Implementation | PANORAMA

Use of Information and Communication Technologies

Awareness-raising activity on the beach on the themes of erosion.

Pessièzoum Adjoussi

Coastal seascape model in Togo.

Pessièzoum Adjoussi

A vulnerability map was compiled after performing a field survey with use of Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies. This has allowed to identify the areas most vulnerable to erosion.

Only available in French. To read this section in French, please download the document "Blue Solution Template in French: ‘Contribution à l’amélioration de la résilience à l‘érosion côtière au Togo’” from the bottom of this page, under 'Resources'.

Planning phase

Implementation

Documentation and dissemination of results

Local

Blue Solution Template in French: ‘Contribution à l’amélioration de la résilience à l‘érosion côtière au Togo’

Network of Mediterranean Fisheries Cooperatives

Longline fishing boat in Morocco waters

Atelier Mediterranéen contre la peche à la Dynamite

Analyse des Indicateurs SDPIR

Goal

An informal network of Mediterranean fisheries cooperatives was established in the Mediterranean MPAs.

Process

Implementation of a workshop on the exchange and sharing of knowledge and MPA management methodologies, for the benefit of national Mediterranean artisanal fisheries cooperatives.

Implementation of an online forum for the exchange of knowledge, methodologies and impacts concerning the project.

Implementation and publication of a popular guide about the self-management of MPAs.

Implementation of an external evaluation on the capitalization of the project.

The exchange and sharing procedure followed the “Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation” formulated in 2007 by the Conservation Measures Partnership.

Informatics classes were organized to guarantee an effective use of the exchange forum.

It has been very useful to prepare two versions of a vulgarized guide regarding the self-management of MPAs: one simplified, destined for the fishermen and another one more detailed for the managers, project coordinators and institutions.

The forum must be established in consultation with the fishermen and the marine area’s respective administration.
Following the project, several fisheries cooperatives have asked for the establishment of a MPA according to the standards and approach used by AGIR.
Looking for financing to establish new MPAs
Implementation of an external evaluation on the capitalization of the project

Good Practice Handbook for Mediterraneen Fisheries-MPAs (in French) June 2015

Communiqué de Presse Réseau des Coopératives de Peche artisanale

Sustainable commercial management of marine resources in MPAs

Pêcheur de Temsamane

To be added

Fabrication Nasses Coopérative des Femmes de pecheurs

Amélioration Capture PNAH

Goal

The artisanal fishermen’s quality of life has improved by approximately 30% within the MPA’s coastal zone through good resource management. The MPA contributes also to an income increase via the implementation of a participatory strategy aiming at the commercialization of fishery products.

Process

The fishermen cooperatives organize participatory workshops aiming at the definition of a commercialization strategy for the artisanal fishery products. The goal is to reduce the global pressure from fisheries in the National Park’s marine area.

Creation of “Rotating funds for fisheries” to support income generating activities. These funds are available to the fishermen cooperatives, operating in the marine zone of the National Park, but also to their wives.

The establishment of a climate of trust between communities as well as state and institution partners, prior to the actual project launch
The creation of a rotating fund aims to support the commercialization strategy of the fishery products from the National Park’s marine area
The fund allows to support the launch and mentoring of a price and quality valorization project, for the benefit of the cooperative of fishermen’s wives and daughters
Rotating funds for fisheries serve to assure the cooperatives' administrative and financial autonomy

The program’s activities aiming at the implementation of a commercialization strategy for the fishery products from the artisanal fishermen operating in the National Park’s marine area have to be prepared in consultation with the administration.
The involvement of the local population is also very important for the project’s success. At least twenty members of the artisanal fishermen cooperative’s executive office have been supported and trained to enable them to contribute to the commercialization strategy for fishing products coming from fishermen cooperatives operating in the National Park’s marine area. This has allowed a 30% poverty reduction for approximately 1200 artisanal fishermen.
The project’s financial viability is assured by the participatory planning and the local communities’ support for the sustainable commercialization strategy of their fishing products.

Community management of no-take areas within the MPAs

Chalutier 1 au coeur de la Zone Intégrale du PNAH

To be added

Carte de Zonage de proposition de No Go Zone

Goal

The artisanal fishermen of three cooperatives are trained and involved in the resource management plan in the National Park’s marine area.

Process

Organization of 2 x (3) training sessions on participatory planning as a resource management tool in the National Park’s marine area.

Proposal of no-take zones or Fisheries Reserved Areas (FRAs) within the National Park’s marine area.

A monitoring report for the captures within the National Park’s marine area are being prepared in a collaborative manner by the fishermen who provided the data and the team of AGIR who wrote the report, which served to evaluate the project’s benefits.

The establishment of a climate of trust between communities as well as state and institution partners, prior to the actual project launch
The validation of no-take zones or FRAs by the fishermen and the respective authorities
The monitoring report of fishery product captures in the National Park’s marine area has to be communicated to the AGIR fishermen by the experts in order to evaluate the project’s benefits.

