Building More climate Change Resilient Fishing Communities:

(1)

University of the Philippines Los Baños University of the Philippines Los Baños

University Knowledge Digital University Knowledge Digital Repository

Repository

CPAf Policy Brief Publications, Newsletters, Bulletins

2019

Building More climate Change Resilient Fishing Communities:

Focus on the ICARE4Fishers Iniative Focus on the ICARE4Fishers Iniative

Maria Francesca O. Tan

College of Public Affairs and Development, University of the Philippines Los Baños Miriam R. Nguyen

College of Public Affairs and Development, University of the Philippines Los Baños

Follow this and additional works at: https://www.ukdr.uplb.edu.ph/cpaf_policy_brief

Part of the Food Security Commons, and the Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons

Recommended Citation Recommended Citation

Tan, Maria Francesca O. and Nguyen, Miriam R., "Building More climate Change Resilient Fishing Communities: Focus on the ICARE4Fishers Iniative" (2019). CPAf Policy Brief. 4.

https://www.ukdr.uplb.edu.ph/cpaf_policy_brief/4

(2)

The State of the Philippine Fisheries Sector and Streamlining Local Climate Resilience

Building More Climate Change Resilient Fishing Communities:

Focus on the ICARE4Fishers Initiative

POLICY CPAf BRIEF

ISSN 2362-8499 ISSUE No. 2019-01

This Policy Brief is based on the results of a research project funded by the Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Agricultural Research. Titled “Developing Strategies Towards More Resilient Fishing Communities Amidst Climate Change: The Case of Major Lakes in Luzon,” the project was conducted from 2017 to 2019.

Authors MARIA FRANCESCA O. TAN

and MIRIAM R. NGUYEN University Researchers, Community Innovations Studies Center, College of Public Affairs and Development,

University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, Philippines

(049) 536-3284 / 536-2484 [email protected], [email protected] Editor and Layout Artist STELLA CONCEPCION R. BRITANICO University Researcher, Knowledge Management Office, College of Public Affairs and Development,

University of the Philippines Los Baños

Over the years, the contributions of the fisheries sector to the national growth and productivity have been declining due to varying factors including water resource depletion, overpopulation in fishing communities, and decreasing participation of younger generations in fishing activities. Apart from these factors, the fisheries sector is innately vulnerable to climate change – exacerbated by the increasing occurrences and intensities of extreme events in the country – that further contributed to its greater marginalization.

National thrusts should be geared, therefore, towards initiatives that can improve the quality of life of fisherfolk and provide them safety nets against the negative effects of climate change. The realization of these initiatives entails characterization of communities and needs identification. Community profiles are imperative in planning and

implementing development projects and in policy making. Understanding the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and practices (KAPP) of

communities is likewise essential in providing site-specific measures. In particular, describing knowledge sharing at the local level is important because current efforts on climate awareness are provided mostly in formal education settings, which are usually not accessible to fisherfolk.

Moreover, recognizing the roles of women and other vulnerable local sectors is crucial in capacitating fishing communities to cope, adapt, withstand, and recover from the different challenges brought about by climate change.

The ICARE4Fishers (Increasing Community Awareness and Resilience Enhancement for Fishers) strategy is highly recommended to be included in the country’s current framework on climate change. This strategy includes the creation of problem trees and action plans, which can be used in developing local policies that will strengthen lakeshore communities’ resilience to climate change.

(3)

2

Level of Awareness on Climate Change

Television was the main factor of the

respondents’ high level of awareness on climate change.

Through observation, respondents also recognized the extreme changes in weather, temperature, and climate, which have adversely affected their fishing activities.

Frequencies and intensities of typhoons, monsoons, and droughts have been increasing since 2010, according to the respondents. They have been experiencing one to three devastating typhoons annually. Torrential rains brought by typhoons also submerged their communities for about 18 to 84 days, depending on rain intensity and level of preparation of the local government units and households. This condition affected the fish catch and general economic competitiveness of the respondents.

Coping and Adaptation Practices

Fisherfolk across the study sites were performing common activities before, during, and after a natural calamity struck their community. Respondents’

preparation activities include securing their house, fishing gears, boats, and fish cages. During a calamity, they stayed inside their house and prayed for their family’s and community’s safety. Likewise, they stayed vigilant for possible damages. Finally, after a calamity, respondents would usually check their house, fish cages, fishing gears, and boats; repair any damages; and clean their surroundings. Furthermore, fisherfolk would immediately go out fishing, if the weather permits and

if the government (i.e., Coast Guard, municipal local government, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) has already provided clearance for fishing.

In general, adaptive mechanisms of lakeshore communities revolved in the recovery, repair, and maintenance of livelihood sources that were destroyed by extreme events. Household heads who performed these roles would usually fish after a calamity for a good catch of caged/penned fish that escaped from destroyed aquaculture structures. Household heads were also engaged in repairing house damages and in alternative forms of livelihood.

Meanwhile, female members of the households were responsible of maintaining the household with cleaning up of debris after a calamity as the most recurrent role. They were also involved in fishing (e.g., peddling fish, joining their husband in fishing) and other forms of livelihood. They would also avail of loans or credit from microfinance institutions.

