View the complete CCRN’s Tsitsikamma Community Story as a PDF

Ella-Kari Muhl

Key messages

• The Tsitsikamma area includes local communities whose food security and livelihoods have been impacted negatively by various government actions, notably a no-take marine protected area (MPA).
• While MPAs are promoted as a long-term conservation strategy, no-take MPAs threaten the food security and cultural practices of fishers in areas of low economic opportunity and limited alternative livelihoods or transitional support.
• A lack of communication between the regulating authority (SANParks) and the fishers has increased conflict in the Tsitsikamma area and endangered community members’ food security and livelihoods.
• Participatory monitoring, with formalised consultation with community members, may reduce conflict and strengthen conservation goals.

Community profile

Figure 1: The location of the TNP MPA relevant to the local communities

Conservation and livelihood challenges

The impacts of “no-take” MPA

With the abolition of apartheid and introduction of democracy, it was hoped that the right of small-scale and subsistence fishers would be restored in accordance with their culture and tradition^(10). When the legislative change to a “no take” MPA took place in 2000 under the Marine Living Resource Act 18 of 1998, it was shown to affect not only food security for the fishers and their families but also their cultural identity and heritage ⁽⁷⁾. The Thornham, Stormsrivier, Nompumelelo and Sanddrif communities have been reliant on fishing as a form of food security. With the loss of access to fish, there has been a reported decline in health and increase in crime⁽⁴⁾.

Fishers stated that, in addition, their well-being has been affected by the closure of the MPA, as fishing is part of their identity⁽¹⁾. The current top-down governmental conservation programme, which introduced a no-take MPA as a form of conservation to promote sustainability and biodiversity, was implemented without consultation with the community, and subsequently has elevated conflict between community members and the regulating authority.

Food security, customary rights and livelihood impacts

With no alternative livelihood provided, local village economies remain limited with few economic opportunities available (Figure 2). Local household economies are poor and under severe stress.

In 2016, for example, only 52.6% of households met the financial requirements for food security, which increases fisher’s dependence on marine resources as a supplementary food source. The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) housing built by the South African government in 2001 to create Nompumelelo village added 480 households to the area, placing additional pressure on resources⁽⁶⁾. The timing of the completion of RDP housing coincided with the delineation of a no-take MPA, thus increased competition for work, and placed strain on local amenities, with already limited public services and health care.

The change in coastal access and legislation has had a negative effect on the community with a loss of livelihoods, fishing and recreational activity. The community describe themselves as being “born on the rocks (coast)”, claiming original ancestry from the indigenous Khoi-san people, indicating a consideration of the coast as a part of their culture and traditions^(1,6).

Many residents in Tsitsikamma have also historically relied on coastal forests for a range of amenities, such as medicinal plants, honey and woods for fuels and building materials, which they are also denied access to.

Figure 2: A former fisher, no longer allowed to access the coast, writes poetry about the sea now.

The lack of recognition as stakeholders and exclusion from the coastline has illustrated that unless social and ecological factors are considered with the design of the MPA, illegal fishing and conflict will continue between SANParks (South African National Parks) and the local communities.

Community initiatives

In 1994, the community created the Tsitsikamma Angling Forum (TAF) to represent local fishers who wanted access to the coast. The TAF have formally petitioned against the TNP in 1976, 1995, 2006, and 2015. They have also worked with a task team comprised of the Kou Kamma municipality and SANParks to reopen the TNP in 2006, 2014 and 2015. The TAF actively protested SANParks in 2007, when 70 members fished illegally in the Tsitsikamma MPA.

Over time, the community has become increasingly mobilized and in 2015, following workshops between the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), Oceans and Coasts Branch, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), SANParks, the local municipality (Kou Kamma) and representatives from TAF, a decision was made to open specific areas within the MPA for fishing with restrictions. The plan to reopen certain areas was approved in December 2015 through promulgation of a government gazette but was then blocked by the Friends of the Tsitsikamma, an association that obtained a court interdict against SANParks, DEA and TAF in January 2016⁽⁹⁾.

