REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND COMPARISON AND CONTRASTS BETWEEN FISHERIES REFUGIA AND MARINE PROTECTED AREAS UNEP/GEF RWG-Fisheries

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND Fisheries of the South China Sea  The riparian countries of the SCS are amongst the world’s top 20 fish producing countries  Fisheries statistics rarely reflect production from the small- scale sector  Most economically important species fully-fished or over- exploited – evidence of fishing down the marine food chain  Trends suggest that production from capture fisheries will decline in the future unless total fishing effort is reduced  Problem in reducing effort is that sector is overcapitalised and characterised by high coastal community dependence on fish for food and income

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND Role of Fisheries Habitats in Sustaining Fisheries Regional consensus that SCS habitats play a critical role in sustaining fish stocks, food supply, and incomes Mangroves Coral Reefs Seagrass Wetlands Habitats act as refuges for fish during critical stages of their life-cycles - e.g., as larvae, when spawning, and feeding

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND Loss of Fisheries Habitats of the South China Sea Continued decline in the total area of habitats has raised serious concerns for sustainability of fisheries Estimated Decadal Rates of Habitat Loss:  Seagrass – 30%  Mangroves – 16%  Coral Reefs – 16%  Fishing identified as a key factor in the continued loss of marine habitats and biodiversity in the South China Sea

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND Fishing and the Loss of Marine Habitats and Biodiversity Key characteristics of marine fisheries in Southeast Asia contributing to habitat loss: Over-capitalisation and over-fishing, particularly in the small-scale sector Excessively high fishing effort in most inshore areas High level community dependence on fish for food and income Use of destructive fishing gear and practices

Need for Development of a Mechanism Aimed at Improving the Management of Fish Stock and Habitat Linkages  Limited knowledge of fish life-cycle and critical habitat linkages;  Low level community acceptance of “protected” area-based approaches; and  Limited practical experience in the integration of fisheries and environment considerations. REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND Barriers to Effective Action Identified by the RWG-Fisheries:

Developing a Mechanism Aimed at Improving the Management of Fish Stock and Habitat Linkages REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND The RWG-F recommended that any mechanism developed should:  Focus on maximising the benefit-cost ratio of management interventions for fishing communities;  Promote sustainable use rather than prohibition of fishing;  Focus on fish life-cycle and critical habitat linkages; and be  Relevant at the fishery level, i.e., should be easily understood by fishing communities, local government officials, and provincial level fisheries managers

Development of the Fisheries Refugia Concept REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND Fisheries Refugia:  Specific areas of significance to the life-cycle of particular species  Should be defined in space and time  Should NOT be no-take zones  Serve to safeguard spawning aggregations, nursery grounds, and migration routes Fisheries Refugia are “Spatially and geographically defined, marine or coastal areas in which specific management measures are applied to sustain important species [fisheries resources] during critical phases of their life-cycle, for their sustainable use.”

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND Stakeholder Consultations on Refugia Concept Review of Fish Egg and Larvae Data for Refugia Identification Technical Workshops on Mapping Known Refugia Conduct of Regional Training Events on Refugia Science and Management Intergovernmental Guidelines on Refugia Development of a Fisheries Refugia Information Portal

Identification of Fisheries Refugia Sites REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND  14 sites for inclusion in initial system of refugia (green)  9 sites accorded high priority for action once initial set established (blue)  Additional 29 spawning and nursery areas for which further information are required (red) Sites Identified

Do Marine Protected Areas Qualify as Fisheries Refugia and Vice Versa? REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND Marine Protected Areas Fisheries Refugia Similarities and Differences ? Requires consideration of: Strategic objectives Criteria for site selection Acceptability to and impacts on communities Scientific basis of purported fisheries benefits Use Status

Definitions of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Fisheries Refugia REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND Marine Protected Area Fisheries Refugia “… any area of the inter-tidal or sub-tidal terrain, together with its overlying water and associated flora, fauna, historical and cultural features, which has been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment.” “Spatially and geographically defined, marine or coastal areas in which specific management measures are applied to sustain important species [fisheries resources] during critical phases of their life-cycle, for their sustainable use.”

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND Marine Protected AreasFisheries Refugia Objectives Protect biodiversity Tourism Increased fish production Improved management of fish stock and habitat links Increased resilience of stocks Purported Fisheries Benefits Enhanced stock in MPA leads to bigger catches outside Safeguarding fish in places and at times critical to their life-cycle will reduce growth and recruitment over-fishing Site Selection Criteria Species diversity/richness Uniqueness of the site Site’s representativeness Importance to the life-cycle of economically important spp. Likelihood to improve stocks Use Status Strict protection-multiple use (typically no-take fisheries zones in SCS) Based on sustainable use rather than prohibition of fishing Acceptability to Communities Concern that costs outweigh benefits Enforcement is costly Objectives and scientific basis well accepted by fishing communities and local officials

Scientific Basis for Purported Fisheries Benefits of MPAs of Concern to the RWG-Fisheries REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND Considerable amount of “perceived truth” that marine “protected” areas can simultaneously achieve improvements to biodiversity conservation and enhance catches outside the protected area Critical that any spatial management sold to fishing communities in terms if improving the state of fisheries achieves just that Scientific evidence that MPAs do result in improvements to the state of fisheries is marginal at best

Scientific Basis for Purported Fisheries Benefits of MPAs of Concern to the RWG-Fisheries  Little evidence regarding magnitude and extent of the contribution of larvae produced within reserves to recruitment outside reserves  Some studies indicate that catch and CPUE may increase in areas immediately adjacent to MPAs but none have looked at effects of displaced fishing effort across the fishery REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND Insufficient peer review of studies of MPAs efficacy  e.g., widely cited paper in Science (Roberts et al. 2001) purported to demonstrate how MPAs increase yields outside MPAs – study showed increase within one year of the establishment of the MPA Impossible? Shouldn’t this require building of abundance over a generation?

Concern with the criteria used for selection of MPA sites REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND Selection of MPA sites focuses on biodiversity conservation rather than fisheries MPA sites sold to communities in terms of fisheries benefits – such benefits are unlikely if role of site in fish life-cycle not key site selection criteria Criteria for MPA site selection typically relate to concepts such ecological uniqueness, representativeness and comprehensiveness

Focus on “No-Take” in the Establishment and Management of MPAs REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND Regional experience indicates that prohibition of fishing is a difficult if not futile task Due to high community dependence on fish, prohibition of fishing typically leads to displacement of fishing effort to adjacent areas – localised depletions? MPAs widely understood by key stakeholders (fishing communities, provincial fisheries officers, local government officials) to be “no-take” areas in which fishing is “prohibited”

Refugia Concept Appears to be a Successful Approach to Addressing Barriers in Fish Stock and Habitat Management  Objectives focused on links between fish stocks and habitats  Science of purported fisheries benefits based on role of habitats in fish life-cycle  Addresses fisheries and habitat issue across the entire geographical range of fish stocks  Promotes sustainable use rather than prohibition of fishing  High levels of community acceptance REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND