Community Fisheries and Climate Change By Ebelina Tsiode

Introduction Community fisheries encompasses all that is cultural, traditional, communal, terrestrial and coastal. The main goal is to encourage communities through the community-based ecosystems approach to fisheries management (CEAFM) and as custodians of the marine environment to ensure long-term sustainability of marine resources. Communities, associations, groups and individuals are what makes up for subsistence and artisanal fishing.

Status of Community Fisheries Recommendations Action Taken Specific management systems be considered essential to enable invertebrate stocks and heavily fished finfish stocks to build up, with the management regimes being controlled by communities at scales larger than the current village boundaries. Community-based Fisheries Mgt (CBFM) Plans for district communities are being developed in consultation with them. Eco-systems approach will be incorporated into CBFM to be CEAFM. No specific mgt systems have been put in place. A pilot project to roll out CEAFM with Anetan, Anabar and Buada districts is in the pipeline and should be implemented in the next few months

Status of Community Fisheries Recommendations Action Taken If the govt starts to implement mgt arrangements, preferably through communities, an awareness programme is implemented at the same time to allow people and communities to fully understand why the mgt measures are necessary and the need for community support if arrangements are to work successfully Not yet applicable.

Implications of climate change Fish needed for good nutrition (35 kg per person per year) Reef ? Tuna ? Aquaculture ? ? 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2 Fish needed for food security (x 1000 tonnes)

Implications of climate change Determine the sustainable production of reef fish and shellfish Production of reef fish and shellfish expected to decline Tuna will need to supply most of the fish required Coastal fishers will need to transfer their effort from reefs to tuna Aquaculture and reef fish should be used for ‘special ocassions’