Figure 3: Map depicting the three coastal control zones within the Tsitsikamma MPA

Legal recognition of historically disadvantaged residents

Following the closure in January 2016, the TNP MPA was rezoned later in December 2016 in the new government gazette 40511⁽⁸⁾ to allow three controlled fishing areas to be opened (Figure 3). However, the MPA re-opening process has been questioned as consultation was not carried out with local community members and was poorly conceptualized with little practical changes for community member’s food security or livelihoods.

At present, community members are required to purchase a permit. However, older fishers and minors are either prohibited or unable to fish under the new gazette ruling, halting the multi-generational transfer of knowledge. This prevents the oral traditions and teachings of the older generation from passing down to the present. The subsequent absence of SANParks at the controlled zones prevents fishers from communicating effectively with rangers and leads to miscommunication and further resentment towards SANParks.

The challenges and lack of capacity within SANParks reveal the vulnerability of the Tsitsikamma fishing communities and the need to incorporate local ecological knowledge (LEK) and community members into partnerships with researchers and authorities to better manage MPAs.

Practical outcomes

The Tsitsikamma community have issues of food security and a lack of economic opportunities or alternative livelihoods (Figure 4). The creation of the no-take MPA has disrupted a reliance on fish as a contribution to food and cultural practices^(1,5).

The community members have identified five solutions that would be the most beneficial towards restoring trust between community fishers and SANParks (Figure 5).

(1) Collaboration

(2) Transgenerational access to the Tsitsikamma MPA

Figure 4: The Stormsrivier mouth which is located centrally in the park and would be accessible to fishers, however is reserved for tourists.

(3) Education

(4) Communication

To empower fishers and effectively promote collaboration, communication is necessary between relevant government departments, SANParks, and working groups made up of interested parties, scientists and elected community members. Increasing the capacity of and empowering local fishers to participate in decision-making processes leads to practical, real solutions that strengthen ownership and promote care of the resource.

(5) Acknowledgement of customary rights and access rights

In order to improve management, increased understanding of government officials of the fishers’ customary rights and importance of access will foster respect and promote conservation, as well as help reduce tensions and conflict between the two parties.

Future concerns

Dialogue between the community and the regulating authorities is improving; however, for there to be a successful conservation impact, policy makers need to widely consult on proposed changes before implementing them. Top-down processes of government control only serve to further marginalise the community and promote resentment. A working partnership is necessary to establish trust and understanding with an emphasis on local ecological knowledge combined with scientific expertise for better policy and practice.

Figure 5: The Thornham Focus Group members with their list of practical outcomes

References

Acknowledgements

Check out this CCRN funded video produced by CCRN student Ella-Kari Muhl.

Listen to the accounts of local community members as they describe and express the struggles and challenges related to the implementation of the marine protected area, and how the current challenges are endangering the future of the community. The video highlights the values and needs of the local residents, and, through those values, demonstrates indicators and practices that would lead to success

The second half of the session was an audience-participation dialogue focusing on reflection, analysis and distilling key lessons learned, with 36 participants sharing perspectives and questions about community-led transformation. This discussion was supplemented by an online survey ran prior to the conference, using Sli.do an audience interaction software. Responses from participants highlighted the key role of local leadership and innovation (63% of respondents), facing common challenges (46%), participatory engagement (46%) and government support (42%) in achieving successful transformations, in addition to a variety of other elements.

This wordcloud image shows keywords that participants associated with transformation.

