Co-management experience and improved fishing practices with Fisher Development Association (Myanmar)

 

The communities/organization and local perspectives on conservation and stewardship

 

The Ayeyarwady region, located in the delta of the Ayeyarwady River, consists of many mangroves and freshwater swamp forests. The local small-scale fishery communities are living in delta and coastal regions, most are in remote areas with limitations relating to relative isolation (few developed roads), electricity, education, health, etc. Their fishing gears are quite poor and they depend on Open Fishing Grounds as places to fish. In Ayeyarwady, Delta Region, most of the fishing grounds are inland, and defined as Inn (Leasable Fishing Grounds) and Tender Areas. Fishers have to bid at a DoF (Department of Fisheries) led Tender Auction System. Due to this competition system, the small-scale fishers (SSF) can’t access these Leasable or Tender Fishing Grounds and so they rely on Open Fishing Grounds (normally it was defined as the unproductive zone) for their livelihood. As is the life of SSF, all of the family members (spouse, children) are involved in fishing activities and sometimes in selling their fish as the vendor.    

 

Environmental conservation is critical for the people who rely on natural resources for their livelihood and survival. Communities themselves  now have a good understanding on the concept of ecosystems, and resource conservation is now being practiced under the fishery co-management arrangement.  

 

The main motivation for fishery conservation here in Myanmar is for sustainable livelihoods of fishery communities by using the natural resources wisely. Currently, the fishing rights for SSF is limited. If the resources are improved through a community led fishery co-management system, this evidence can be brought to the DoF for more fishing ground allocation for SSF. Anyhow, after 2018, the new Freshwater Fishery Law was amended, and the government allocated more fishing grounds (which was valued under 40 Lakhs) for SSF without needing to compete at the Auction System. It was a great contribution of DoF for more community led resource conservation in the Delta. Though this arrangement is now being challenged, the Fisher Development Association is still working on increasing awareness of resource protection laws at fishery villages and supporting community led patrolling in fishery co-management areas.  

 

Stewardship experience: Resource Conservation through Fishery Co-management System

 

The issue or problem being addressed

The SSF are very poor and they are struggling to maintain their livelihoods. Sometimes, their wealth status pushes them to use illegal fishing techniques (poisonings and electronic fishing) while they have no other permitted fishing gears. On the other hand, most of the productive fishing grounds are defined as Inn (leasable fishing ground) and Tender Areas which are sold through an Auction System by price competition for a one year fishing permit. Due to this practice, the cost of fishing grounds increases year after year. Thus, the fisher who won in Auction will normally harvest as much as possible within one season without doing any conservation, in order to recover his cost.

Some elite fishers are not happy that the DoF’s allocation of fishing grounds for SSF for resource conservation and implementation of a fishery co-management system because as a result, they lost some of their power in the fishery sector. Previously, most of the fishing grounds are largely controlled by businessmen (won at Auction System) who then re-sell small potions for fishing grounds for SSF with a larger price. This power dynamic had changed and the SSF had more fishing ground allocated from government by the new Freshwater Fisher Law. In terms of environmental conservation, the farmers living in coastal areas are always trying to expand their farmland areas by chopping the mangrove forest. This issue is creating a challenge for conservation activities and sometime there has been conflict between fishers and farmers regarding on this matter.

 

The activities

At the beginning of the project, the Network Activities Group (NAG) field team mobilized the fishery communities and organized the fishery groups. Then, a series of capacity building training sessions and knowledge sharing programs were carried out for the fisher communities. The communities then were empowered to form township level Fisher Development Associations, and associations at the district level as well. As part of capacity building, the fisher leaders, representatives of DoF, parliaments and regional governments were sent to neighbouring countries as an exposure tour to learn resource conservation practices and how to achieve them. Then, a pilot scheme was initiated as a co-management arrangement to conserve resources such as mangrove and fish spawning grounds. The program was then expanded to other delta and coastal areas.  

 

The benefits/impacts including sustainability/environmental effects

In Gulf of Mattapan (Gulf of Mottama), due to the co-management arrangement, the fish stocks (mullets) have increased by 20 times and the endangered species (Sittaung Hilsa) are appeared more year after year. In the Gulf, the big illegal fishing gear (small mesh size with 2 kilometer long nets) are strictly prohibited, a rule enforced by community led patrolling teams. The increased fish stock are a big achievement for SSF and for their sustainable livelihoods. As a result of conservation, the fish stocks are increasing and this evidence was shared to DoF for more fishing grounds to be allocated for SSF.

 

The success and significance of the activities

As the fish stocks are increased and the fishers can get enough fish with less fishing effort while previously, the fishermen had to spend at least 6 hours for a smaller harvest. Additionally, the fishing gears permitted are standardized with legal size and so the undersized fish are well conserved in most parts of fishing areas. Based on this success, the regional government recognized the efforts of SSF and the fishery co-management was added as a new session in 2/2018 Ayeyarwady Fresh Water Fishery Law. Unfortunately, the de-facto government (SAC- State Administrative Council) has recently abolished Chapter 8 of the 2018 Ayeyarwady Region Freshwater Fisheries Law. This abolishment makes it difficult for SSF to access the fishing ground allocations anymore, and future legal support for the formation of SSF associations is no longer feasible. Among other concerns, this now means that;

• The formation of Community Fishery Associations and registration is now not legal
• The price of the right to the fishing ground (tender price) is raised to 3 to 10 times
• The bargaining power of SSF will be decreased due SSF have to sell back their fish to the fishing grounds owners at the fixed prices
• Local conservation efforts will be threatened as communities play a less active role in natural resource management.

 

Some lessons learned or words of wisdom

Without resource conservation, any business which depend of resources will not be longer possible.

The communities’ beliefs and interest are critical part of the achievement of resource conservation. The external supports can stand only at facilitation role and the communities themselves have to lead for resource conservation measures at their areas and their unique effort is essential.

 

To address the recent abolishment of the Ayeyarwady Fresh Water Fishery Law, a commitment to several action items is needed. This includes:

• Good practices of fishery resource co-management need to be documented
• There is a need to promote the role of ARFN, FDAs and CSOs through sharing evidence-based results
• Promotion of alternative livelihood opportunities (Small-scale Aquaculture, individual business plans, etc.) for both local fishers and migrants who returning from capital cities during this crisis

 

 

For additional information on the 2018 Ayeyarwady Region Freshwater Fisheries Law, view the links below:

https://www.moi.gov.mm/moi:eng/news/4513

http://www.dof-myanmar-fic.org/multimedia/Law/36.%202018.05.28.%20Ayeyarwady%20Freshwater%20Fisheries%20Law%20-%20English.pdf

 

 

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Fishery Facts

(Below are the applicable categories of fisheries, environment, species, gear type and livelihood role.)

 

Fishery characteristics:

• Inland capture fishery (e.g. river/lake/reservoir)
• Subsistence fishery
• Multi-species

The environment where fishing takes place: 

• Freshwater – riverine / lake / wetland / reservoir
• Open Ocean
• Coastal – Estuarine / Delta / Mangrove

Main species targeted:

• Inland finfish – e.g. carp/perch/catfish/salmonids
• Crustaceans (e.g. shrimp/prawn/lobster)
• Other animals (e.g. jellyfish/sea cucumber)

Gear types/ methods used:

• Gillnet
• Longline
• Purse seine
• Beach seine
• Line
• Pot/trap
• Beach harvest/gleaning (e.g. collection of shellfish/algae/mangrove crabs etc.)

Role of the fishery in local livelihoods:

• Main source of employment
• Secondary/supplementary source of employment
• Full-time
• Seasonal
• Occasional