The activities (weekly monitoring field trips and participatory species caretaking) prepared in collaboration with the administration, has allowed an increase in fishing resources of 30 %
The involvement of local and national stakeholders in the restauration of biotopes and species has allowed a restauration ranging from 20 to 30 % according to the species and the ecosystems
The choice of no-take zones has been made by the fishermen to tackle illegal fishing. The no-take zones correspond to the marine areas close to the cliffs affected by poaching and dynamite fishing.
It is necessary that the workshops take the fishermen’s schedule into account (during bad weather periods or breaks)
It is necessary that at least 60 % of the artisanal fishermen support the no-take zones.

Stakeholder involvement in the management of marine areas

Pecheurs Cala Iris PNAH

Implication des Pecheurs dans le Suivi des Balbuzards

Femmelle Balbu au Nid

Goals

Improving the knowledge about threatened species by conducting targeted research and monitoring.
Involving local communities in the management of coastal and marine resources, biotopes, and threatened populations.

Process

A workshop was organized to launch the project and to establish a climate of trust between the stakeholders. At least 50 representatives of the Gendarmerie, the Maritime Fisheries Department of the High Commissariat for Water and Forests and Desertification, the local fishing communities and the NGO AGIR joined the participatory workshop.

A multiparty caretaking committee was elected to involve all stakeholders. The committee is presided by the Governor of Al Hoceima Province.

The AGIR team and the fishermen are equipped to participate in a study of monitoring and participatory evaluation regarding the conservation state of resources and habitat. Monitoring of threatened flagship species is led in coordination with the relevant authorities.

Weekly field trips were organized for the monitoring of the surveillance and control program of illegal activities within the MPA.

A scientific report reflects on the new conservation state (habitat restauration, threatened species, and marine resources).

The establishment of a climate of trust between communities as well as state and institution partners, prior to the actual project launch
Mastering adaptive management methods and the participatory education of a great number of artisanal fishermen
The organization of participatory workshops to identify and correct the threats that put pressure on the entire ecosystem

The weekly monitoring and participatory caretaking field trips must be prepared in consultation with the administration
In order to involve the local population, at least twenty participants, among them artisanal fishermen from the cooperatives, are being supported and educated. This education aims to give them the means to contribute to the monitoring and participatory evaluation studies regarding the conservation status of resources and habitats and the monitoring of threatened flagship species.
It is necessary that the workshops take the fishermen’s schedule into consideration (during bad weather periods or breaks)
At least 30 % of the local population has to be affected by the sensitization campaign on the protection of flagship species in the MPA. This campaign, carried out during the first year of the project, has to be supported by the participation of local and national media.

Blue Solution Template in French: ‘Gestion durable des ressources marines du Maroc’

Good Practice Handbook for Mediterraneen Fisheries-MPAs (in French) June 2015

Interpretive tools to influence behavior

Distribution of materials on the reef environment to snorkel operators.

Sander den Haring

Distribution of materials on the reef environment to snorkel operators.

Sander den Haring

Distribution of materials on the reef environment to snorkel operators.

Sander den Haring

Distribution of materials on the reef environment to snorkel operators.

Sander den Haring

To facilitate the interpretive efforts reaching the snorkeling clients a set of materials was designed and created to be used by the snorkel operators. This set of materials included: a 20-sided, A3, waterproof flip chart depicting organized information on the reef environment, a double sided water proof marine life identification slate, a salesman folder (used to sell excursions in a more organized and professional manner), flags used to brand the boats that undertook the training and deliver interpretive efforts, a uniform branded with the workshop logo and sign boards placed along the beach explaining what the branded logo stands for (so clients can choose their boats accordingly) and also depicting the newly developed code of conduct all boats will adhere to. This code of conduct was developed during the workshop in one of the group discussions.

Available funding for material production and free distribution of materials.

It is important to create easy to use and clear materials that any of the target audience (in this case coastal snorkel boat operators) can use. Apart from just designing these materials, it is essential that training be included in how to use these materials. This offers the target audience an opportunity to ask questions about the materials or overcome their fears of not understanding what each material is used for. The training session described above was essential in making the target audience more comfortable with the materials. Some of the participants who were too shy during the training to make use of this practice session were not seen using the materials after the workshop. Showing the target audience how easy it is to use these materials is very important.

Implementation

Monitoring

Documentation and dissemination of results

Local

Subnational

National

Interpretive training workshop

The interpretive workshop is the main medium used to deliver the interpretive efforts (the solution) to the snorkeling clientele (or any other target audience). The workshop trains the snorkel operators (or any other body responsible for delivering interpretive messages) to deliver interpretive efforts. These interpretive efforts target salient beliefs identified in the previous building block to influence the behavior of the target audience. The Sea Through the Looking Glass solution used in the Mombasa Marine Park used expert presentations, group discussions and role-play scenarios to make the snorkel operators comfortable with the interpretation they would offer their clients.

The target audience for the workshop must be willing. Dialogue between all parties leading up to the workshop must accurately convey what the workshop is and what benefits the target audience will gain from it. If the target audience sees no benefit, they will not sacrifice their time to be part of the workshop.