Session Abstracts 

How can an introduced species contribute to conservation and sustainable livelihoods? The case of paiche fisheries in the Bolivian Amazon.
Alison Macnaughton, University of Victoria, Canada

The Northern Bolivian Amazon is currently experiencing a variety of human and environmental pressures, including urban development, large infrastructure projects, extreme climate events and species introduction. While indigenous peoples hold rights to extensive territories in the region, the development and implementation of governance structures and processes (including natural resource management) within these territories has been limited to date. Recently there has been interest expressed at a variety of levels (communities, government, NGOs) in developing new commercial fishery opportunities based on the introduced paiche fish (Arapaima gigas), which is increasing in abundance and of high commercial value in regional markets. This paper examines the current and potential future role of fishing in indigenous communities as it relates to broader processes of transition and transformation in livelihoods and governance in the region. It includes the results from a study that was carried out in 4 Indigenous Territories in Beni Department, Bolivia between October – November 2015. Results of the study confirm that while subsistence fishing is extensive, with native species as a central part of local diets, the selling of fish is less common, and generally a secondary source of income. Participation in paiche fisheries is very limited among indigenous communities. Many communities face significant problems of food insecurity, poverty and associated environmental and social vulnerability including a significant lack of access to basic services such as health, clean water, transportation access and more. In this context the demand for local projects and income-generating initiatives is high, but the success of initiatives to date has been limited. If paiche fishery development is to be successful, it must be aligned with strategies to address the multiple dimensions of poverty and vulnerability in a more meaningful way. This paper proposes a preliminary framework to examine some of the dynamics of governance and livelihoods transformations, with a focus on fisheries as part of integrated poverty reduction initiatives.

Can secure tenure act as a measure of conservation and governance success in lagoon-based small-scale fishery social-ecological systems?
Prateep Nayak, Faculty of Environment, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, University of Waterloo, Canada

This paper begins by confirming that issues around tenure within lagoon-based small-scale fishery social-ecological systems have largely been neglected. Despite a growing body of literature on lagoon commons and property rights systems, existing literature on marine and terrestrial tenure tend to subsume tenure issues of coastal lagoons. Lack of specific attention to lagoon tenure can potentially affect their long-term sustainability, undermine ongoing efforts of community-based conservation and further marginalize small-scale fishers that have depended on them for generations. This paper identifies important challenges associated with lagoon tenure in relation to the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication, 2015 (FAO SSF Guidelines), particularly focusing on its provisions for responsible governance of tenure. It highlights that secure tenure rights form the basis of social, economic, ecological and cultural wellbeing of small-scale fishing communities. To this effect, the paper sets forth some of the key conditions for governance of tenure in the context of lagoon small-scale fisheries social ecological systems through an extensive treatment of a broad range of fishers’ rights and multi actor responsibilities. Fisher experiences with the impacts of ongoing rapid social-ecological changes and community responses in Chilika Lagoon, Bay of Bengal, India are used as a case. Additional data comes from a series of workshops, meetings, and consultations with smallscale fishers and other stakeholders in Chilika. Important lessons for governance of lagoon tenure are examined in relation to resource systems, resource sectors, and user-level dynamics to offer insights on the specific characteristics of lagoon small-scale fisheries tenure and possible directions for conservation and governance.

Continue reading  to learn more about Furqan’s thesis “Leaving the coast: the interplay of migration, well-being and resilience in Cambodian coastal fishing communities” and the insights he gained while completing his PhD. The interview is also available in audio format, click play on the recording below to listen to Furqan’s Interview.

Furqan Asif is a PhD candidate in International Development at the University of Ottawa

What is the topic you are addressing in your thesis?

The landscape, both socially and ecologically, of coastal fishing communities in many parts of the world is rapidly changing, particularly in Southeast Asia. On the social side, migration by individuals from coastal communities to cities in pursuit of economic opportunities is affecting community dynamics. Ecologically, environmental degradation, overexploitation of fish stocks and climate change are negatively affecting species’ abundance and diversity, thereby straining livelihoods and exacerbating poverty. These trends are particularly pronounced in the small-scale fishing communities of Cambodia, a country which boasts, by some estimates, the highest fish consumption in the region. Coastal Cambodia is an ideal case to analyze and understand the dynamics that influence social-ecological change given the rapid shifts occurring as a result of emerging economic opportunities (i.e. increasing connectivity, and resultant migration to secondary cities) and rapid economic growth, in the context of declining natural resources and environmental change. Specifically, my research seeks to understand a) the role migration plays as a livelihood strategy in Cambodian fishing communities; b) how migration affects social well-being of fishers and their households (within and beyond coastal villages); and c) if a social wellbeing analysis of migration can contribute to an improved understanding of the “social” in social-ecological resilience.

Shrimp are laid out to dry in a coastal fishing village (Koh Kong, Cambodia).

What led you to become interested in this field?

My interest in this field can be traced back to a decade ago when I became introduced to interdisciplinary work, starting with my undergraduate minor in Environmental Science (my Master degree was also in the same field). Environmental Science involves a variety of disciplines (e.g. environmental chemistry, earth science, environmental risk, etc.) so it allowed me to get a very comprehensive understanding of environmental challenges while understanding large-scale environmental processes. As a result of this specialization, I eventually found my niche in applying what I had learned in the context of international development while working in the Canadian government, and then later, internationally in the Philippines, and most recently with the United Nations.

While I developed understanding on the environmental side, I wanted to get the same within international development so I chose to pursue my PhD in this field. Like Environmental Science, the field of international development also involves a variety of disciplines (e.g. international relations, economics, political science, anthropology, etc.) so it was a natural fit.

As I was developing my doctoral research proposal, I became really interested in the area of social-ecological systems which emphasized the importance of looking at social and ecological systems as interconnected and that in order to get a holistic understanding, you have to look at both. The concept also bridged the natural sciences with social sciences and, on a pedagogical and epistemological level, it was something that I was seeking to do (as well as on a personal level), so I found myself strongly attracted to it. Later on, I was introduced to the concept of resilience which is linked to the literature on social-ecological systems (captured by the term social-ecological resilience), and this became the conceptual launchpad for my doctoral thesis.

A fisherman prepares one of 600 crab traps with bait before going out to sea to set them at a coastal fishing village in Koh Kong, Cambodia. Fishermen have had to increase fishing effort i.e. number of traps over the years as marine resources have declined.

What excites you about the work you did for your thesis?

What’s exciting about the work is that there have been significant changes in coastal Cambodia, even in the last five to ten years, particularly with the opening of the Special Economic Zone near the Thai border, which has drawn thousands of Cambodians – many from the coastal villages. So this represents a major shift in the socioeconomic landscape in this part of Cambodia, which itself is set amongst the backdrop of ecological change i.e. declines in fish catch and overall negative impacts on marine resources as a result of environmental change. Understanding the effect that these changes will have, and are having, on small-scale coastal fishing communities therefore becomes important.

A family in a coastal fishing village sort through and process their catch (Koh Kong, Cambodia).

Did you run into any difficulties during your studies? If so, how did you address them?

Of course! One of the first challenges I had was when my research assistant abruptly quit about two months after the start of my fieldwork. That was completely unexpected and, needless to say, put a halt to interviews, field visits, etc. While it was stressful, I managed to address it by focusing on using my network and social media to put out a call for another research assistant. After a month of soliciting (and waiting), I managed to find someone else who turned out to be very reliable and excellent.

Another difficulty was finding a boat driver to take us to the fishing communities which were on mangrove-enclosed islands (about a 40 minute journey over the ocean). We had no prior contacts or connections so my research assistant and I went to the small port where we knew boats arrived from the islands and inquired to get advice. From this, we were able to get a few phone numbers and get a boat hire. Later on when we were in a similar situation where our previous boat hire was unavailable, my assistant had the idea of going to the nearby fishing village in town and knocking on houses to find someone, which proved successful.

How does your research affect the community you worked with?

This is a question that is pondered by most graduate students and is a difficult one to answer. On the one hand, it is difficult to have a concrete answer while doing fieldwork because you are still discovering and have yet to establish findings and insights. On the other, the nature of the research and how connected it is to the everyday realities of the community you’re working with will determine how they will be affected by it.

