishing
Communities and
Fisheries Management
Perspectives in the
PHILIPPINES
Country Level Background
Sector
Fishing
Ground
Jurisdiction
Gears
MainCatch
Municipal
Municipal
Waters
(Inland
Waters,
Shore to 15
kms)
Local
government
units
Passive
Small & large
pelagics,
demersal
Commercial
Beyond 15
kms
Bureau of
Fisheries &
Aquatic
Resources
Passive &
Active
Small pelagics
Aquaculture
Municipal
Waters
LGU
Ponds,
pens, cages
Shrimp/prawn,
milkfish,
tilapia,
seaweeds
2
Community Rights and Claims
• Livelihood
– Equitable use of resources
– Sustainable resource base
– Participation in management and
development of resources
• Settlement
• Basic Social Services
3
Major Policies Involving Fishing and
Fishing Communities
• Philippine Constitution
• Fisheries Code
– 15 km Municipal Waters
– FARMCs
– MSY-TAC
•
•
•
•
Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act
Local Government Code
National Integrated Protected Area Systems
Indigenous People Rights Act
4
Threats
• Destructive and Overextractive fishing gears
• Access
– Delineation of municipal waters
– Dislocation from aquaculture development
• Resource Use conflicts
– Lack of Community Property Rights instruments
– Conflicting tenurial regimes
• Participation in policy making & enforcement
– Invisibility of the small fisherfolk sector, especially
fisherwomen
• Judicial Process
• Fisheries liberalization
– Intensive aquaculture promotion
– Flooding of cheap imports and smuggled fish
– Loss policy space
• Fisherfolk settlement
5
Commercial fishers
Municipal fisherfolk
Municipal fisherfolk
Commercial fishers
6
Community Perceptions
• Geographic
– Religion, Ethnicity, Gender, Clans, Wealth
• Fishing Sector
– Gear-based
• Stakeholders
– Compliance
– Collective Action for Management
7
Candelaria,
Zambales
Examples of Community
Action: Candelaria, Zambales
• Candelaria, Zambales
– Municipal waters are reserved for exclusive
use to residents of Candelaria combined
with establishment of sanctuaries and gear
regulation through engagement with LGU in
policy making and enforcement
– Engagement with LGU in the development of
Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan to
include provision for fisherfolk settlement
area
– Fisherfolk federation exercises influence
over LGU despite changes in administration
8
Examples of Community Action:
Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur
Hinatuan,
Surigao del Sur
• Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur
– Women lead coastal resource management by the
community through the organizing, policy formulation,
patrolling, mangrove rehabilitation, sanctuary management
and monitoring.
– Organizational gender mainstreaming initiatives
transforming relationships from the household to the
community level
– Capacity development to ward off eviction threats from
private claimant of land
– Linkaging with LGU and national government agencies to
support long-term CRM efforts
9