POLICY INITIATIVES TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

1. Coastal Fisheries Policy and Planning Course, 28/01/08 – 8/02/08, Apia, Samoa POLICY INITIATIVES TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION Pio E. Manoa School of Marine Studies Faculty of Islands & Oceans University of the South Pacific UNIT 1 Secretariat of the Pacific Community

2. Unit 1 Objective: • Understand the fisheries policy processes, institutions and systems: How does it work?

3. Unit 1 Learning Outcomes: • Understand the process, influences and trends in fisheries policy • Identify and apply relevant international and regional instruments in the development of national policy • Appreciate the different types of national and local institutions in the Pacific Islands region and their basis in law and policy

4. Unit 1 - Topics covered: • Overview of fisheries policy processes • International and regional instruments and their relevance to national coastal fisheries policy • Review of national institutions and systems and their policy and legislative framework • Policy initiatives for strengthening the participation of Pacific Island communities in coastal fisheries management and decision-making

5. Overview • Importance of Community Participation • Community Initiatives • Policy Initiatives that Strengthen Community Participation

6. Importance of Community Participation • Rights and interests over coastal environments • Reliance on marine resources for subsistence, traditional and commercial purposes • Monitoring, control and surveillance • Existing of traditional/customary protocols and rules in most countries

7. Importance of Community Participation cont’d • Traditional knowledge • Control over local and adjacent communities • Future aspirations • Long term sustainability interests

8. Examples of existing initiatives • Locally Managed Marine Areas • Marine Protected Areas • Marine Reserves • Community Conservation Areas • Other forms of traditional management • Role in monitoring, control and surveillance

9. Examples of existing initiatives • Locally Managed Marine Areas: • Community involvement in identification of site, monitoring and data collection, ongoing management and other activities • Government recognition beneficial • Bottom-up approach

10. Examples of existing initiatives • Marine Protected Areas: • Community role may be similar to LMMA; • National government endorsement and recognition • Bottom-up and/or Top-down approach

11. Examples of existing initiatives • Marine Reserves: • Can be established under Traditional rules and protocols • Can also be established under national legislation in almost all countries • Bottom-up and/or Top-down approach

12. Examples of existing initiatives • Community Conservation Areas: • Unique to Vanuatu but parallels in other countries • Can be applied to marine and coastal areas where community has ownership rights and interests • Bottom-up approach endorsed at the national level

13. Examples of existing initiatives • Role in MCS: • Community has vital role in Monitoring, Control and Surveillance of fishery • Examples: • Honorary Fish Wardens (Fiji) • Island enforcement officers • Koror State rangers (Palau) • Traditional enforcement

14. Policy Initiatives that Strengthen Community Participation • Promote responsible and sustainable fisheries • Take into account relevant concepts and principles in FAO Code of Conduct and other international and regional instruments • Need for recognition of role of communities in management in national policy and practice

15. Policy Initiatives that Strengthen Community Participation • Broad policy considerations include: • Recognition that traditional resource owners and coastal communities can potentially play a vital role in coastal fisheries management; • Acknowledgement in relevant jurisdictions that traditional policies and rules relating to coastal areas and fisheries are an effective regulatory tool; • Establishing a capacity development strategy in national policy for traditional resource owners and coastal communities.