Managing Coastal and Inland Waters : Pre-existing Aquatic Management Systems in Southeast Asia

This book examines pre-existing management systems in fishing communities in Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Besides the erroneous assumption that tropical fisheries are ‘open access’, the cases demonstrate that pre-existing systems (1) are concerned with the community of fishers and ensuring community harmony and continuity; (2) involve flexible, multiple and overlapping rights adapted to changing needs and circumstances; (3) that fisheries are just one component of a community resource assemblage and depend on both the good management of linked upstream ecosystems and risk management to ensure balanced nutritional resources of the community; and (4) pre-existing systems are greatly affected by a constellation of interacting external pressures.The cases presented in “Managing Coastal and Inland Waters” demonstrate that good management systems must account for such cultural, ecological, economic, political and social context factors to achieve their goals. Cover 1 Managing Coastal and Inland Waters 4 ISBN 9789048195541 5 Contents 6 List of Figures 8 List of Photographs 10 List of Tables 12 Contributors 14 Chapter 1: An Introduction to Pre-existing Local Management Systems in Southeast Asia 16 1.1 Introduction 16 1.2 Why Pre-existing Systems are Overlooked 18 1.3 Geographical Distribution of Pre-existing Fisheries Management Systems 21 1.4 Status of Information on Pre-existing Systems in Southeast Asia (Fig. 1.2) 22 1.4.1 Indonesia 22 1.4.2 Laos 25 1.4.3 Philippines 27 1.4.4 Thailand 28 1.4.5 Vietnam 29 1.5 Management Functions and Approaches 29 1.6 Basic Design Principles of Pre-existing Systems 31 1.6.1 Authority or Leadership 33 1.6.2 Rights 33 1.6.3 Rules 34 1.6.4 Monitoring, Accountability and Enforcement 35 1.6.5 Sanctions 35 1.7 Success Stories 36 1.8 Contents of This Book 37 References 39 Chapter 2: Pre-existing Fisheries Management Systems in Indonesia, Focusing on Lombok and Maluku 46 2.1 Introduction 46 2.2 The Awig–Awig of North Lombok 51 2.2.1 The Sawen System 51 2.2.2 Awig–Awig: Revitalization of Sawen 52 2.2.2.1 The Protection of Marine Fisheries Resources: Fishers’ Councilof Northern Lombok 52 2.2.2.2 Prevention of Destructive Fishing Practices: The Awig–Awig Sari Laut, Bayan Sub-District 55 2.2.2.3 Coral Reef Management and Prohibiting Destructive Fishing 55 2.3 The Maluku Case 56 2.3.1 Petuanan Laut 57 2.3.2 Sasi 58 2.3.2.1 An Interpretation of Sasi 60 2.4 Institutional Performance 62 2.4.1 Clearly Defined Territorial Boundary 62 2.4.2 Legitimacy and Enforceability of Rules 63 2.4.3 Monitoring 63 2.4.4 Graduated Sanctions 64 2.4.5 Legitimate Authority 64 2.5 National Policy on Pre-existing Fisheries Management 65 2.6 Conclusions 67 References 68 Chapter 3: Open to All?: Reassessing Capture Fisheries Tenure Systems in Southern Laos 72 3.1 Introduction 72 3.1.1 The Tragedy of the Commons 74 3.2 The Fisheries 75 3.2.1 Fence-Filter (Tone) and Wing Traps (Li) in the Mekong River 75 3.2.2 Khone Falls Tone Trap Fishery 75 3.2.3 Khone Falls Li Fishery 77 3.2.4 Khone Falls Tone and Li Tenure 78 3.2.5 Fence-Filter Trap (Tone) and Wing-Trap (Li) Fishing Along Seasonal and Perennial Streams 80 3.2.5.1 Stream Tone and Li Fisheries 80 3.2.5.2 Stream Tone and Li Tenure 81 3.2.6 Pit-Trap (loum pa) Fishing in Swamps 82 3.2.6.1 Pit-Trap Tenure 83 3.3 The Nature of Tenure and Governance 84 3.4 Conclusions 87 References 88 Chapter 4: Seasonal Ritual and the Regulation of Fishing in Batanes Province, Philippines 92 4.1 Introduction 92 4.2 Indigenous or ‘Pre-existing’ Marine Resources Property Rights Regimes in the Philippines 96 4.2.1 The Tagbanua Model 97 4.2.2 The Visayan Fishers’ Model 98 4.2.3 The Mataw Fishers of Batanes Province 99 4.2.3.1 The Vanua as Meaningful Unit of Organization 100 4.2.3.2 Inside the Vanua: Leadership, ‘Laws’ and Ritual Regulation of Seasonal Fishing Activities 102 4.2.3.3 The Fishing Schedule and the Community Economy 108 Box 4.1 A Resolution Prescribing Rules and Regulations Governing Fishing Operations within the Tudaw-Achip Fishing Grounds at Valugan, Basco, Batanes, and Prescribing Penalties for Violation Thereof: Excerpt from the Minutes of Basco Fishermen–Farmers’ Asso 106 Box 4.2 Excerpts from Ordinance No. 03-03, Regulatory Ordinance for the Preservation of Cultural and Traditional Method of Fishing during the Months of March, April and May 107 4.3 Conclusion 110 References 112 Chapter 5: Pre-existing Inland Fisheries Management in Thailand: The Case of the Lower Songkhram River Basin 114 5.1 Introduction 114 5.1.1 The Lower Songkhram River Basin 115 5.1.2 Fisheries in the LSRB 117 5.1.3 Occupation and Dependency on Fisheries 125 5.1.4 Fisheries Household Economics 126 5.1.5 Fishers’ Perception of the Condition of Fisheries Resources 126 5.2 Property Rights System in