Facilitating Fisheries Information Gathering through Introduction of Community-Based Fisheries Management: Role and Function of Fishers Organization in the Implementation of Co-management in Viet Nam

Date: 12-14 May 2015

Venue: Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province, Viet Nam

Objectives

1. Support national fisheries staff and provincial staff with the knowledge of Legal aspects on operation of fisher organizations.

2. To gain experiences to support how:

3. To legitimate access to fish landing sites and the rights to fish;

4. To access to mutual support system (e.g. condolence funds, emergency funds, mutual help among members, and others);

5. To access to small-scale loans operated by co-management bodies;

6. To access to training by the project and other support providers; and

7. To access to other types of project support (e.g. aquaculture models, cheaper fish fingerlings, equipment support, and others).

Result

The Training had 3 sessions; session 1. Role and Function of Fishers Organization in the Implementation of Co-management, session 2. How to ensure smooth operation of fishers organizations, and session 3. Workshop on the roles and functions of fishers organizations for introduction and implementation of Co-management in Viet Nam.

The session 1 had two presentations from resource person from Japan (Dr. Mitsutaku Makino, the Head of Fisheries Management Section of the Fisheries Research Agency) and SEAFDEC Secretariat member (Mr. Tsuyoshi Iwata, Senior Expert and Technical Coordinator). This presentation focus on the Role and Function of Fisheries Cooperative Association in Japan including regulation and fishing rights and also the factors for successful Co-Management through Fisher Organization. 

The session 2 composed of six presentations focusing on case study of implementation Co-management system in Japan and Thailand especially, Fisheries Cooperative Association, micro-finance, government support and effective way for data Collection. Moreover, resource person from Viet Nam kindly present on the Monitoring Implementation through data collection at Co-management communities in CRSD project. 

The session 3 is the workshop on the roles and functions of fishers organizations for introduction and implementation of co-management in Viet Nam. Dr. Yasuhisa Kato, Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) for the Coastal Resource for Sustainable Development Project (CRSD) in Viet Nam, kindly presented introduction of co-management system to Vietnam through CRSD project. The project includes the component to introduce co- management system in near-shore fisheries as the government issuance of Decree 33 and identifying eight coastal provinces as target sites. However, the planned activities have faced some problems and shown some delayed actions.

In addition, he expressed the difficulties that 1) Change of Management system requires a lot of changes of people’s mind-sets it is practical to promote the activities through pilot sites approach; 2) Mainstreaming exercise and technical clarification (detailed guidelines) should be applicable not only for the people in pilot sites but also to the people who are interest in the Co-management system; 3) some people excluded from the exercise of introduction of Co- Management, they can be act negatively for the people who receive the privileges the initiatives of Co-Management promoted. Therefore, careful consideration on the pilot project sites can be required including how the wider people can be involved through the wider promotional work for the people who can be excluded from the project activities. However, the CRSD project is a great opportunity to consider and develop the sustainable fisheries in Vietnam with a wider application of co-management to eight provinces.

Moreover, Dr. Kato kindly make a discussion between resource persons and all participant, Japan has developed coastal fisheries management system with the concept of fishing rights as a part of democratization policy as the “Exclusive Fishing Rights” can be provided to the Local Fishermen’s Organization, not to the individual people, institutional building exercise can be most important issue prior to the provision of appropriate fishing rights. The discussions mainly make understand on the fishing right system as well as the fishing zone for Community. It could be clearly define the coastal fishing ground, that some participant found the problem on dividing fishing ground to the fishing communities. 

Conclusion and Recommendation

The implementation of Co-management and Right-based fisheries Management is the key solution for setting fisheries management scheme for the coastal area in Viet Nam. It is very useful to share the experience of Japan on fisheries co-management and rights-based fisheries, especially the Fisheries Cooperative Associations (FCAs) in Japan, which could be applied to promote Co-management and Right-based management for sustainable fisheries in Viet Nam.    

Lastly, Mr. Hajime Kawamura thanked the participants for their active participation and thanked for the Fisheries Administration of Vietnam for cooperation during the Training. He also emphasized on the importance of community based co-management with the fishing rights, it is very effective for sustainable coastal and inland fisheries. He expected that the achievements of this training course can improved the skill and knowledge of participant as well as to facilitate community based co-management in Viet Nam. The he declared the Training closed.

