Co-management: A game changer in marine resource management in Malaysia?

In two recent articles, I have discussed Reef Check Malaysia’s marine resource conservation programmes with local communities in three locations around Malaysia. I have covered the importance of resilience in long term reef conservation, and the role that strengthening local stakeholders’ livelihoods plays. In this article, I share some thoughts on how we link all this together with approaches to managing protected areas that ensure the best possible conservation outcomes that benefit everyone.

When we talk about co-management, we are really talking about the range of management options, from 100% run by government through to 100% run by local stakeholders, as shown in the diagram below. 

Malaysia’s approach to managing its Marine Parks is anchored to the left, sometimes described as a “top-down” approach, which means that all decisions on management, regulations, etc., are taken by the relevant government management agency – in this case the Marine Parks section of the Department of Fisheries. There is little opportunity for stakeholders – particularly those living on the marine park islands – to have any say in these decisions, and this can create disagreement, tension and even conflict between management agency and “the managed”.

What is Co-management?

Co-management, also known as participatory management or locally-based management, provides a middle ground between a top-down and community-based (or “bottom-up”) management approach. The concept of co-management developed as a result of the failure of the top-down approach due to:

• the difficulty of enforcing restrictions imposed by management agencies

• lack of compliance from local stakeholders.

There are numerous reasons why there is a need to shift to a participatory approach:

1. Trend towards empowering communities and civil society – enshrined in the Malaysian National Policy on Biological Diversity and the Sustainable Development Goals.

2. Increasing conflicts among stakeholders are not being managed.

3. Unmanaged resource exploitation.

4. Increasing degradation of coastal and marine habitats by marine and land-based pollution.

5. Local attitude of “not my problem” and “it is government’s responsibility” creates a negative, non-caring attitude among local stakeholders.

6. Low income and job security of some stakeholders.

7. Lack of interaction between management agency and local stakeholders.

8. Weak linkage between healthy ecosystem and visitors and businesses.

9. Marine park territorial dispute causes lack of interest in managing resources.

10. Lack of legitimacy, pride and transparency in management and decision-making.

11. State government’s increasing interest in taking over the responsibility to manage their own resources.

Co-management involves conscious and official sharing of responsibility and formal vesting of authority to local stakeholders for the management of resources.

Stakeholders are people and/or groups whose interests, resources, power or authority are likely to substantially impact, or be impacted by, management or lack of management. In other words, anyone that has interest in a certain marine resource, regardless of their location, can be considered a stakeholder. Therefore, co-management can be defined as

“A partnership arrangement in which the community of local resource users, government, other stakeholders and external agents share the responsibility and authority for decision making over the management of natural resources.”

Co-management is common in natural resource governance, especially in Southeast Asia and Pacific islands regions. Local communities and relevant government authorities work on a partnership basis. The main goals are to:

1. conserve biodiversity and natural resources

2. ensure community’s socioeconomic needs are not side-lined.

This approach has generated success for conservation strategies in marine protected areas because:

• more participation in decision making raises the knowledge base among stakeholders.

• it allows better representation of the stakeholders’ interests.

• it provides for involvement of NGOs/civil society, who can help local communities understand their rights and their role in management.

When all stakeholders have a long-term commitment to and involvement in conservation management, there will be more support for the purpose and more compliance with regulations. Success requires that they should be involved actively, and also have reasonably equal voices in the management body. There also has to be balance between ecological values and socio-economic values when protecting an area. Early involvement from stakeholders in planning and management of marine protected areas has been shown to significantly reduce the likelihood of creating ‘paper parks’ or ineffective management.

In Tioman, a participatory approach to management is emerging, under the Department of Fisheries “Reef Care” programme. Launched nearly two years ago, Reef Care vests some responsibility for marine resource management to the local community, in this case in Tekek and Air Batang villages. Together with another community initiative we have established, the Tioman Marine Conservation Group (TMCG), local villagers are able to participate in conservation programmes and have an impact on the way a small area is managed. For some, it is even proving an additional source of income – especially important given the impact of the Covid pandemic on tourism on the island.

The system isn’t perfect by a long way – there is no funding for programmes, and villagers have limited scope for changing regulations. But it’s a step in the right direction and we are hopeful that DoF will extend it.

But there is another piece of the puzzle that is emerging as important, and which we have to consider: governance. The IUCN manual on Governance of Protected Areas describes governance in the following way:

“Wherever decisions are being made and power and authority are exercised, some form of “governance” is in place.”

This puts understanding governance at the heart of effective conservation. The power and the capacity to take decisions have a major influence on the achievement of protected area objectives, the sharing of responsibilities, rights, costs and benefits, and the generation and maintenance of support – be it financial, political, or from the communities in and around the protected areas in question.

I shall be covering governance in a future piece.

Linking resilience, livelihoods and reef management

Reef Check Malaysia is currently operating long-term marine resource conservation programmes in three locations: Tioman island, Mantanani island and the Johor islands. We also have on-going programmes – such as our annual coral reef monitoring survey programme – that take us to other islands in both Peninsular and East Malaysia. As we work increasingly closely with local stakeholders (islanders, tourism operators, etc.) and develop a deeper understanding of some of the challenges facing communities and managers alike, several inter-linked themes are starting to emerge that need more attention:

• Resilience

• Livelihoods

• Co-management.

In previous comments, I suggested that one approach to conserving reefs is to support resilience. What I didn’t address was the impact of doing that on communities and livelihoods.