In my case, what I can say is that I hope that my research gets in the right hands and draws the spotlight on these communities which have often been overlooked but nevertheless face many challenges to their livelihoods. To this end, I will have an active dissemination strategy so that more resources and attention can be paid to the coastal communities.

Children in a coastal fishing village playing a board game (Koh Kong, Cambodia).

How does your research contribute to your field?

It will contribute on two fronts, on the theoretical and practical. Until recently, work on resilience has traditionally been biased towards the ecological with social aspects left relatively under-addressed. Using a mix of qualitative methods, my research draws on the social well-being approach to operationalize resilience and contribute to the understanding of social resilience for small-scale coastal fishing communities in Cambodia.

On the practical front, my research is aiming to get a better understanding of the role migration plays as a livelihood strategy in Cambodian fishing communities and how it affects their social wellbeing.

What do you think are the next steps for learning more about the topics you are addressing in your thesis?

For those that want to learn more about coastal fishing communities in Cambodia, I would highly recommend my supervisor’s book Life, Fish and mangroves which you can read for free via a link from her website: http://melissamarschke.weebly.com/book.html

For more information on  Furqan Asif’s work visit his website: www.furqanasif.com

A fisherman lays out his traps in a coastal fishing village (Koh Kong, Cambodia).

View the complete CCRN’s Japan Community Story as a PDF

Mitsutaku Makino, Fisheries Research Agency of Japan; mmakino@affrc.go.jp

Key Messages

• Japan’s diverse climate produces a wide range of marine ecosystem types.
• Increasing urbanization throughout Japan has resulted in widespread conservation efforts of resources to protect lifestyle and traditional culture.
• Differences of the local culture dynamics can be linked to coastal ecosystem changes.

Community Introduction

Japan is an island country comprised of 4 large islands and thousands of smaller islands which stretch from Russia to the north and Taiwan and the Philippines to the South. Located at the middle latitudes in the northwestern Pacific, Japan is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Japan to the west. Due to the ocean currents and climate conditions, Japan has wide-ranging marine ecosystems from sub-arctic to tropical (Figure 1).

Figure 1: study sites

With a population of approximately 127 million(1), land and resources are of high value and protecting these areas are of high priority. Although known for its urban development, Japan is home to many coastal, rural communities which rely on primary resource production for their livelihoods.

Conservation and Livelihood Challenges

Abashiri coast is sub-arctic, salt-water lake on the northern coast of the northern island of Hokkaido. Distant from big cities, it has a small population and relies heavily on large fisheries production. Due to the amount of fishing that takes place, sea grass and sand beach conservation is a top priority for the Abashiri community (Figure 2).

Figure 2: sea grass bed in Abashiri community

Tokyo-bay is a temperate, enclosed bay located in Tokyo, on the largest island of Honshu. This area is highly industrialized with a huge nearby population. Especially over the last 60 years, urban development has increased as new residents move into the area, putting further strain on the already at-risk resources. As a result, locals have taken action in order to protect and restore the sea grass beds and their traditional seafood culture (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Tokyo Bay

Hiroshima suburb is a temperate, inland sea located in the Hiroshima prefecture on the western side of the largest island, Honshu. Distant from big cities and with a decreasing population, sea grass bed conservation (Figure 4) is very important to the traditional sea grass culture that is vanishing in the region.

Figure 4: Hiroshima Suburb

Ishigaki Island is a tropical lagoon. It is a remote island southwest of the 4 main island located close to Taiwan. Coral reefs and sea grasses are at risk due to an increasing population and a fast growing tourism industry (Figure 5).

