APPLICABILITY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA Ms. Panitnard Taladon
SEAFDEC Training Department (TD)
What is the ecosystem approach?
In order to understand the concepts of ecosystem approach, one must first understand the concept of sustainable development which replaced all previous policies of development that were based on economic growth only. Sustainable development can be summarized as the balance between ecological well-being and human well-being that does not compromise the needs of future generations. In its simplest form, this can be thought of as a process for finding development without destroying the natural resource base on which such depends on and at the same time optimize the utilization of such resources for rational development (Figure 1).
Figure 1. present the concept of sustainable development-a balance between ecological well-being and human well-being. The phrase “ecosystem approach” was first coined in the early 1980s, but found formal acceptance during the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 where it became an underpinning concept of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and was later described as:
A strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way
In other words, ecosystem approach is a strategy to promote sustainable development. The application of the ecosystem approach helps reach a balance of the three objectives of the CBD: conservation, sustainable use, fair, and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources.
The EAF has three main objectives within a hierarchical tree framework:
1. ensuring human well-being;
2. ensuring ecological well-being; and
3. facilitation the achievement of EAF, i.e. effective governance of the sector/areas where ecosystem occurs and has potential for management
The EAF is based on the principles of sustainable development, where “sustainable” is not restricted to ecological considerations, but includes economic and social considerations and their interaction with ecological ones. Both the social and biophysical or ecological dimensions of ecosystems are tightly linked, so that disruption in one is likely to cause a disruption or change in the other.
Ecosystem approach to fisheries
The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) was developed when fisheries managers and the society at large realized that the single-species approach seemed to ignore the interactions between the species themselves as well as their interactions with the broader ecosystem. It also became apparent that single-species management often did not result in optimizing the economic and social benefits of the fishery as a whole, especially in tropical multi-species/multi-gear fisheries where implementation of the single-species approach was difficult to carry out.
Sustainable Development
“Development which meets the needs of the present, without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Ecological Well-being Human Well-being
While various fisheries managements systems were evolving, aquatic environmental agencies were promoting the conservation of the ecosystem and their inherent biodiversity, through ecosystem management approaches and interventions such as the advancement of marine protected areas (MPAs).
Over time, the concepts of single-species fishery management and ecosystem management evolved and blended into a single concept. This merged concept is referred to as EAF by fishery managers and
“Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management” (EBFM) by environmental managers. Although these terms are often used interchangeably, but in many cases they are quite different. To assess the real meaning of these terms, one has to read the “fine print” that defined and elaborated the concepts. However, the main difference could be on the fact that EBFM seems to consider only the ecological impacts of fishing, whereas EAF is a broader concept that also considers the impact of the environment on fishing, the impact of fishing on the environment and the socio-economic benefits that can be gained from fishing and post-harvest activities.
Framework for EAF
As described above, the main objective of EAF is to sustain the fishery systems not just considering single aquatic species. EAF aims to increase the contribution of fisheries to sustainable development by considering the ecological constraints (e.g. habitat protection and restoration, pollution reduction and waste management, sustainable harvesting of fishery resources) as well as its socio-economic benefits to humans (e.g. increased and equitably distributed wealth and sustainable livelihoods).
Why Ecosystem Approach?
The EAF considers the inherent uncertainly and complexity of ecology and society in general and natural resources management in particular. It has been said that “Coastal zones are not only more complex than we think, but more complex than we can think” and the EAF enables fisheries managers and fishing communities to learn and live with such uncertainty, through participatory, adaptive management approaches and practices.
In EAF, while focus is placed on the marine ecosystems, it ensures that all components of the fishery system are considered, including the use of integrative scientific assessment which is aimed at increasing awareness of the relationships among the ecosystem elements and processes. In a comprehensive plan of EAF, it also has the consistent goal of promoting coordination among agencies and jurisdictions.
The EAF is participatory at all levels from planning to implementation, thus promoting stakeholders cooperation by building their trust, transforming their interests towards the innovative plans for the EAF. To make EAF management feasible, the use of local knowledge is being promoted in combination with agreements justified by scientific means. The EAF also promotes participatory planning to take into consideration the perceptions of stakeholders and the legitimacy of such perceptions.
Thus, under the concept of EAF, decision-making and management would best be placed at local level stakeholders. However, in the process there are relevant constraints that persist and need to be addressed, which could include:
lack of awareness and understanding of ecosystem processes;
lack of appropriate understanding of connections between ecological and social processes;
lack of local institutions to agree upon appropriate standards and mechanisms to uphold them for aquatic systems or farm groups;
lack of institutions capable of implementing more strategic approaches;
priority afforded to short-term interests by many business enterprises and not to the poor;
lack of consideration of relevant boundaries and multiple-scale approaches, when appropriate; and
lack of integrated multi-sectoral planning and management.
Applicability of the ecosystem approach to fisheries in Southeast Asia
For the Southeast Asian region, the most urgent and necessary requirement for adopting an ecosystem approach to fisheries is adequate understanding of the ecosystems. In addition, a common understanding of EAF as a process and strategy that are part of sustainable development is also very crucial.
As a matter of fact, many projects in Southeast Asia either focus on ecosystem conservation and the establishment of marine reserves or protected areas. Rarely have these efforts been intended as supporting
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fisheries management as the focus mainly is on conservation. In the process, fisheries management is adjusted accordingly to such conservation needs, e.g. the closure of marine areas for fishing.
In an EAF fisheries and conservation objectives are balanced and conservation mechanisms and activities designed to support both fishing as well as conservation.
Thus, successful implementation of ecosystem-based approaches require unprecedented changes in communication, that lead to a better understanding of fisheries needs by conservationists and conservation needs by fisheries managers and fishing communities.
Since “environmental” management is shared among agencies and all levels of government and further separated by various specialized disciplines, effective and proactive interagency cooperation is very important.
It is desirable, and may be cost-effective, for agencies to compare and prioritize environmental management problems and efforts needed to resolve them, through a process that avoids any circumstances that create adversarial relationships. Secondly, effective management requires public understanding, trust, and support, especially when resources are to be rebuilt and/or when competing users desire the same resources.
Essentially, implementing an ecosystem-based approach requires an open process that actively seeks interagency and public input and support. Therefore, a key challenge is to achieve a greatly improved interagency coordination and to enhance the exchange of information between regulators and constituents during all stages of management.
For fisheries managers the challenge lies in demonstrating to other agencies and stakeholders on how they could derive the benefits from the closer cooperation and integration with the fisheries sector.
References
Derek Staples and Simon Funge-Smith, 2009. Ecosystem approach to Fisheries and Aquaculture:
Implementing the FAO Code for Responsible Fisheries, RAP Publication 2009/11.
FAO, 2010. Aquaculture Development (Ecosystem approach to aquaculture), FAO Technical Guideline for Responsible fisheries, 5-Suppl. 4.
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Annex 14