Resilience broadly describes the capacity of an ecosystem to recover from degradation, thus maintaining ecosystem services. Supporting resilience contributes to long term conservation of reefs. But how do we support resilience? One way is to reduce our impacts on nature, to achieve several goals:

• Prevent physical damage caused by marine tourism

• Reduce sewage pollution from resorts and other sources

• Manage fishing activity to protect key species

• Control release of siltation from construction sites.

These are just a few examples. But one common denominator in all of them is: how does this affect the livelihoods of communities associated with reefs?

Coastal communities earn their living from the sea. They are either fishermen or they work in the tourism industry – both of which rely on healthy ecosystems. But maintaining healthy ecosystems by implementing projects to achieve the above goals can have negative consequences for jobs:

• Controlling marine tourism might lead to a reduction in numbers of tourists, which reduces jobs in guiding.

• Insisting on strict adherence to sewage regulations might reduce investment in resorts, which might mean less job opportunities for coastal communities.

• Restricting fishing to certain areas can increase costs to fishermen who have to travel further – or even lead to job losses due to loss of fishing grounds.

• Improving the management of construction sites in coastal areas could lead to reduced investment in resorts, again meaning less jobs for communities.

On the other hand… there could just as easily be positive outcomes for jobs – healthier ecosystems means a better tourism product; beaches and seas clean of sewage pollution makes for a popular tourism destination; and managing fishing can eventually lead to recovery of fishing stocks. 

So long term reef conservation means much more than just managing biological factors.

If we want healthy oceans, we also have to look after the interests of the local communities that depend on the ocean. It is essential to manage the related economic factors – jobs and food security – if we want the support of the communities that will be affected by the proposed conservation measures. Because if they don’t – then those measures are more likely to fail.

Think, for example, of the resources needed to effectively patrol an island with a coastline of 169km – and a marine protected area stretching 2 nautical miles from the coast. If the island community supports the marine protected area, then they will comply with the fishing restrictions, reducing the patrolling and enforcement needs. But if they don’t support the protected area – perhaps because they were not consulted when it was imposed, then compliance with regulations will be low and the need for patrolling and enforcement increase dramatically.

Another area in which we often see conflict is tourism. Tourism can bring economic benefits; but at the same time, growing visitor numbers can put stress on both local communities and ecosystems. If the benefits of the tourism are not shared with the local communities affected – as is often the case – then why should local communities comply with regulations that focus on growing tourism? On the other hand, if we ensure that local communities do benefit from tourism – specifically by actively involving them in community-based tourism initiatives – then once again, compliance with regulations increases and the costs of management go down.

At Reef Check Malaysia, we've been working closely with communities on several islands, and we've seen first-hand how communities rely on the ocean for their livelihoods. Over-reliance on fishing – or tourism – can eventually have negative consequences for livelihoods. We are working with communities to diversify livelihoods, with skills training and investments in community-based tourism.

Empowering local communities is important. There is no simple fix or methodology to improving management of marine resources. We are just part of the puzzle, and at the end of the day a whole raft of stakeholders – government agencies, communities, tourism operators, etc. – should be part of the conversation. We will continue to raise awareness on how important it is that local communities are involved in management, to ensure their voices are heard, and their interests protected.

Cintai Mantanani: April-June 2021 News

Cintai Mantanani is a long-term effort by Reef Check Malaysia which strives to ensure the economic well-being of the community while protecting our marine environment. Currently, we have a team of three based on Mantanani Island running the projects on the ground relating to waste management, plastic recycling, alternative livehoods, and, community-based tourism.

Daily waste & plastic bottle collection by our Daily Waste Management team

Waste Management

As of June 2021, a total of 174 households with a population of 905 were involved in our daily waste collection in both villages - Kampung Siring Bukit and Kampung Padang. From 1st April to 15th June 2021, a total of 15,972.2 kg of solid waste managed to be collected from both villages. There are still around less than 30 households that is not involved in the daily waste collections due to reasons such as the household owners are living on mainland or at the resort where they work or also due to personal reasons.

Virgin Coconut Oil

The virgin coconut oil (VCO) project supported by Yayasan Hasanah for the Economic Recovery Program of the community has now generated around RM1,900 worth of sales since they have started. The sales will be divided equally among those who have been involved and the production and packaging costs such as the glass bottles, gloves, and petrol.

Currently, our two virgin coconut oil machines have been sent for repair as it has not been functioning. However, that does not stop the VCO team from going on. They are now using the traditional method to retrieve the oil instead.

VCO team preparing the coconuts during the production

Kangkung planted

Watermelons to harvest

Kebun Komuniti

The kebun komuniti team has successfully planted 13 types of fruits and vegetables in their new garden area. In the past 3 months, they were able to harvest watermelons, kangkung and corns. Recently, a well was dug up in the garden area so that the process of transporting water is made convenient. Previously, they had to transport water from a nearby resort in order to water the plants. With their recent planting of corns, they are hoping to sell the next harvest to the local community in order to continue supporting their livelihoods.

Abalone Mariculture

The abalone mariculture project has generated RM350 from the sales of 70 abalones. However, the team has been faced with several challenges in the past few months with their nets being torn apart due to floating logs or strong wind and waves. Sadly, due to those events, they lost 222 abalones and had 1 broken cage. In the meantime, they are working to repair these damages.