Figure 5: Ishikagi coral reef

Shiretoko is a sub-arctic ecosystem located in the most northeastern part of the northern island of Hokkaido. Recently gaining status as a World Heritage Site, locals are concerned with how the management and conservation of this site impacts their traditional fishing lifestyle (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Shiretoko fishing community

Community Initiative

The coastal ecosystem conservation activities conducted by the local communities are part of a comparative analysis study that explores and discusses the differences of the SES conditions that each community experiences, and their influence to the nature of community conservation. The comparative study seeks to:
1) Develop integrated diagrams of coastal ecosystem functions, services, uses, and stakeholders, by collaboration with local officers and local ecosystem researchers in the different sites (Figure 7).

2) Conduct stakeholder interviews asking their interests, activities, concerns, conflicts, etc., and develop Stakeholder Tables. Also, important statistics relating to the above stakeholders are collected.

Figure 7: summary of the ecosystem functions, ecosystem service uses and stakeholders (case of Abashiri)

3) Based on above, conduct a comparative analysis among the sites, with special emphasis on the governance, meanings and motivations in each site.

Practical Outcomes

Meanings and motivations for conservation are dependent on the local culture for the ecosystem service uses. In other words, the meanings and motivations are reflecting the local way of living in harmony with t      he coastal ecosystems.

• In Abashiri, local people have a strong fisheries-oriented culture, and the culture is still at the very core of the local motivations and meanings for conservation.
• In Hiroshima, seagrass is deeply linked to the local traditional lifestyle, but the community itself is diminishing now.
• In Ishigaki, the traditional coral reef culture is surviving, but the population and the tourism industry is growing very fast.
• In Tokyo, the traditional lifestyle was almost totally destroyed, but local people (mainly the new residents) are very proud of the local seafood culture.
• In Shiretoko, engaging in consistent interactions and incorporating local-ecological knowledge provided some successes between management authorities and local communities.

We found that such differences in local culture dynamics can be linked to coastal ecosystem changes. In Tokyo bay, the coastal ecosystem was almost totally destroyed, and the objective of the conservation was the revival of traditional lifestyle and culture. In Abashiri, on the opposite case, the coastal ecosystem has remained relatively unchanged, and their only objective/motivation is resource sustainability and productivity.

The comparative analyses shows that with higher biodiversity, we will have more diverse use-types and stakeholders, more conflicts, so more public initiatives are important for community conservation activities. Also, the dynamics of ecosystem and cultural changes are synchronized, and the meanings/motivations for local conservation activities are linked to those dynamics.

These relationships among the social system conditions, ecological system conditions, and the nature of the community conservation activities, should be properly incorporated when designing the conservation activities in specific areas. There is no one-fit-all approach when it comes to conservation

References

1. World Bank. 2013. Japan. From http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=2&country=JPN&series=&period

Acknowledgements

This research is being carried out with the aid of a Doctoral Research Award from the Canadian International Development Research Centre, a doctoral award from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada, a SSHRC grant held by Dr. Derek Armitage as part of a Coastal-Marine Transformation Project, and support from the SSHRC-funded Community Conservation Research Network (CCRN).

See below for the Japanese language abstract for this community story, “網走、知床、東京湾、広島、石垣、日本：沿岸生態系の保全を実践ファイブコミュニティ.”

View the complete CCRN’s Vila dos Pescadores Community Story as a PDF

Cintia Gillam

Key messages

• Many members of the community of Vila dos Pescadores rely on artisanal fishing for their livelihoods
• The industrial activity in the Santos estuary has led to the pollution of mangroves, affecting fish stocks and impacting human and ecological well-being, notably in the community of Vila dos Pescadores;
• Although the community works with government institutions, private partners and local NGOs to improve their community and restore the mangroves, further dialogue with decision-makers is needed.

Community profile

The community of Vila dos Pescadores (Figure 1) is an urban slum located in a mangrove area, in the city of Cubatão, Brazil. This community is located in the Santos Estuary, where many of the people living in the community use the mangroves for artisanal fishing, which is a large source of income for people living in the area (Figures 2 — 5). For many populations in the mangrove slums of Cubatão, artisanal scale fishing contributes to their food security.

