Coral reef fisheries co-management in tropic and subtropic regions

Abstract

Coral reef fisheries resources in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia and Okinawa have decreased recently. Coral reef and mangrove eco-system supporting the resources is also in the threat. The fisheries resources, in essence, need proper management because the resources are renewable and considered common property. Typical conditions for tropic fisheries management are many species, many remote islands, few researchers, many subsistence fisheries, and a strong sense of community. Under these conditions the management regimes that have evolved in Western developed countries have seldom worked properly. Instead, considering efficient compliance and enforcement, the resources should be managed through partnership between the government and the communities (co-management). The resources may be managed more efficiently by a retrospective approach than a pre-emptive approach. Among management tools (e. g. seasonal closure, size limit, gear restriction, catch quota, license, etc.), Marine Protected Area (MPA) seems most effective. In Samoa and Okinawa, co-management of nearshore resources has been implemented with fisheries extension programs in analogous ways. Both cases have seemed successful to date. In the past, the Philippines was infamous for destructive fisheries, but now many successful cases of co-management have appeared with the help of NGOs and international research organizations.