Abalone Mariculture team counting the number of abalones

Cintai Tioman : April - June 2021 News

Cintai Tioman is a 10-year old programme designed to enhance the resilience of coral reefs and social resilience of the community on Pulau Tioman. Reef Check Malaysia, with the help of Yayasan Sime Darby as sponsor, aims to meet several objectives through the programme, including:

• Reducing local impacts to the reefs

• Building capacity of local community and empowering them to take greater roles in coral reef conservation and management

• IUCN Green List Accreditation for Tioman Island Marine Park

 Coral Reef Surveys

Tioman coral reef surveys for 2021 were carried out in April. The success of these surveys were due to the collaboration from different stakeholders — EcoDivers from Dept. of Fisheries Pahang, Tioman Marine Conservation Group, Tioman Dive Association and Reef Check Malaysia. The methodology used was Reef Check. Tioman has 18 permanent survey sites that have been monitored yearly. Data collection is crucial for assessing reef health, identifying threats faced by reefs and finding solutions. Annual survey reports for Tioman can be downloaded at www.reefcheck.org.my/annual-reports. 

 Rumah Hijau Kampung Paya

The newest recycling collection centre that has been recently set up on Tioman Island is Rumah Hijau Kampung Paya. Now each village on Tioman Island has its own recycling collection centre. A huge thank you to Hussain for your willingness to manage Rumah Hijau Kampung Paya. We would also like to thank everyone who helped to build the recycling collection centre. Now, the residents at Paya can send their recyclables such as plastic bottles, glass bottles, cans and electrical appliances to Rumah Hijau Kampung Paya. The building of this Rumah Hijau was sponsored by Ocean Conservancy.

 Mooring Buoy and Mooring Line Installation

 In April, Reef Check Malaysia together with Department of Fisheries Pahang, Tioman Marine Conservation Group and Tioman Dive Association installed a total of 14 mooring buoys and mooring lines at Batu Malang, Fan Canyon, Sepoi, Labas, Chebeh, Teluk Kador, Teluk Dalam, Soyak and Tomok.

 Water Refill Station

In an effort to reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles, a total of 15 water refill stations were set up around Tioman Island. In each village, there are 2 to 3 new water refill stations. These water filters were sponsored by Just a Place.

 Ghost Nets Removal

 A total of 700kg ghost nets were removed from Chebeh, Teluk Kador, Batu Nipah, Soyak, Air Batang, Marine Park Centre Jetty, Renggis, Munjur, Tekek, Genting, Nipah and Tedau. The success of these efforts was due to collaboration from Reef Check Malaysia, Department of Fisheries Pahang, Tioman Marine Conservation Group, Freedive Tioman, B&J Dive Centre and Sorte Met Stella Scuba. Ghost nets stuck on reefs can damage corals and trap marine life such as sharks, turtles and fishes which very often cause death or injuries to these marine life.

Mersing Heart of the Ocean: April-June 2021 News

Our Mersing Islands programme is supported by MISC Berhad through its Heart of the Ocean marine biodiversity conservation programme, which aims to improve ocean health by supporting coral reef conservation, increasing reef resilience and reducing plastic litter in our ocean. 

The unprecedented global pandemic has certainly affected the operating circumstances of every organisation be it small or large.  We have not had the opportunity to conduct our community and stakeholder consultations with the communities of Sibu, Tinggi, Pemanggil, Besar and Aur since the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO). This being said, most of our field work and scheduled consultation activities are currently restricted.

To ensure that we carry on with our commitment, we’ve decided to carry out these consultation sessions via phone conversations with the resort operators on the island, as well as the villagers. These ongoing consultations are done to provide the island communities with a platform to communicate and express their concerns or expectation regarding their island’s marine park and resources management. It is interesting to know that majority of the stakeholders consulted agreed and would like to play a role in their island marine park and resource management.

In the following weeks, our team will continue the consultation session to understand other issues expressed by the communities so that we can identify the best way forward.

Our colleague taking down notes during a phone consultation session

As part of our advocacy efforts to raise the public’s awareness on the importance of coral reefs and the valuable role that they play in sustaining the marine ecosystem, we’ve recently began a monthly education series called #KnowingYourReefs or #KenaliTerumbuAnda. From March to December this year, the series will explore topics such as coral reef habitats, threats to coral reefs as well as coral reef conservation in the form of e-posters that are published on both our Facebook and Instagram social media accounts. These e-posters, containing simple information that helps people understand this amazing ecosystem, are available in English and Bahasa Malaysia.  Based on an analysis on the postings that were uploaded from March to May, we received positive engagements on both social media channels. With this, we hope the momentum continues to build in the months to come as we continue to educate and increase the public’s awareness and appreciation.

Posters from our #KnowingYourReefs

#KenaliTerumbuAnda educational series

Pasukan Pendidik Ekologi dan Alam Sekitar (PEDAS) is a Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) collaboration programme by Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah Mersing, Majlis Daerah Mersing, Cawangan Taman Laut & Pengurusan Sumber Mersing (Jabatan Perikanan), Reef Check Malaysia, Tengah Island Conservation, Trash Hero Mersing and MareCet. Our team has been regularly conducting PEDAS educational programmes for primary and secondary school students through interactive presentations and games. However, due to COVID-19, we’ve now turned to virtual presentation via Google Meet to carry out these activities, which aims to engage with these students to raise awareness on the marine environment and the issues it faces.