Baseline Survey and Consultation Meeting to Clarify Feasible ways for Implementation of Management Measures in Chong Khneas

Date: 6-8 May 2015

Venue: Siem Reap Province, Cambodia

Objectives

1. To collect concrete information from real case of Co-management/CBFM implementation in Chong Khneas fishing community,

2. To identify issues and challenges for improvement of fishery management in Chong Khneas fishing community and find out appropriate actions,

3. To develop Implementation Plan in Co-management/CBFM in Chong Khneas fishing community,

4. To  provide reference information for fishery officers in Cambodia on the key to successful implementation of Co-management/CBFM.  

Result

Mr. Lieng Sopha, Acting Director of Community Fishery Development Department, informed the participants on the objectives and proposes of the Meeting including the time schedule during three days meeting. Then, Mr. Sombut, head of Chong Khneas Community Fisheries (CFi) introduced background of Chong Khneas Community Fisheries and scope of fisheries management in the community. The CFi was established in 2001, supported by local authority and Fisheries officers and FAO. CFi members come from 6 villages of Chong Khneas commune which has 755 families and 70% people are fishers. There are many activities implemented such as extension and dissemination, broodstock management, social development by group with supporting by governments and FAO.

Mr. Sombut also mentioned about the challenges on community fisheries management. The challenges were 1) Insufficient of facilities and materials for patrolling of IUU Fishing in the community, 2) IUU Fishing has happened sporadically at night time during the absence of fishing patrol boat, 3) Fishers have a limitation in pointing out IUU Fishing to fishing community committees, 4) Inadequate of demarcation of conservation areas, 5) Water canal, which connected to protected area, have shallow that lead to difficulty for transportation by boat or ferry during dry season, 6) Lack of budget support to conservation guard at protected area. For the solutions, He also pointed out that 1) Disseminate, educate and encourage users to stop using illegal fishing activities, and 2) Handle and coordinate among fishers during conflicts. Moreover, he suggested that government should 1) Help to seek funding to support communities' sustainable fishery resource management activities, 2) The committees should have uniform for patrolling, 3) Provide training courses on aquaculture, livestock and plantation, and 4) To re-dig old shallow lake from Kbal Khun Theay Khoem to conservation area (Boeng Pea Raeng).

In addition, SEAFDEC team and participant visited the Chong Khneas fishing community and conservation area. The community has around 20 family household. Main fishing gear are fish trap and gillnet. In the community, there is one canal, which connected to conservation area. They use this canal with 3.5 km length to go for fishing. Moreover, they would like to do ecotourism by bringing the tourists to conservation area through this canal. However, the fishers face the problem that someday, they cannot go through the canal because it is very deep water in rainy season as well as it is a shallow water in dry season. Hence, they would like to dig canal more deeper for fishing and ecotourism.

In addition, CFi has management plans to 1) patrol IUU fishing in the community territory, 2) plant flooded forest, 3) disseminate on aquaculture extension, and 4) renovate post office, boat and watchtower. According to develop the CFi management plans, SEAFDEC team, Cambodian officers, and the representatives from Chong Khneas fishing community had discussed together on the CFi Management and Development Plan for 2015.

After discussion, the CFi Management and Development Plan for 2015 composed of three components; 1) Fisheries Management, 2) Rehabilitation, and 3) Livelihood. For the fisheries management, they would like to make internal rule and regulation and awareness building on law and internal rule including awareness on Cambodia aquaculture guideline as well as conduct patrolling and fisheries information gathering. For the rehabilitation, they would like to rehabilitate fish habitat by planting flooded forest and install artificial shelf in conservation area. For livelihood, they would like to increase income for fisheries household by promote ecotourism, aquaculture, livestock, vegetable plantation, and micro finance.

Mobile On-site Training (MOT) on Practical Approach to Co-management in Marine and Inland Fisheries of Cambodia

Date:17 -21 November 2014

Venue: Koh Kong Province, Cambodia

Objectives:

1. To introduce the knowledge and experience on practical approach to rights-based fisheries management to fisheries officer from 8 inland fisheries provinces of Cambodia,

2. To strengthen practical in competence in planning and implementing the applicable inland fishery management plans.

3. To train community fishers by local Cambodian trainers with technical assistance from SEAFDEC on organization of the community based management with knowledge of rights-based fisheries management

4. Gathering of the fishery data and information and understanding the indicators of fishery status, (fish catch, fish price, fishing effort), and socio-economic information)

5. To introduce the communities fisheries legal framework such Royal Decree, sub decree and guideline to implementation for communities fisheries

6. To take a consultation with community fishers and local fishery officers on the improvement of sub decree on community fishery management

Results

The training was started by the fisheries officers of Cambodia who had been trained on the TOT course by SEAFDEC. After finished the lecture part, the participants were divided into 5 groups; 1) Stung Treng and Kratie Province, 2) Kampong Cham and Prey Veng Province, 3) Koh Kong Province, 4) Sihanouk Ville and Kampot Province, 5) Kep Province, for workshop session. Then each group discussed on 3 Sessions which are;

o  Session 1) How to sustain Community based Fisheries management and make a CFi plan of action in each province,

o  Session 2) Support system by local government, and

o  Session 3) Operation of Resource Management (especially Monitoring daily catch).

