Marine Rehabilitation & Resource Management

METHODOLOGY:

The training shall be a live-in activity and shall be conducted by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in coordination with Program Management Office (PMO)/FSP. The Department of Agriculture (DA) provincial staff shall administratively support the implementation of this training in the field. Resource persons shall be provided by CRM Task Force of BFAR and DENR under the guidance of DA consultants

The training shall use mostly the lecture type approach implemented by slide presentation. A planning workshop shall also be conducted to elicit involvement of every participant. Group discussions and consultations will be applied to facilitate learning.

The training activities shall be documented for record purposes.

Overview of the Philippine Sector Program

1. Problems of Philippine Sector Program
2. Goals/Objectives
3. Components
- fishery resource and ecological assessments
- nearshore resource management
- research and extension
- law enforcement
- credit
4. Geographic Coverage
- 12 bays and additional areas
- 6 priority regions
5. Program Strategies and Policy Reform.

II. Issues, constraints and Their Causes Affecting the Coastal Environment.

1. Resource and Management Issues
- degradation of habitat and environment in general
- overfishing, destructive and illegal fishing
- competition and conflicts in resource use
- low production in aquaculture
2. Socioeconomic and Cultural Issues
- poverty in coastal communities
- lack of alternative livelihood
- overpopulation
- cultural erosion among fishermen
3. Legal and Institutional Issues
- laws and policies not appropriate in national level
- poor law enforcement
- weakness of regional offices
- unclear rules of municipal and provincial government
- research and monitoring systems are not functional

III. Integrated Coastal Resource Management

1. Introduction to Coastal Resource Management (CRM)
- goals and objectives
- concept and definition
- action plan and planning process
2. Approaches for implementing specific CRM plans and projects
- community-based resource management approach
- involvement of NGOs and government
- education and community participation
- improve law enforcement
3. Strategies for CM and Environmental Rehabilitation
- municipal marine parks and reserves
- limiting fishing effort
- artificial reefs as a tool for coastal management
- mangrove reforestation
4. Artificial Reef Development
- Objectives of establishing Artificial Reefs
- Criteria for site selection
- Management consideration
5. Management of Mangroves
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) design

IV. CRM Planning Workshop for Bay Management Site

1. Presentation of Bay profile
2. Planning workshop for the bay
3. Presentation of outputs from planning exercises

General Objective:

By the end of this course, the participants shall be able to develop awareness and understanding of goals / objectives / components and strategies of FSP as well as the concepts of integrated coastal resource management.

Specifically, the participants shall be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the goals/objectives, plans and implementation strategies of the FSP.

2. Identify and define policy and institutional reforms, scope of activities and implementation arrangements of the various components of the program.

3. Develop awareness of the issues/constraints and their causes affecting the fisheries sector.

4. Develop understanding of the concepts and principles of CRM planning, approaches for implementing CRM plans and strategies for CRM and environmental rehabilitation.

5. Develop understanding on the role of artificial reefs in living resources enrichment and as a tool for fisheries management.

6. Demonstrate awareness of the management and conservation of mangroves resources for coastal development.

7. Develop an understanding of the process in formulating a coastal management plan and preparing the strategies and actions for implementation.

The principal outputs of the training are a better understanding of:

1. FSP goals/objectives and policy reforms;

2. Concept and approaches for integrated coastal resource management;

3. CRM planning.

Rationale:The Fisheries Sector Program is a comprehensive effort to attain an ecologically balanced utilization of marine resources as a basic strategy for long-term sustainable development in the fisheries sector. This can be achieved through proper exploitation and protection of the fishery resources. This dual approach of management requires maximum participation from all sectors of coastal communities to ensure that benefits will accrue to the majority of the people.

The increasing recognition of cooperating organizations like the non-government organizations and the agricultural and fishing councils provides an opportunity for Fisheries Sector Program (FSP) to interlink its program in the municipal / provincial / regional level.. The so-called people-based non-government organizations (NGOs) could complement the government and the private sector as the major shapers of the country’s destiny. These NGOs possess a wide range of technical expertise ranging from organizing and communications to financial and organizational management. On the other hand, the agricultural and fishery councils at present are working closely with and supporting aggressively the Department of Agriculture’s plans and programs in the municipal / provincial / regional level. There is also a progressive political trend of the direct participation of the local government units (LGUs) in implementing projects in the locality and a demand for an access to resources in their area of jurisdiction. The LGUs have capabilities to provide the basic services to and compliment national agencies in addressing problems in their localities.

It is in the respect that the Department of Agriculture has initiated institutional and policy reforms which provide a framework for Fisheries sector program implementation. Among the reforms are directly related to resource management and environmental concern, promotions of community-based initiative and decentralization of the management of nearshore/coastal fisheries.

Thus, orientation course is aimed to orient local government units and selected leaders of fishing communities of the three priority bay areas (target you own priority coastal area) on the management policies and strategies for an integrated costal resource management.

One of the best ways to make a group (15 members up) successful in their endeavor is to create something that really helps not only the group itself, but to help the community as well. By making a cooperative group, this could trigger the group’s potential.

By cooperative system, there are work in the community to be handled by the cooperative. Its not only that they could generate income, but also to leverage the community expenses via the cooperative system.

Though there are things that hamper a group to success, this is due to the personal vested interest of one of the officials in the coop. Since cooperation is the objective, all the records should be transparent that all the members should know the standing of their group.

If in any case, the cooperative should educate its members about the rules and regulations of the cooperative to avoid misunderstanding.

Our Coastal Environment as one source of food and income is degrading due to natural and unnatural distraction created by the people.  As the human race develop and multiply, the number of people especially in the community living in the nearby shore unknowingly exploit the marine resources .