Part of the virtual session with the students

Recently, we carried out a virtual educational programme to share about “Coral Reefs” to three local schools in Mersing: SK LKTP Nitar 2, SMK Seri Mersing and SMK FELDA Tenggaroh A. This educational programme was aimed at creating awareness which will in turn ignite passion amongst the younger generation to have deeper care for the marine ecosystems. The students enjoyed the virtual presentation sessions and even made a request for us to share more videos of our field work for the next PEDAS programmes with them.

How do we "do"​ conservation and support resilience for our marine ecosystems?

Reef Check Malaysia is currently operating long-term marine resource conservation programmes in three locations: Tioman Island, Mantanani Island and the Johor Islands. We also have on-going programmes – such as our annual coral reef monitoring survey programme – that take us to other islands in both Peninsular and East Malaysia. As we work increasingly closely with local stakeholders (islanders, tourism operators, etc.), we are developing a deeper understanding of some of the challenges facing communities and managers alike. Several inter-linked themes are starting to emerge that need more attention:

• Resilience

• Livelihoods

• Co-management

This article discusses the first of these – resilience; I will talk about the other two topics – and how they integrate and impact our own strategy – in later articles.

Everyone is talking about conservation, protecting the environment, ecosystems, sustainability…lots of words, lots of jargon…but what does it all mean to you, to coastal communities, to divers – to people?

More importantly – and assuming these things are important – how can we engage with these various stakeholders to get their input into achieving agreed, necessary conservation goals? How can we ensure that everyone benefits equally?

Let me start by defining the conservation argument. One definition of an ecosystem is “a community of living organisms in conjunction with the non-living components of their environment, interacting as a system”. Ecosystems provide a number of what are called “ecosystem services” to society – things that we need (such as food and oxygen), without which we could not survive. So we need “to conserve” these ecosystems in order to continue to receive those services/benefits. Simple.

However, this brings me back to an old argument: I would contend that you can’t actually “do” conservation; conservation is something that happens when certain activities are undertaken to reduce damaging impacts to ecosystems, thereby ensuring they remain in the same condition over medium to long timeframes.

So what is it we can actually “do” to support reefs and achieve those conservation goals?

Ecosystems such as coral reefs have a natural property called resilience. In the context of coral reefs, resilience has been defined as “the capacity of a reef to resist or recover from degradation and maintain provision of ecosystem goods and services”.

But coral reefs are losing their resilience because of pressure from human activities (such as tourism and fishing) combined with increasing climate impacts (such as ocean warming that leads to bleaching). Resilience is a characteristic that can be both readily assessed and actively supported. Many scientists believe that supporting resilience needs to be a management priority and that local actions can influence the future resilience of reefs.

Essentially, we are looking for ways to reduce negative impacts to ecosystems – coral reefs, seagrass, etc. It’s not rocket science: imagine you are on holiday on a small island; think about what you might do during the day…and then think about what impacts on coral reefs those activities might cause - even unintentionally. Snorkeling trip? Stand on coral, anchor damage, feeding fish…; lunch in a restaurant? Trash, grease from kitchens, grey water…; beach-side chalet? Sewage pollution, trash, beach erosion…

In essence, pretty much everything we do can have an impact on ecosystems.

So how do we “do” conservation? How do we support resilience?

By taking action to reduce our impacts:

• Training for snorkeling guides so that they know not to use anchors, they dissuade you from feeding bread to fish, they teach you to snorkel correctly and not to stand on corals. Programmes such as Green Fins can help to achieve this.

• Programmes for resorts to help them to identify changes that can reduce their impacts – better sewage treatment systems, eco-friendly cleaning products, reducing energy and water consumption. The ASEAN Green Hotels standards can be used for this.

• Managing fishing activity through engagement, consultation and awareness – backed-up with patrols and enforcement, to ensure populations of reef fish are protected.

• Controlling development so that physical damage to reefs is avoided and release of siltation and other pollutants is managed.

• Awareness programmes for tourists – to help them understand how they can contribute to reducing the impacts of their visit.

Management must be based on resilience principles, and management plans need to incorporate activities to reduce impacts so that we can build the resilience of reefs over the long term. One of the great things about resilience is that it is very democratic – everyone has a role to play. Resort operators, tour guides, local islanders – even tourists; so it’s not just left up to government to do everything.

So now we know what we have to do: support resilience. Are we doing it? Data from our annual coral reef survey suggests the answer is “some of it…in some places”.

Which raises the question: Who is responsible? Government? Management agencies? Tour operators? Local communities? Just what is it "they" should be doing and how can we ensure that local communities are not left out?

I will discuss these questions in the next articles.

Political will in short supply

Collective and responsible management of ocean ecosystems and resources must be the new normal or risk failing our next generation.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Dr. Kathryn Sullivana

This colour image of the Earth was obtained by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft on Dec. 11, 1990 when the spacecraft was about 1.5 million miles from the Earth. Credit: NASA

As we celebrated Earth Day amid the Covid-19 pandemic, one wonders, why are we still having difficulties putting an end to the same problems that go back at least three generations?

Persistent water, land, and air pollution, the blatant destruction of countless species and their habitats, unsustainable resource extraction – all have been scientifically proven to cause environmental disasters due to climate change; widen the poverty and social equity gap; intensify health-related crises; and impede economic growth. Sadly, this is what we have inherited and continue, unapologetically.