After finished the discussion, each group presented the result of discussion. For the result of Session 1, the participant indicated that the effective plan for sustainable fisheries management should be cooperated with local fisheries and relevant authorities. Moreover, the plan should involve the community committees and members. Furthermore, the participants proposed various activities for fisheries management plans such as re-plantation of mangrove forest, establishment of conservation areas and refugia areas, crab banks. As well as alternative livelihood activities through aquaculture, fish processing and other activities concerned are also should put in the fisheries management plan. 

For the result of Session 2, the participants recommended that the fisheries officers should support the fishers for CFi registration and crab bank as well as support them the technical support on aquaculture. Besides, the fisheries officers should disseminate the fisheries laws to local fishers. Moreover, it should try to seek the cooperation from authorities to patrol IUU fishing and find the interest donors to support CFi and improve security.

  

For the result of Session 3, it should have MCS in the fisheries communities in order to manage the resources. Furthermore, the registration of fishing vessels and daily catching data should be prepared and recorded. Then, the study on fish species of each area and impact assessment of native aquatic animal species should be also studied. As well as the marketing cooperation with relevant sectors should be considered.

In addition, the participants had a field study trip on mangrove conservation at Peam Krosob Community in Koh Kong Province. This community has 2 villages with 302 families and 3,129 populations (fishers 637 persons). In the past, this area was destroyed by shrimp farmers, then, the local people established the community resources conservation group to rehabilitation mangrove forest by supporting from the agencies. The group had supported by UNDP and other agencies for group operation. Now, the group has their own budget by selling the ticket for visiting the mangrove forest. Furthermore, the group also has many activities such as boat renting to mangrove forest and awareness rising to children.

The Regional Workshop on Improvement of Fisheries Information Collection in Coastal Small-scale and Inland Fisheries of the Southeast Asian Region

Date: 28-30 January 2013

Venue: Bangkok, Thailand

Objective:

1. Reviewing the problems of fisheries data collection in coastal small-scale and inland fisheries at national; and 

2. Identifying the key issues of fisheries data collection that should be addressed in order to improve the countries’ efforts in fisheries data collection; and

3. Sharing the lessons learned from effective ways of data collection among the SEAFDEC Member Countries.

Background of the Workshop

The Regional Workshop aimed to review and identify the difficulty of fisheries data collection in coastal small-scale and inland fisheries as well as find out the effective ways of data collection from SEAFDEC Member Countries. This could be achieved by fostering the lessons learned in terms of the methodologies and exchanging experiences in effective fisheries data collection. It was also envisaged that such effort could be adapted in the setting up of fisheries census with a future goal of improving fisheries data collection.

In addition, SEAFDEC has fourth stages to support the SEAFDEC Member Countries during 5 years. The first stage is this Regional Workshop. The Second stage is the Regional Training course, which will be organized after this Regional Workshop, on building up the applicable cost effective fisheries information collection scheme for improvement of monitoring to fisheries activities on February, 26 to March, 3 at SEAFDEC-Training Department. The Regional Training course are providing the methodology and knowledge to the participants, then, they will making the idea for future national activities for improvement data collection. After the Regional Training course, SEAFDEC expected that the representatives from SEAFDEC Member Countries in this Regional Training course will making the National Workshop for improvement of fisheries information collection and fisheries statistic for sustainable fisheries management in their own country with supporting by SEAFDEC. The last state, After the National Workshop, SEAFDEC's staff will collaborate with the National's staff to providing the on-site training course to facilitate fisheries information gathering through introduction of community-based fisheries management. SEAFDEC expected that each SEAFDEC member countries will making a plan and take an action in the countries.

Conclusion of the Workshop

The SEAFDEC Member Countries presented their current data collection methods and fisheries information. There are different types of data and information that should be collected and could be used to support management for sustainable fisheries, e.g. census, statistics, survey data, research studies, etc. There are also various tools that could be used to collect data and information such as logbook, questionnaire, survey forms, RRA, PRA. The planning for data collection should consider clear objectives on how the data would be used; and what kind of data is necessary. The data should be able to clarify the fisheries structure, production, species, resources status, and socio-economic status.

