Some institutional implications of an ecosystems approach to capture fisheries management

Abstract

An ecosystems approach to capture fisheries management has some practical implications for institutions. The goal should be to achieve, at the local or sub-regional level, an integration of fisheries and habitat management. To succeed, cooperation among the various departments of fisheries, environment, and marine and coastal resources together with those responsible for zoning of activities along the coast and in coastal waters must be fostered. In addition, fishermen and coastal villagers must be involved. Here, an introduction is given to some of the institutional and social aspects that must be addressed, based on experiences in Southeast Asia. The paper includes: a) an overview of institutional implications at various levels; b) participatory and local approaches to fisheries and environmental management; c) the uses of various types of fisheries resources and environmental conservation areas; d) coastal planning activities, that have increasing importance due to the rise in natural hazards in the wake of climate change; and e) the need to manage fishing capacity to reduce conflicts and to provide a balance between fishing effort and ecosystem productivity. Positive actions in these areas should move ecosystems towards sustainability and create a less conflict prone environment.