International reaction

Learning from painful mistakes, in 1972 the international community established the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to provide leadership, deliver science and develop solutions on a wide range of environmental issues. Now it is the leading global environmental authority, setting the global environmental agenda and playing a role as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

UNEP hosts many multilateral environmental agreements and research bodies in areas such as climate change, disasters and conflicts, ecosystem management, environmental governance, chemicals and waste, and resource efficiency. Some of them include the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Vienna Convention for the Protection of Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

As one of the 36 consortium members of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), UNEP contributes to global, regional, and country-level efforts in overseeing operations of all UNSDG entities to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) feels that now is the right time to participate in conversations and actions beyond its core conservation area, which is marine protected areas (MPAs). This is simply because MPAs are impacted by problems and challenges outside their boundary.

Over the last three months, Reef Check Malaysia has published several articles on issues, initiatives and recommendations ranging from efforts by:

• international communities stepping up commitments to ocean protection - through the protection of at least 30% of Earth as protected areas

• our current state of fisheries in light of the increasing rate of consumption

• justification for moving towards a co-management approach in managing marine protected areas

• why we require a concerted effort in managing oceans responsibly through an adaptive National Ocean Policy

The elusive political will: A leap forward in governance

Political will is the core to the success of any policy. Our mistake lies in taking political will for granted.

The 2010 paper “Defining Political Will” suggests that :

“Political will exist when a sufficient set of decision-makers with a common understanding of a particular problem on the formal agenda is committed to supporting a commonly perceived, potentially effective policy solution.”

Based on this definition, sufficient decision-makers refers to a sufficient number of people who are in positions of power who support the desired changes, agree that a particular issue has reached problem status, and that it requires government action.

These decision-makers must then be committed to the particular issue and reach a consensus on the type of policy response required.

Political will is complicated by the governance and institutional arrangements of the country. In our previous articles, we touched on some institutional and legal challenges that complicate managing our ocean resources. Ocean industries and coastal-based resource management (including conservation) are typically managed sectorally by multiple government authorities guided by exclusive policies, institutional arrangements, and legal instruments. This creates overlaps in jurisdiction and authorities; inconsistencies and gaps in legislative frameworks; amplifies multiple-use conflicts; increases duplication of efforts; creates unclear paths for stakeholders in pursuing interests and raises concerns on many uncoordinated approaches by different parties in similar issues.

A quick illustration is in the form of the National Policy on Biodiversity (NPBD). The policy is the responsibility of the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources. However, the management of fisheries and marine protected areas are under the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries, while maritime industries are managed by the Ministry of Transport.

This is further complicated by the inherently delicate relationship between the Federal and State governments. There are at least 32 key legislations (both Federal and State) concerning biodiversity conservation in Peninsular Malaysia; seven (7) in Sabah and eight (8) in Sarawak. These legislations are enforced by several authorities; each with its own objectives and coordination mechanisms.

A whole-of-government and society approach towards an adaptive National Ocean Policy

The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that large-scale urgent change is possible. The unprecedented level and speed of policy and legislative actions demonstrated our political will and capacity to adapt in the face of profound suffering and loss to our health, livelihoods, economies, and behaviours.

Reef Check Malaysia hopes that with the same determination, we can put in place a much-needed transformative change in the form of an adaptive National Ocean Policy supported by a dynamic form of governance to assist decision-makers and policy actors to address the gaps, harmonise initiatives and coordinate the actions of many government agencies that are typically involved in ocean affairs towards an agreed social and economic vision and common goals.

The development and implementation of such a policy hinges on all parties’ participation – from the adoption of a participatory approach with all concerned agencies and stakeholders to the determination and implementation of policy actions based on informed process, science and local knowledge.

As of 2015, 15 developed and developing nations had articulated and implemented an integrated, ecosystem-based ocean policy governing the ocean areas under their jurisdiction. This includes developing goals and procedures to harmonize existing uses and laws to foster sustainable development of ocean areas, protect biodiversity and vulnerable resources and ecosystems, and coordinate the actions of the many government agencies that are typically involved in oceans affairs.

Since then, countries such as Fiji (2020), Solomon Islands (2018), Indonesia (2017), and Vanuatu (2016) have developed their version of a National Ocean Policy.

In 2010, the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation commissioned the National Oceanographic Directorate to work on a draft Malaysia Ocean Policy.

The draft policy recommended guidance on national goals and principles that should govern our ocean and coastal activities. It also sets out recommendations to address the challenges of maintaining consistency in law and financial allocations in pursuit of the proposed defined goals. To achieve these goals, the draft NOP recommended that relevant existing laws and institutional arrangements will have to be harmonised in consideration of their cumulative impact on Malaysian ocean management. In essence, national laws will have to achieve integration to ensure their combined effectiveness in making certain that both current and future generations of Malaysians derive maximum benefit from the oceans.

Over the years, many individual experts and organisations have called for a revisit of the draft National Ocean Policy for Malaysia.

The revision should consider strengthening the existing recommendations that range from widening the reach of ocean-earth education, increase capacity building for all stakeholders, developing strategies for science and research & development, to remodel robust enforcement and monitoring measures that involve all parties including local communities.

Additional elements to the draft must embrace the development for sustainable financing; implementation of a blue and circular economy; mandatory reporting procedures; adequate enforcement of digital and technological advances in big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics as tools for problem-solving.

More importantly, improvements in the implementation of laws affecting ocean use and resources and related institutional strengthening must require a national ocean policy that is adaptive and has precise aims and objectives and is led by the highest office.

Retaining political will in Malaysia

Reef Check Malaysia is hopeful that, despite many political changes, Malaysia as a nation will steadfastly prioritise global common goals. In this case, prioritising our right to survive.