As discussed above, communication is essential. If certain key persons are neglected, not invited, or over stepped the workshop could be doomed to failure.

Implementation

Local

The sea through the looking glass

Community-based opening of closures

Closure openings can be an exciting and hectic time. All closures in an area need to open the same day (to avoid massive affluence in one site, low individual catch rates and undesirable habitat impacts.) If not well defined and organised, they can cause conflict within and between villages, as well as feelings of being cheated, and discourage the establishment of future closures (e.g. gear specifications). Opening day procedures are established well in advance, with the participation of all concerned villages and coordinated well with buyers. They need to be well communicated, so that everyone understands the rules, and so it is easy to enforce a fine on someone who does not respect them. If possible, simple catch monitoring is be carried out on the opening day, to give the community some simple and rapid feedback on the effectiveness of their closure.

An effective, community-led temporary closure for octopus fishing of around 2.5 to 3 months preceding the opening day.

Rule system agreed upon by all participants.

- All closures in an area should open the same day to avoid massive affluence in one site, consequently low individual catch and bad impact on habitat. - Coordinate the opening with buyers, ensuring all the products can be bought, that the price won’t decrease because of the abundance of product and, ideally, that there will be a price incentive at opening. - It is best to have one starting point, so that everyone is equidistant when it opens. One person should be in charge of announcing when the closure is officially open, and this announcement or signal should be clear. - If a traditional ceremony is to be performed, make sure adequate time has been allotted for this, and that the people performing the ceremony have adequate time to prepare to fish if needed. If catches are to be monitored, make sure that weighing stations are established, monitors prepared, preferably weighing at usual buying points so that fishers don’t have to perform an extra effort to get their catch sampled.

Collaborative regulation setting

The rules and regulations of the closure need to be decided upon in a village meeting setting, encouraging participation by as many people as possible to ensure a high level of community ownership and support. If the regulations are not widely agreed upon as fair, they will be very difficult to enforce. Once the community is satisfied with the rules and regulations for the closure, locals laws should be discussed openly and agreed upon. Fines should be an amount that is realistic for fishers to pay, but large enough to effectively discourage theft. It is also important to determine procedures for enforcement of the local laws at the time of its creation to avoid future delays and/or confusion if an infraction is observed. The concept of local laws is often familiar in Madagascar, and there may already be an established procedure for enforcement. In such a case, it is best to work with well-established procedures. Local laws should be formalised in regional courts to ensure legality as well as to provide strong institutional backing if a local law infraction needs to be taken to court.

Existence of a legal framework for community management / customary laws such as the Dina in Madagascar.

Important points when developing regulations: - Access during the closure (for fishing other species, travel) - Paying a guardian will usually be cost-prohibitive. All members of the community and neighbouring communities are considered guardians for local law discussions: - Communication of fines to people attending enforcement meetings can improve faith in the association and encourages participation in meetings - Tiered fines can be an effective way of discouraging repeat offenses but showing compassion for a first-time offender not causing hard feelings towards the management association - Illegal catches from the closure should be confiscated and sold/shared out Logistics should be discussed and agreed by entire community - Confiscating fishing gear until fine has been paid is not effective: the person may need their gear to earn money to pay the fine - Members of other communities can come to fish at opening, but have to sell their catch to the village implementing the closure

Inception phase

Implementation

Local

Collaborative closure design

Communities select a target species for temporary closures. This should be short lived and fast growing to allow clear benefits to fisher catches, and preferably economically important to ensure financial returns on the opening. A second step is selecting the area to be closed. Communities discuss and agree site selection and fishing area with the establishment of the closure. Closures are better-suited to smaller villages to avoid them being overfished on opening day. Good collaboration between villages for surveillance and benefit-sharing at opening. Consult with commercial seafood buyers prior to closure implementation, to ensure that they are aware of the closure and supportive. If they are not supportive, they may encourage fishers not to respect the closures, or refuse to buy catches from closure-implementing villages. They also need to be ready to process a glut of seafood on opening day, which can present logistical challenges. Decide on timing of closure and opening. Seasonal variations in fishing and resource use patterns may mean that an area is only suitable for closure establishment during certain times of the year.

- Progressive seafood buyers who see the benefit of communities implementing closures - No decrease of price and even price incentives from seafood buyers for closure-implementing communities - Strong local leadership to galvanize support for the closures - Support from local government for the closure

- Seafood buyers must be consulted early on to ensure support. - Close to villages to allow monitoring - Outside of frequently travelled routes - In a suitable habitat for the target species - Big enough to produce local fishery benefits and handle the generally large number of fishers attending an opening day - Not so big villages cannot afford to forego use of the area - Decide what tide the opening should be on. Dependent upon movements of target species - Good implication of neighbouring villages - Several closures opening simultaneously in the same zone to avoid overfishing and bad impact on habitat in one site - Consider seasonality, environmental factors - Consider any national/regional fisheries closures as this can have legal and economic ramifications - Timing of closures and openings need to be discussed fully with the fishers to ensure that everyone is party to the decision and aware of the timings - No price decrease at opening and even price incentive.

Inception phase

Implementation

Local