Implementing an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) in Small-Scale Tropical Marine Fisheries

This project targets the coastal communities in the Project's focal sites namely, the Philippines, Indonesia, Tanzania, and the Solomon Islands), who rely on coastal habitats as an important source of livelihood and nutrition; managers of marine protected areas (MPAs) and fisheries; non-governmental organizations; and national and local governments. Specifically for the Philippines, the Project will target the coastal communities of Misamis Occidental (Sinacaban, Tudela, Oroquieta City, Jimenez, Aloran, and Panaon), with possible expansion to the coastal communities in Misamis Oriental. The Project's main activities are divided into two phases: a) participatory research; and b) collaborative implementation of EAF strategies in focal sites. This project aims to use an EAF framework to improve small-scale fisheries (SSF) management in developing countries and enhance their contribution to poverty reduction. Specifically, this Project aims to a) assess existing institutional arrangements and understand how an EAF can overcome barriers to effective integrated SSF management; b) develop EAF strategies and actions for SSF management suitable for developing country contexts; and c) strengthen the capacity of local fishery stakeholders and government agencies to collaborate and work within an EAF. These are the same objectives that SEARCA sets out to achieve by providing assistance to the WorldFish Center in the various diagnosis and capacity building activities of the Project.