2021-2030 is the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. This initiative gives member nations opportunities to seek solutions to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health, and work with ocean stakeholders worldwide to move towards a common framework that will ensure ocean science can fully support countries in creating improved conditions for sustainable development of the Ocean. In this case, a framework for a National Ocean Policy.

This common framework shall be heavily influenced by the outcome of the upcoming 15th UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP15) this October in Kunming, China; and the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow from November 1-12, 2021.

However, all these efforts will come to nought if we fail to secure political leadership and commitment from respective parties.

Political differences and self-interest ought to be set aside as we face our biggest challenge yet, the survival and well-being of humanity.

#ecosystemrestoration #oceandecade #EarthDay2021 #oceanliteracy #oceanscience #malaysiaoceanpolicy #oceanpolicy

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As a matter of urgency, Reef Check Malaysia calls for an adaptive, science-informed National Ocean Policy, responsible and collective management of the ocean ecosystem and resources supported by strong political will and leadership, fortified with legal and institutional reforms that could withstand political changes, for the benefit of the country and future generations.

Mersing Heart of the Ocean: January - March 2021 News

GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Programme (STTP)

In January and February, three of our colleagues from various locations and three Mersing team members completed the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Sustainable Tourism Training Programme (STTP). These 4-week training sessions included virtual workshops and group discussions. Conducted by GSTC in collaboration with TrainingAid. The two trainers were Ayako Ezaki, GSTC Training Director and Dr David Erman, an international tourism consultant, researcher and speaker. We were joined by our partners and local stakeholders from the Sustainable Travel Mersing Group (STM), with whom we are collaborating to develop strategies and action plans to establish Mersing as a sustainable tourism destination.

Some of the participants of the GSTC STTP during a virtual session

At the training, our team had the opportunity to discover more about the four GSTC pillars; Sustainable Management, Socio-economic Sustainability, Cultural Sustainability and Environmental Sustainability. We’ve exchanged knowledge and experiences with other global participants   and we learned from experienced speakers who had pioneered sustainable tourism practices in their organisations and tourism destinations globally. Through this workshop, various practical examples were demonstrated and we hope to make use of the knowledge gained and share it with our wider stakeholder groups in Mersing. 

An ongoing training session

Island Community Survey

 In March, our team in Mersing visited four islands over 2 weeks; Sibu, Tinggi, Pemanggil and Aur for community surveys. During this trip, we were joined by our local collaborators from the STM group. Since some of our new team members had never visited the islands before, the trip was intended as a stocktaking exercise in getting to know the islands and their communities. These visits are marked as the first in a series of future community consultation sessions. Additionally, such visits will be useful for us to better understand the communities’ issues, concerns, hopes and interests when they participate in conservation activities for the sustainable management of marine resources around the islands.  

Our team during a community survey session

 During this trip, we also took the opportunity to engage with the tour operators that are based on the islands and we conducted a preliminary plastic waste and sewage treatment assessment. Information collected from this assessment will provide baseline information on the current system and this will help us to support the local authority to formulate a strategy for effective waste management for Mersing islands.

A preliminary plastic waste assessment

Site recce for annual Reef Check survey and reef rehabilitation

 There are over 45 islands in the Mersing archipelago, many of which are not yet included in long term coral reef health monitoring programmes. With the assistance from the Department of Fisheries and a local champion from Sibu Island, Mr. Yusri, our team went for a site visit to Pulau Sibu and Pulau Lima in hope of identifying new Reef Check survey and reef rehabilitation sites.

The team preparing for a site recce

Several sites were surveyed and identified with plans to establish a long-term reef monitoring and rehabilitation programme are underway. Check out the video from this trip here: 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CMbACiSBz7R/?igshid=u34348ae6ky3  OR https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=303793381095343 

We extend our appreciation to MISC Berhad for their continuous support for the Mersing programme under their Heart of the Ocean corporate initiative.

Malaysia Marine Policy

In 2020, following a review of its activities over the last five years, RCM prepared a new five-year strategic plan for the period 2021-2025. The review confirmed that our vision is still very relevant today: “Sustainably managed coral reefs in Malaysia”. However, as a result of the review, we developed some new goals, which are much more specific than previously: it focuses on local stakeholder participation in management and building resilience of ecosystems and communities. A third goal looks at strengthening policy and legal frameworks to support improving marine resource management. To pursue this goal, we added a couple of new programme areas, one of which focuses on policy.

A quick google search on “Malaysian marine policy” quickly brings up a number of results…mainly lamenting the lack of any such policy! Back in 2019, Tun Mahathir spoke at the National Maritime Conference 2019 in Pulau Langkawi. He said that there is a need for an overarching maritime policy in Malaysia encompassing all aspects — including security, safety, economy and environment. Apparently, at the time Malaysia had no less than 15 federal laws and orders to manage its maritime space, while the enforcement of these laws is entrusted on 31 maritime-related agencies from more than 10 ministries. Numerous articles – both in the scientific press and the mainstream media – support the need to improve policies relating to marine conservation.

RCM is increasingly engaged in working with local communities to encourage participatory management of marine resources – through co-management systems, for example. There are plenty of examples from around the region that demonstrate that co-management creates better conservation outcomes. However, one of the greatest challenges we face is poor regulatory and policy support for the very concept of stakeholder participation. The strongest policy support comes in the form of the National Policy on Biological Diversity. Target 2 states that: By 2025, the contributions of indigenous peoples and local communities, civil society and the private sector to the conservation and sustainable utilisation of biodiversity have increased significantly. The first indicator calls for policy and legal provisions to be developed – by 2021. Still on such provisions.