The Lake Communities

The research project titled “Developing Strategies Towards More Resilient Fishing Communities Amidst Climate Change: The Case of Major Lakes in Luzon” was conducted in five provinces, namely Laguna and Rizal (Laguna Lake), Batangas (Taal Lake), Oriental Mindoro (Naujan Lake), and Camarines Sur (Lake Buhi and Lake Bato). A total of 20 barangays in 10 municipalities in the said provinces composed the study sites. Primary data were gathered through survey of 600 fishing households, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Secondary data were also obtained and reviewed.

Respondents across the study provinces were mostly male and married, with an average age of 47 years old.

More than half did not have college education and many lived in a concrete house with water-sealed toilet facilities.

About half of the respondents from Lake Bato earned from fish cage/pen operation, while open water fishing was the primary source of income for those living along Naujan, Buhi, Laguna and Taal Lakes. Motorized boats and gill nets were commonly used in fishing.

Generally, more than half of the respondents perceived their income as inadequate, and thus, they considered themselves poor. Over the years, respondents also observed a decline in volume of fish catch because of illegal fishing, overfishing, pollution, shallowing of lake, and increasing lake water temperature.

(4)

The ICARE4Fishers Strategy for Capacity Building

A mix of several capacity-building activities aimed at enhancing a community’s resilience to climate change is coined as ICARE4Fishers (Increasing

Community Awareness and Resilience Enhancement for Fishers) strategy. It is comprised of four main activities:

1) Awareness Raising of Communities (ARC) on Climate Change Effects; 2) Mitigation, Adaptation, and Resilience Practices and Strategies (MARPS); 3) Training-Workshop on Participatory Community Resilience Action Planning for Climate Change (PCRAP4CC); and 4) Advocating and Communicating Activities Towards Climate Change Resilience (ACT-CCR).

Under ARC and MARPS, lectures and

training-workshops were focused on ground validation of socio-economic characteristics of fisherfolk.

Meanwhile, PCRAP4CC covered project planning, problem identification, and solution provision through locally-formulated action plans. Lastly, advocating and legitimizing action plans were done through ACT- CCR. These activities were participated by fisherfolk, association officers, and local government officials.

Several issues were identified during the conduct of these activities, emphasizing the pressing need to organize the fisherfolk and elicit support services to address predominant challenges faced by lakeshore communities and other stakeholders. These challenges include the presence of invasive species in the lakes, unregulated fishing operations, negative impacts of solid wastes and effluents, fisherfolk’s limited budget, lack of alternative livelihoods, and non-adherence to locally- implemented policies. Having these enormous concerns, interventions are needed, which however, dependent on available resources. Hence, program prioritization is necessary.

Instituting Safety Nets to Strengthen Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation

To strengthen fisherfolk’s climate change resilience and adaptation, policies and projects should be localized, particularly the provision of fishing supplies, increasing credit and financial assistance options, and increasing the support for acquisition of fishing equipment. These interventions should be instituted in local policies to secure the availability and provision of support services.

Interestingly, the current plans and activities of municipal and barangay local government units were intended to increase the resilience of lakeshore communities against the adverse effects of climate change. For instance, identified capacity-building activities include alternative livelihood programs for the fisherfolk. Likewise, fisherfolk’s associations or cooperatives are recognized to have vital role in building the communities’ resilience and managing fishery resources.

Fisherfolk highly needed livelihood assistance especially during typhoons and monsoon season. There were private companies, in coordination with local government units, that provided processing areas for fish smoking and drying and the opportunity to earn from other value-added products (i.e. fish balls, shanghai, hotdog). These are significant strategies to address the negative impacts of climate change.

Fish sanctuaries should also be established to ensure continuity, diversity, and high volume of preferred species. Additional trainings and re-echoing activities were also suggested to sustain and enhance fisherfolk’s knowledge base.

3

(5)

College of Public Affairs and Development University of the Philippines Los Baños

College, 4031 Laguna, Philippines http://cpaf.uplb.up.edu.ph

[email protected] (049) 536-0319 / (049) 536-4267

Lastly, the need for strong enforcement of

existing national policies was emphasized, particularly the implementation of policies on prohibiting unlawful fishing gears and illegal fishing practices. Delineation of easements, areas for aquaculture structures, navigational ways, and buffer zones should also be carefully planned and implemented.

Policy Implications of the ICARE4Fishers Strategy

The ICARE4Fishers Strategy revealed that the existing national policies should be localized to address the needs of fishing communities along the five major lakes in Luzon. These localized policies should also develop fisherfolk’s organizations into cooperatives.

The need to create local programs on processing technologies, product packaging, value-added fish products, which are absent in most lake communities in the country, was also identified. Similarly, there should be programs on the sustainability of freshwater biodiversity by establishing fish sanctuaries and creating local management plans with maps and proper zoning guidelines.

Engaging different stakeholders is essential to determine specific actions to climate change adaptation and resilience.

The ICARE4Fishers Strategy did not only identify specific interventions but also gender-sensitive actions. The various activities under the ICARE4Fishers Strategy and the proposed interventions are highly recommended to be adopted in the national climate resilience framework.