Figure 1: City of Cubatao, Brazil. (Source: Google)

Conservation and livelihood challenges

As an extremely impoverished mangrove-based region, mangrove conservation is vital to the livelihood of Vila dos Pescadores community. The mangrove ecosystem serves to secure the land, preventing erosion while stabilising the coast, while the roots of mangroves act as filters in retaining sediment. Moreover, mangroves play an important role as an exporter of organic matter to the estuary, contributing to primary productivity in the coastal zone. Many aquatic and terrestrial species with ecological and economic value, such as fish and shellfish, are found in mangroves where conditions are ideal for breeding, nursery and shelter⁽²⁾.

Figure 2: Fishers painting their boats (Photo Credit: Cintia Gillam)

The community of Vila dos Pescadores also suffers from environmental vulnerability by being located in an industrial hub in the Santos Estuary, the largest port in Latin America. Garbage accumulates in the mangroves of the community.  The pollution affects fishing by trash accumulation in spawning sites for fish and shellfish, and destruction of fish nets.

Similarly, environmental disasters in the estuary harm fishers’ livelihoods by causing fish mortality and environmental pollution, further affecting the community’s and fishers’ well-being. On 2 April 2015, an environmental disaster occurred in the Santos Estuary when a fire occurred in the Ultracargo fuel company involving six fuel tanks. Consequently, fishers at Vila dos Pescadores were temporarily unable to fish, impacting their main source of income and livelihood as well as their well-being, as fishing is part of their identity (See Figure 3).

Figure 3: Fisher and her son in the Santos Estuary (Photo Credit: Cintia Gillam)

Community initiatives

The Vila dos Pescadores community leader José Arnaldo dos Santos (Vadinho) works extensively with government agencies, the private sector and NGOs to improve the well-being and living conditions of community members. Vadinho is a fisher and also the president of the Community Association of Vila dos Pescadores.

The community association has benefitted from a partnership with the Instituto de Pesca (Fisheries Institute of São Paulo state, located in the neighbouring city of Santos), which gives the community important support about fishers’ rights and environmental education⁽¹⁾. The institute undertakes significant research on coastal resource management in the area.

Figure 4: Fishers at Vila dos Pescadores (Photo Credit: Cintia Gillam)

Figure 5: Fishers at Vila dos Pescadores (Photo Credit: Cintia Gillam)

Aiming to improve the well-being of the community, the community leader Vadinho also works with local private partners and NGOs in the area such as Teto (roof)⁽⁴⁾. Teto’s community work is focused on the most excluded slums, with its main engine being the joint action of its residents and volunteers, who work to generate concrete solutions to social problems considered a priority: poverty. Among other NGOs, Teto’s staff and volunteers worked with Vadinho, aiming for mobilisation and self-management and support networks of Vila dos Pescadores community members. The main objective is for the community to achieve their basic rights, through the regularisation of community members’ property, installation or settlement of basic services, construction of permanent housing and improvement of community infrastructure⁽⁴⁾. Considering that there are a large number of people living in shacks in the community of Vila dos Pescadores, this is an important step in improving the lives of fishers and other community members.

One of the partnership’s projects aim to assess sustainability through quality of life when fishers in the Santos Estuary and the southern coast of São Paulo state.

Practical outcomes

Residents of Vila dos Pescadores community highlighted the need for assessing the well-being of fishers and the community in general, their livelihoods and conservation challenges, and the dialogue between the community and the government. The analysis of fishers’ well-being is important at the policy level to allow interventions, such as selective urbanisation, involvement of fishers in conservation initiatives and implementation of racial consciousness projects in the community.

Conservation measures are needed for the long term, but with the economic pressure weighing on the Santos estuary as the largest port in Latin America, often fishers are not a political priority for any of the three government levels. The existing social capital among community members, with key leadership from Vadinho, is a first step in fighting for fishers’ rights and conservation of mangrove areas of Vila dos Pescadores.