As we emerge from the restrictions imposed by the covid pandemic and start to travel again – often to places with fragile ecosystems, let’s make sure that our recovery doesn’t damage the very places we want to visit. Let’s push for better policies to control visitor numbers, and reduce damaging activities. But most of all – let’s allow local stakeholders a say in how the resources they rely for their livelihoods are managed. Allowing them a say creates more buy-in and ownership – creating the better conservation outcomes mentioned previously.

Cintai Mantanani : January - March 2021 News

Our team on the island have been working tirelessly to address the issue of waste management on the island, as there is still no proper municipal waste system in place. We've recently had to spend over RM1,000 to send out the trash collected on the island from December-January to proper dumping site on the mainland. We'd like to thank Yayasan Hasanah, GEF SGP Malaysia, and The Coca-Cola Foundation for supporting this waste management program, as well as Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia for lending us his land for temporary waste collection and waste segregation. 

Plastic waste ready to be sent out of the island

Plastic recycling bins have been placed around the village, each bin shared by 2-3 families. The PET/HDPE plastics collected will be  compressed before being sent out and purchased by a recycling centre in Inanam. A total of 753kg of plastics were sent out in early January. However, we are struggling the cost of handling and transportation, as they exceed the amount received from the sale of the recyclables, by almost 6 times! 

Magnets and eco-purse set

 We're also working on recycling plastics into merchandise that can be sold to generate income for the islanders. We are currently in the progress of making recycled HDPE fridge magnets, to be sold together with recycled plastic wrap eco-bags made by the islanders. Other local products produced by the locals include the Virgin Coconut Oil, Sambal Cukup Rasa, Eco Purse made from single use sachet, and Fridge Magnet Eco Set. These products are marketed on an online marketing platform called Mantanani Local Product, as an effort to help the local community to earn a side income and support the recovery from COVID-19. 

Participants during the homestay training programme

Apart from that, a total of four training modules were developed and delivered to local homestays operators on the island. More than 20 participants from 11 homestays participated in these series of training aimed at improving their homestay quality and services based on the Homestays ASEAN Standard criteria. The modules included topics on management and challenges, developing marketable packages, safety and emergency procedures as well as biodiversity and cultural awareness. 

Cintai Tioman : January - March 2021 News

Our recycling programme on the island has been progressing well since we introduced it in more than 5 years ago. Recently, two more recycling centres (Rumah Hijau) were set up and began operating, in Kampung Mukut and Kampung Salang. Both these recycling centres are up and running with sponsorship from Ocean Conservancy. These centres accept items such as plastic bottles, glass bottles, cans and electrical appliances. 

Rumah Hijau Salang

In an effort to reduce the use of single-use plastic bottle, we've also installed two new drinking water refilling stations: one at the Tioman Marine Park Centre in Kampung Tekek and the other one at Sekolah Kebangsaan Mukut in Kampung Mukut. We hope to be able to introduce more of these refilling stations to encourage everyone to ditch single-use plastics and use their own water bottles. 

Water refilling station in the local school on Tioman

 As a result of the recent monsoon season which just ended, Kador Bay in Tioman was left with huge amounts on marine debris. RCM, together with Department of Fisheries Malaysia and Tioman Marine Conservation Group (TMCG) conducted a coastal clean-up in the area and successfully removed around 300kg debris. Majority of the waste were discarded fishing gear and plastic bottles. 

Our team also managed to remove a total of 320kg ghost nets were removed from the waters around Tulai, Soyak and Nipah. The success of these efforts was due to collaboration from RCM, Department of Fisheries Malaysia, TMCG, Freedive Tioman and B&J Dive Centre. Ghost nets stuck on reefs can damage corals and trap marine life such as sharks, turtles and fishes and very often cause death or injuries. 

Ghost nets that were removed

Managing our ocean resources responsibly through a National Ocean Policy

This article is the fifth of a six-part bi-weekly series culminating in an editorial piece advocating for an integrated ocean policy for Malaysia.

PART FIVE: NATIONAL OCEAN POLICY

Just as we have worked together in combatting the Covid-19 pandemic, we must now support a much-needed transformative change in the form of an adaptive ocean policy supported by a dynamic form of governance to address many decades-old ocean problems that have turned into a crisis.

Tioman Waters, Photo Credit: Alvin Chelliah

The ocean is one huge inter-connected water body that covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, driving weather, regulating temperature, and ultimately supporting all living things on Earth, including us.

The ocean is key to addressing many of the global challenges facing the planet from world food security and climate change to the provision of energy, natural resources, and improved medical care. In 2010, the OECD very conservatively estimated the value of the ocean economy at USD1.5 trillion. It is forecasted that by 2030, the ocean economy would double in size to USD3 trillion, providing full-time employment for around 40 million people.

Unfortunately, as the ocean economy expands, so will the growing pressures on marine resources and ocean space.

As we prosper from these finite resources, we neglected the health of the ocean, treating it as our dumping ground and plundering its resources, causing unpredictable, uneven, and uncertain effects for society, including varied risks for human health.

Ocean crises such as plastics, trash, pollution, and overexploitation of fishing resources are not new, and inadequately addressed. Governments around the world recognise that these are serious issues. Nevertheless, progress is painfully slow.

