Danajon Bank, Philippines: an EBM case study Outline: Danajon Bank FISH Project objectives and strategies Fisheries management initiatives Fisheries monitoring Other measurable project results Future EBM directions for Danajon Bank Nygiel B. Armada Fisheries Resource Management Advisor FISH Project nbarmada@mozcom.com
Danajon Bank The Danajon Bank ecosystem Only double barrier reef in the Philippines High biodiversity and the most habitat-rich fisheries ecosystem in the Central Philippines Extensive coral reef, mangrove and seagrass habitats Traditional fishing ground for reef fishes, rabbit fishes and many small pelagics Traditional fishing ground for blue crabs, shrimps, squids, sea cucumbers Bohol Strait Panglao Island CAMOTES SEA Danahon Bank Talibon BOHOL SEA Leyte Canigao Channel Threats to the marine ecosystem Degraded corals - living coral is less than 25% Heavily exploited demersal biomass density is 0.44 t/km 2 Illegal and destructive fishing dynamite, Danish seine, trawl, fine meshed nets Mangrove cutting, illegal conversion, siltation
FISH Project Project sites: Calamianes Islands, Northern Palawan Danajon Bank, Bohol Surigao del Sur, Pacific Seaboard Tawi-Tawi, Sulu Archipelago Management Mechanisms Growth Control Maintenance Change in exploitation pattern Modes of delivery Capacity-building Constituency-building Policy improvement Increase in fish stocks by 10% Demersal fish stocks (tons/km2) 2.00 1.75 1.50 1.25 1.00 0.75 0.50 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 10%
EBFM: from concept to practice EBFM Recommended Actions: 1. Delineation of ecosystem boundaries 2. Characterization of the dynamics of the ecosystem and determination of habitat needs of important organisms 3. Development of indices of ecosystems health as targets for management 4. Development of conceptual model of the food web and assessment of how removals are related to trophic structure 5. Assessment of institutional elements of the ecosystem which most significantly affect fisheries 6. Development and implementation of strategies such as management planning, zoning schemes, gear/species-specific management, registration & licensing, law enforcement, MPAs 7. Establishment of governance system that is responsive to ecosystems approach 8. Development of long-term monitoring schemes Basic Elements of the FISH Project s EBFM Approach: Incremental understanding of the dynamics of the marine ecosystem the defined boundary Early fisheries management actions on obvious fisheries exploitation (gear?) issues Immediate fisheries management interventions for species that constitute a large portion of the food web (economic importance?). Development of governance system that is responsive to ecosystems approach (scale?)
EBFM: from concept to practice Control Mechanisms: Network of marine protected areas Species-specific management (spatial and temporal close season) Gear restrictions and size limits Registration and licensing Zoning of fishing and water activities Cross-cutting initiatives: IEC, Policy, Law Enforcement
Network of MPAs 10.4 10.2 10 123.8 124 124.2 124.4 124.6 Calituban Guindacpan Sag Nocnocan Hingotanan East Cataban Bilangbilangan Hingotanan East West Pinamgo Bantigue Humayhumay Aguining Sinandigan
Species specific management Rabbit fish (Siganus canaliculatus) Close season during spawning season of rabbit fish -4 th 5 th and 6 th day after the new moon - monthly for the entire year or for a few months only Banning of fine meshed gears catching rabbit fishes Banning of selling of rabbit fishes during close season
