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Unified fisheries ordinance: a policy approach towards bay wide fishery management in Sibugay Province, the Philippines

2013; Volume: 15; Issue: Supplement Linguagem: Inglês

10.3755/galaxea.15.400

1883-3969

Michelle R. BAIRD, Cleto L. Nañola, María José Pérez, Wilman C. POLLISCO,

Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies

One policy approach that has proved effective in managing bay wide fisheries resource projects elsewhere is the Unified Fisheries Ordinance. The implementation potential of this approach was tested in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, Philippines through inter-LGU collaboration and joint enforcement to protect common marine ecosystems. The formulation process involved the use of governance principles i.e. functionality, transparency, accountability and participatory to address issues involving commercial fishing, vessels fishing within municipal waters, illegal and destructive fishing and excessive fishing. The paper aims to a) document the process of crafting a unified fisheries ordinance, b) to demonstrate its implementation and c) present the benefits gained by local government units in implementing the said policy. A series of participatory and consultative workshops were conducted to engage 13 coastal municipalities, the province and other national agencies. Provisions and prohibitions which were agreed for inclusion into the unified ordinance were: a) color coding of boats; b) registry of fishers c) registry of fishing vessels; d) permits and licensing; e) zoning of coastal waters; f) incentives and rewards for enforcers; and g) a list of prohibited acts and penalties. Throughout the implementation phase, improvements observed include: a) the decline of illegal fishing activities within municipal waters; b) increase in compliance to the registration requirements for fishers, boats and fishing gear and c) revenue generated for the local government units (LGUs). The major outcomes during the implementation were the development of alliances and networks among stakeholders within the bay to strengthen enforcement activities and increase compliance of the coastal communities in the observance of the policy or ordinance.