Inception phase | PANORAMA

Planning, designing and implementing an awareness campaign

We took a stock of all the existing activities that SGNP was doing relating to outreach and education. I have been working in this space for all my career and I could provide valuable input with the plans I presented. This was easy as I had already proven myself with the website and Facebook page responsibilities. We looked at a multiple range of activities to engage with the people visiting SGNP. I lead a number of pilot nature trails, to demonstrate how these walks can be used as effective medium for biodiversity as well as conservation communications. I drew up small plans for events ranging from half day events to overnight camps. I personally became involved a diversity of topics, from biodiversity, history, archaeology to adventure sports in these activities. SGNP had a campsite (with permanent tents) which they upgraded and made available for longer events. When this plan was ready and agreed on, we invited the print and electronic media and invited them to be a part of these programs. We organised our events for the media free and managed to win their support and participation. Constant engagement and training with SGNP staff happens about backend management and (standard operating procedures) for these events.

Not Applicable

1. Diversifying your means to achieve your objective. 2. Working in close and constant coordination with the regional as well national media. 3. Demonstrating success rather than explaining it. 4. Setting up day-to-day processes and monitoring them.

Inception phase

Implementation

Local

Stakeholders involvement through consultations and meetings

Gathering of specific local knowledge, issues, and circumstances; Reconnaissance trips made on site by experts, various meetings with local and national stakeholders (tourist operators, rangers, selected tourists, government officials), gathering of (scant) existing ecological and socioeconomic background information, understanding technical and logistic constraints to consider for visits.

Government intervention and facilitation

Local stakeholder contributions were often chaotic; information provided often unsubstantiated or contradictory, in attempts to protect personal interests. In situ investigations by experts are essential.

Inception phase

Local

National

Creating media and popular momentum

Collection and publication of scientific discoveries on the ecological importance of the Ligurian Sea and the unusual level of cetacean mortality attributable to driftnet fishing; engagement of the media; circulation of a petition to the Italian Government to stop driftnet fishing in the area with the collection of large number of signatures.

Onset of ecological field research in Italy and France in the mid-1980s promoted by scientific and advocacy NGOs; onset of a volunteer-based cetacean stranding monitoring network which revealed the extent of cetacean mortality; attention of the general public to marine mammal conservation in the 1980s; availability of the media to cover the story.

Press can help create momentum at governmental level.

Planning phase

Inception phase

Multi-national

Capacity-building of local people in agroforestry

Rehabilitation of coastal areas through agroforestry reforestation

Gervais Munyororo Yade

Embers production from trees planted by the project - modern carbonization technique

Gervais Munyororo Yade

Formation on chicken breeding techniques

Gervais Munyororo Yade

Agricultural technicians formed the population in the sustainable use of land, tree planting, charcoal production and crop management.

Only available in French. To read this section in French, please download the document "Blue Solution Template in French: ‘Réhabilitation des espaces côtiers par le reboisement agro forestier” from the bottom of this page, under 'Resources'.

Blue Solution Template in French: ‘Réhabilitation des espaces côtiers par le reboisement agro forestier'

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

Participatory research and planning through a systemic and prospective sustainability analysis

Open Standards Planification

Planification participative Pêcheurs Mar Chica

Goal

In order to engage the artisanal fishermen in natural resource conservation, the analysis carried out has included sociocultural, economic and ecological topics. The goal was to fill the lack of data to allow all the stakeholders to realize the initial decrease in biodiversity and the solutions brought by the project.

Process

The participatory approach used by this study has allowed for all the stakeholders to accept the results.

The study was carried out in accordance with a systemic approach including several components:

Scientific: “Sociocultural, economic, ecological indicators”
Participatory: the study has not only involved the project holder, but also the stakeholders
Prospective: the study has allowed to identify “current, potential and alternative scenarios”

The systemic analysis has led to an integrated action program for the sustainable management of the artisanal fisheries sector within the National Park’s marine area.

Artisanal fishery represents one of the main economic activities in the region. As a sideline, it also improves farmers’ quality of life along the Mediterranean coastline.
The main constraints to the artisanal fisheries’ economic growth have negative impacts on product quality, due to the lack of landing infrastructure and commercialization.
The flotilla’s fragmentation and isolation, which the fishmongers take advantage of, does not allow the fishermen to work under satisfying conditions.

It is necessary to minimize the growth constraints on artisanal fisheries confined to the National Park’s fishing grounds. The reinforcement of fishing gear and equipment has to serve as a motivation for fishermen to stick to our integrated management plan.

Defining the artisanal fisheries sector remains an essential step in the process of implementing a commercial organization plan, which has to be subjected to future project propositions.

In the sociocultural plan, the fishing villages are confronted with a high rate of analphabetism. The fear of losing their jobs, translates itself to the high frequency of poaching, the use of dynamite or chemicals and illegal fishing.

It would be desirable to define a new zoning plan for the National Park’ marine area, which responds to the ecological conservation concerns and not only to those of fisheries resources. This would guarantee a sustainable development for a future approach of monitoring and participatory evaluation.

Recherche et planification participative du secteur de la pêche artisanale à tr…

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.

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

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