Following the Ultracargo disaster in April 2015, fishers and community members had a ‘wakeup call’ to fight for their rights. Women and fishers want to actively participate in conservation actions in the community. For example, fisher Helena Barros held women’s and fishers’ meetings at her house after the disaster. Many women in the community reunited again to discuss fisheries and livelihood issues.

The women were friends during their adolescence, when Helena Barros organised (in her house) craft courses for 35 teenage girls in the 1990s. The girls learned how to make hand painted dishcloths for sale to improve food security in the community. The women also shared pictures of a state government funded mangrove reforestation project in 1992 that involved fishers at Vila dos Pescadores and discussed the need for more mangrove conservation projects involving women and fishers in the community (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Mangrove restoration in 1992. (Source: Helena Barros)

The relational well-being in the community is relevant as women in the community, wives of fishers and/or fishers themselves, have reunited to fight for fishers’ and community’s rights after the Ultracargo disaster. It proved to be a starting point in Vila dos Pescadores for their fishing, environmental and conservation rights. This environmental disaster led community members to get involved with the Fisheries Institute and local NGOs. Locals are now more engaged as members host meetings and post pictures related to fisheries issues and mangrove conservation.

Fishers take pride in their profession and profound environmental knowledge of the mangrove areas of Cubatão, in the Santos Estuary. Once highly influential stakeholders, such as environmental NGOs and government agencies, give their support to fishers and community members, conservation efforts have a great potential for expansion and improving food security in this impoverished community. With respect to Vila dos Pescadores community, it has an invaluable pool of social capital and local environmental knowledge that can be channelled to conservation projects. Recently developed linkages between universities, municipal and state government agencies, NGOs and the community has led to a positive impact on the implementation of conservation initiatives in the community.

Some of the possible solutions to the problems of environmental degradation in Cubatão are: investing in public policies for environmental education in slums and the industrial hub; empowering communities in mangrove conservation projects; and intensification of dialogue on the environmental and sustainable development issues among government, business and civil society. Although dialogue is improving, conversations between the community and external entities needs to continue, and ensure that the message of conservation reaches the ears of policy makers and decision makers.

References

Acknowledgements

See below for the Portuguese language abstract for this community story, “Vila Dos Pescadores, Cubatão, Estado De São Paulo, Brasil: Melhorarando os meios de vida e promovendo o diálogo na Vila dos Pescadores, Cubatão, estado de São Paulo, Brasil.”

The documentary is part of Cintia Gillam’s Master’s of Arts in International Development Studies thesis at Saint Mary’s University, and is based on her field research trip between July and August 2014.

Arif Satria (CCRN Researcher) talks about fisheries conservation challenges in Indonesia that were brought in by the government’s zoning system, which failed to consider the plight of local fishermen. He then proposes community conservation programmes as a remedy to conservation problems in Indonesia. Derek Armitage (CCRN Researcher) tackles the relationship between community stewardship of resources and community well-being in a fishing community. He defined community well-being as the ability of communities to maintain their families and livelihoods and recognizing that fishing is not just a job, but a livelihood that requires communities to be stewards of fisheries.

Phil Dearden (CCRN Researcher) highlights some of the challenges with Thailand’s marine reserves and fisheries that include dwindling fisheries, changes brought by climate variabilities and coral bleaching. He proposes a community-oriented agreement that focuses on community conservation and stewardship of resources as a solution to Thailand’s marine reserve challenges. Dachanee Emphandu (CCRN Researcher) emphasises the need for community stewardship of resources for the benefit of livelihoods that rely on these resources. Mitsutaku Makino (CCRN Researcher in Japan) highlights some of the conservation challenges in Japan, such as declining fisheries, environmental degradation and urbanization, degradation of coral reefs and heavy tourism.

Check out the CCRN community stories for more information about these sites.

The documentary is part of Cintia Gillam‘s Master’s of Arts in International Development Studies thesis at Saint Mary’s University, and is based on her field research trip between July and August 2014. For additional information, check out the Vila dos Pescadores Community Story.