Fisheries Management in the LSRB 128 5.2.1 Customary Rights over Fishing Grounds 129 5.2.2 Returning Rights from Private to Common Property in Barrage Fishing 130 5.2.3 The Barrage Fishery: Local Institutions Governing a Common Property 131 5.2.4 Conflict Between Local and Legal Rights in Fisheries Management 132 5.2.5 Degree of Traditional Collective Action and Decision Making 134 5.3 Fishers’ Perception of Collective Action and Responsibility for Fisheries Management 139 5.3.1 Attitudes of Fishers Toward Leadership 140 5.3.2 Customary Rules: Community Management of Fisheries Resources 140 5.3.2.1 Local Communities Establish Local Fishery Rules to Manage Community Ponds 140 5.3.2.2 Local Community Establishment of Fish Conservation Zones 141 5.4 Conclusion 142 References 143 Chapter 6: Vietnam: The van chai System of Social Organization and Fisheries Community Management 144 6.1 Introduction 145 6.1.1 Village Structure and Management: A Prerequisiteto Understanding the Van Chai 148 6.1.2 Key Differences Between Water- and Land-based Villages 150 6.2 Floating Village 151 6.2.1 The Administration of ‘Floating Village’ Van Chai 152 6.2.2 Management Structure of Van Chai in the Lagoonsof Thua Thien Hue Province 152 6.2.3 Structure, Relationships and Institutional Formulationin ‘Floating Village’ Van Chai 153 6.2.4 The Relationship between a ‘Floating Village’ Van Chai and its Host Farming Village 155 6.3 The ‘Guild-Type’ Van Chai 155 6.3.1 The Structure of Traditional Villages in the South-Central Region 156 6.4 Van Chai: The Focus for Fishers’ Spiritual Activities 158 6.4.1 The Structure of ‘Guild Type’ Van Chai-based Fisheries Management 160 6.4.1.1 Van administration 160 6.4.1.2 Mutual Assistance 160 6.5 The Design Principles of Van Chai 161 6.5.1 Rights 162 6.5.1.1 Primary Rights 162 6.5.1.2 Right Conveyed by Proximity to Residence 163 6.5.1.3 The Right of Transfer and Loan 163 6.5.1.4 Shared Rights 163 6.5.2 Rules 164 6.5.2.1 First-Comer’s Rule 164 6.5.2.2 The Definition of Fishing Territories 164 6.5.2.3 Inter-community Access Rules 165 6.5.2.4 Gear Rules 165 6.5.2.5 Temporal Allocation Rules 165 6.5.2.6 Conservation Rules 166 6.5.2.7 Distribution of Catch Rules 167 6.5.2.8 Rules Pertaining to Relationships Among Boat Owners, Captains and Crew 168 6.5.2.9 Operational Rules 169 6.5.3 Monitoring and Accountability 169 6.5.4 Conflict Resolution 170 6.5.5 Sanctions 171 6.6 Concluding Comments 171 References 173 Chapter 7: Conclusion: Errors and Insights 176 7.1 The Hegemonic Capitalistic-Industrial Model 177 7.2 The Mismanagement of Tropical Nearshore Fisheries 177 7.3 Centralization Versus Decentralization 178 7.4 Differing Perceptions of the New Western Decentralized Management Concepts 180 7.5 Poorly Examined Basic Issues 181 7.5.1 Managing Fishing Communities not Fisheries 181 7.5.2 Complex, Flexible and Dual Rights Systems 182 7.5.2.1 Complex Systems 182 7.5.2.2 Local Change in Rights Systems 183 7.5.2.3 Local Acceptance of Illegal Gear and the Conflict Between Local and State Rights 184 7.6 Fisheries Are Just One Component of a Community Resource Assemblage 184 7.7 Change 185 References 187 Author Index 190 Subject Index 194 9048195543,9789048195541 Springer This book examines pre-existing management systems in fishing communities in Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Besides the erroneous assumption that tropical fisheries are 'open access', the cases demonstrate that pre-existing systems (1) are concerned with the community of fishers and ensuring community harmony and continuity; (2) involve flexible, multiple and overlapping rights adapted to changing needs and circumstances; (3) that fisheries are just one component of a community resource assemblage and depend on both the good management of linked upstream ecosystems and risk management to ensure balanced nutritional resources of the community; and (4) pre-existing systems are greatly affected by a constellation of interacting external pressures. The cases presented in "Managing Coastal and Inland Waters" demonstrate that good management systems must account for such cultural, ecological, economic, political and social context factors to achieve their goals Front Matter....Pages i-xiv An Introduction to Pre-existing Local Management Systems in Southeast Asia....Pages 1-30 Pre-existing Fisheries Management Systems in Indonesia, Focusing on Lombok and Maluku....Pages 31-55 Open to All?: Reassessing Capture Fisheries Tenure Systems in Southern Laos....Pages 57-75 Seasonal Ritual and the Regulation of Fishing in Batanes Province, Philippines....Pages 77-98 Pre-existing Inland Fisheries Management in Thailand: The Case of the Lower Songkhram River Basin....Pages 99-128 Vietnam: The van chai System of Social Organization and Fisheries Community Management....Pages 129-160 Conclusion: Errors and Insights....Pages 161-173 Back Matter....Pages 175-188