Species specific management 12 cm Blue crab (Portunus pelagicus) Ban on catching and selling of berried females Size limits (12 cm carapace width?) Minimum crab gillnet mesh size of 10 cm (4 inches) Impounding berried females (7 days?) Zoning of crab fishing gears
Gear specific management Size composition of blue crab, Portunus pelagicus caught by gillnet, liftnet, and crab pot Crab gillnet Crab liftnet Crab pot 0.0-0.9 0.0-0.9 0.0-0.9 1.0-1.9 1.0-1.9 1.0-1.9 2.0-2.9 3.0-3.9 4.0-4.9 5.0-5.9 2.0-2.9 3.0-3.9 4.0-4.9 5.0-5.9 2.0-2.9 3.0-3.9 4.0-4.9 5.0-5.9 Length at maturity 6.0-6.9 6.0-6.9 6.0-6.9 7.0-7.9 7.0-7.9 7.0-7.9 8.0-8.9 8.0-8.9 8.0-8.9 9.0-9.9 9.0-9.9 9.0-9.9 10.0-10.9 10.0-10.9 10.0-10.9 11.0-11.9 11.0-11.9 11.0-11.9 12.0-12.9 12.0-12.9 12.0-12.9 13.0-13.9 13.0-13.9 13.0-13.9 14.0-14.9 14.0-14.9 14.0-14.9 15.0-15.9 15.0-15.9 15.0-15.9 16.0-16.9 16.0-16.9 16.0-16.9 17.0-17.9 17.0-17.9 17.0-17.9 18.0-18.9 18.0-18.9 18.0-18.9 19.0-19.9 19.0-19.9 19.0-19.9 0 10 20 30 0 10 20 30 0 10 20 30
Zoning
Fisheries monitoring MPA assessment - mean biomass (tons/km 2 ) in MPAs Baseline and monitoring years % Lanuza Bay Mean 2004 2006 2008 biomass Auqui 9.92 10.00 13.89 40.02 Carascal 12.36 19.61 14.69 18.85 General Is. 17.83 10.90 17.14-3.87 Adlay 10.96 11.93 8.85 Capandan 16.28 11.20-31.20 Uba 9.32 13.36 43.35 Danajon Bank Fisheries independent surveys kg/unit effort Baseline and monitoring years 2004 2006 2008 % CPUE Bottom-set gillnet * 2.06 1.83 3.88 88.6 Bottom-set longline 4.77 2.62 1.32-72.4 Fish trap 1.06 1.34 1.17 10.9 Bottom trawl 1.41 2.91 2.89 104.7
Fisheries monitoring Fisheries dependent surveys kg/unit effort Base and monitoring years % CPUE Danajon Bank 2004 2006 Filter net 1.33 9.25 593.75 Hook and line w/float 2.96 13.30 349.87 Danish seine 24.75 79.06 219.47 Fish pot 9.50 19.90 109.47 Drift gillnet 7.37 11.65 58.06 Set gillnet (with plunger) 10.29 13.59 32.06 Round-haul seine 100.37 132.18 31.69 Stationary liftnet 13.48 17.38 28.96 Squid jig (troll) 1.53 1.73 13.15 Squid gillnet 8.35 9.43 12.89 Multiple handline 3.60 4.00 11.18 Encircling gillnet 42.67 45.84 7.44 Hook and line (simple) 2.50 2.68 7.09 Trammel net 5.73 6.09 6.31 Squid pot 3.58 3.40-4.81 Drive-in gillnet 14.77 12.31-16.69 Fish corral 5.30 4.41-16.93 Spear w/compressor 29.05 23.22-20.08 Bottom-set longline 4.59 3.29-28.39 Crab liftnet 3.37 2.40-29.00 Crab gillnet 3.40 2.04-39.92 Spear gun, harpoon 2.92 1.68-42.36 Crab pot 6.65 3.66-44.97 Bottomset gillnet 15.81 7.66-51.57 Otter trawl 13.57 6.38-53.02 Beach seine 20.64 3.50-83.04
Fisheries monitoring Summary of observations from base line and monitoring activities Emphasized the severity of the overfishing problem Motivated partners and stakeholders commitment Confirmed observed increases in catch rates Showed which fishing gears benefited from initiatives Highlighted the fact that illegal fishers benefit the most from management initiatives
Other measurable project results Inter-municipality arrangements Adoption of CRM as a basic service (building on CRM) Multi-year municipal CFRM Plan codifying fisheries ordinances Establishment MPAs network of MPAs (about 30) Training of people s organizations in MPA management Ordinances regulating mesh sizes, ban on active gears Ordinances on closed seasons and ban on catching of gravid individuals Fishers and fishing boats registration system Establishment of coastal law enforcement units - both at municipal (MCLET) and MPA level (SET)
Future EBM directions CAMOTES SEA Danahon Bank Leyte Talibon Canigao Channel Bohol Strait Panglao Island BOHOL SEA
Key governance challenge Fishing frequency of Danish seine in 2004
Key governance challenge Fishing frequency of Danish seine in 2006