The problems and constraints were divided into technical and non-technical problems. For example 1) lack of supervision and training on basic data collection, 2) lack of standardization of fisheries data collection concept, 3) small-scale fishing gears are highly diverse complexity of ecosystem , 4) difficult to get participation from fishermen, and high cost and manpower for data collection. In addition, the countries use top-down (obligation) and bottom-up (voluntary) for data collection method. The top-down (obligation) data collection, which may include official statistics survey form, licensing, registration, documentation, etc. However, the exercise could be much costly than bottom-up approach. The Bottom-up (voluntary) data collection by autonomous community (involving fishers, middlemen, etc.) is considered cost-effective approach. However, efforts need to be undertaken to ensure cooperation and reliability of information, e.g. through enhancing the understanding of the community on fisheries management and importance of data collection to support management. It was also suggested that at the beginning, the bottom-up data collection by autonomous community should be undertaken as pilot project in order to test the effectiveness/reliability of data, before applying the approach nation-wide.

In addition, the questionnaires are one of the tools for data collection that should be focused, simple and clear in order to enable enumerators, autonomous community or fishers to provide information, while also reduce unclear/confusion, e.g. equipped with photographs of fishing grounds (map), fish species identification, etc. Well-designed forms would facilitate the compilation and analysis of the data in order to come up with reliable and meaningful results. Appropriate sample size (extraction number) should be considered to ensure that the collected data could represent the targeted group (population).

Report trip to Rayong and Prachuap Khiri khan Province

Date: 24 - 29 September 2012

Venue: Rayong and Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand

Objectives:

1. To identify the condition of site selected in Rayong and Prachuap Khiri Khan Province.

2. To define the target group for data collection.

3. To pretest the draft questionnaire of Human Capability.

4. To develop the final questionnaire.

  

Tentative schedule

Rayong Province (24-26 September 2012)
24 Sept. 2012 (Mon.)	- Leave from BKK to Rayong Province - Discussion with EMDEC on site visit, draft of questionnaire and number of sample for pre-test questionnaire
25 Sept. 2012 (Tue.)	- Pre-test questionnaire at the landing site - Discussion on questionnaire and methodology on data collection at EMDEC
26 Sept. 2012 (Wed.)	- Discussion on questionnaire development - Leave for Bangkok
Prachuap Khiri Khan Province (27-29 September 2012)
27 Sept. 2012 (Thu.)	- Leave Bangkok to Bang Sapan Bay - Discussion with Fisheries officer on site and number of sample to pre-test questionnaire
28 Sept. 2012 (Fri.)	- Pre-test questionnaire - Discussion on questionnaire and methodology on data collection and final questionnaire development
29 Sept. 2012 (Sat.)	Leave for Bangkok

Result

In consistence with the SEAFDEC-RIHN project, Component 4: Field survey for data and information collection of social and economic aspects. After the draft questionnaire has designed, the pretest questionnaire was conducted at Rayong and Prachuap Khiri Khan Province where were the selected site for collecting data.

In Rayong Province, SEAFDEC-RHIN team and Dr. Methee Kaewnern, Assistant Professor, from Kasetsart University visited Eastern Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center office (EMDEC) to meeting with EMDEC staff on the SEAFDEC-RIHN project and discuss on the information of site selected, the draft questionnaire and pretest planning. After discussed, the pretest questionnaire was conducted by face to face interview at three landing site namely; Suanson, Langkhakeaw and Naikhok. The total number of Sample is 12 respondents. After pretest questionnaire, the discussion on questionnaire development was conducted at EMDEC office. The questionnaire was improved especially in part of fisheries management that is difficult to ask for answer. The target group are the fishermen who go fishing around Set net and outside Set net and the total number of Sample is about 100-150 samples , so the meeting plan to collect the sample around 70 sample per year.

At Bangsaphan Bay, the team was cooperative with Mr. Likhit Boonsit, the officer in charge of Bangsaphan Community based fisheries management project, and 2 staff from Chumphon Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center (CMDEC) to pretest the questionnaires in two fishing villages namely; Ban Nongsamed and Ban Bangberd. The total number of sample is 12 respondents. The discussion on questionnaire and methodology on data collection was conducted to develop the finalize the questionnaires. The target group of sample in Bangsaphan Bay is fishermen from 9 villages, and approximate time interview was one hour/questionnaire. The survey plan to carry out twice a year in March and June 2013 and the total number of sample is 70 respondents (35 samples per time).