While the commitment of the United Nations member countries, including Malaysia, towards achieving the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets are commendable, the world has failed to meet any of the targets (refer to the Global Biodiversity Outlook 5 report).

“Earth’s living systems as a whole are being compromised. And the more humanity exploits nature in unsustainable ways and undermines its contributions to people, the more we undermine our own wellbeing, security and prosperity.”

___________________________

Elizabeth Maruma Mrema,
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Executive Secretary 

Institutional and Legal Challenges

One factor attributable to the slow progress of the Aichi Targets is that ocean issues and challenges are nestled within conflicting political, social, economic, and environmental systems across multiple scales of time, space, location, involving a diversity of stakeholders.

In most countries, ocean industries and coastal-based resource management (including conservation) are typically managed sectorally by multiple government authorities guided by exclusive policies, institutional arrangements, and legal instruments. This creates overlaps in jurisdiction and authorities; inconsistencies and gaps in legislative frameworks; amplifies multiple-use conflicts; increases duplication of efforts; creates unclear paths for stakeholders in pursuing interests and raises concerns on many uncoordinated approaches by different parties in similar issues. The same can be said for Malaysia with the inherently delicate relationship between the Federal and State governments. There are at least 32 key legislations (both Federal and State) concerning biodiversity conservation in Peninsular Malaysia; seven (7) in Sabah and eight (8) in Sarawak. These legislations are enforced by several authorities; each with its own objectives and coordination mechanisms.

National Ocean Policy around the world

Learning from the Covid-19 crisis management experience, cross-cutting policies must be adaptive, and implementation will require a dynamic form of governance that allows managers to respond rapidly to changes in space and time(1). In other words, an adaptive ocean policy must institutionalise participatory processes across systems and sectors and be able to support integrative and dynamic management.

By 2015, fifteen developed and developing nations[1] had articulated and implemented an integrated, ecosystem-based ocean policy governing the ocean areas under their jurisdiction. This includes developing goals and procedures to harmonize existing uses and laws to foster sustainable development of ocean areas, protect biodiversity and vulnerable resources and ecosystems, and coordinate the actions of the many government agencies that are typically involved in oceans affairs.

Since then, countries such as Fiji (2020 – working draft), Solomon Islands (2018), Indonesia (2017), and Vanuatu (2016) have developed their version of a National Ocean Policy.

Malaysia

In 2011, Malaysia drafted a version of a “National Ocean Policy” through the office of the National Oceanographic Directorate (NOD), Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI). It serves as a basis for developing future strategies, framework and action plans concerning the management of ocean and coastal environment and resources.

The draft policy covers a range of recommendations that include a sustainable ocean economy that encourages public-private partnerships; transforming ocean and coastal-based industries; and strengthening knowledge in marine science and technology to drive innovation-led growth. It also proposes a National Ocean Data Management Strategy to address issues such as data standardisation.

Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP)

Furthermore, the draft policy dedicated a whole chapter on building awareness, developing and retaining a marine talent base by increasing the competency of tertiary graduates, nurturing marine science and innovation entrepreneurs, increasing opportunities in upskilling for the existing workforce, and growing our capacity to train and certify seafarers.

The draft policy also emphasised building a coastal and marine environment that enhances the quality of life of the people. It encourages the development of a climate-resilient ocean sector, undertakes measures for climate adaptation and mitigation, exploration of ocean renewable energy by applying ecosystem-based management and marine spatial planning approaches.

Several recommendations were made to affect changes to the current national ocean governance system that includes updating and harmonising ocean-related legislation and rationalising existing governmental institutions and structures.

Since then, individual experts and organisations have called for the development of (or revisit) the (draft) National Ocean Policy for Malaysia. The draft requires updating and considers current initiatives, which include moving towards a blue economy; and embrace digital and technological advances in big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IOT) and robotics as tools for problem-solving. Another critical element to the NOP would be the allocation for a robust ocean literacy program to improve knowledge in sciences to drive science-policy interface and decision-making; and building awareness amongst people.

As a responsible nation, Malaysia is expected to meet its international obligations such as those committed in the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals by translating those commitments into national actions.

Lessons from Covid-19 and building back better

This article is the fourth of a six-part bi-weekly series culminating in an editorial piece advocating for an integrated ocean policy for Malaysia.

PART 4: SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT AND FINANCING FOR MARINE PROTECTED AREAS

In May 2021, the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) is set to negotiate, and hopefully agree on, a new target to place at least 30% of the Earth’s surface under conservation status by 2030. This means funding needs for management will be increased further, a challenging feat in light of devastating effect of the global Covid-19 pandemic. The Waldron Report finds that the financial and economic benefits of 30% protection exceed the costs by a factor of at least 5:1. Less straightforward to quantify, but no less important, are the cultural and spiritual values provided by protected areas. However, the annual cost of achieving this is estimated to be between USD103 to 178billion (incl. the USD68billion required to manage the existing system effectively).

Protected areas are generally reliant on a very narrow financing base.

International development assistance accounts for almost a third of protected area funding in Africa and up to 90% in some cases. Nearly 80% of the annual budget for conservation authorities in the Eastern and Southern African countries comes from tourism revenue. This type of funding – which is reliant on international and governmental funding support and revenue from tourism is echoed throughout the world. Malaysia is no exception – but it registered a decrease of 68.2% of tourist arrivals in the first half of 2020. It is safe to assume that a similar percentage decrease affected the tourism industry in marine protected areas as well.

Before the pandemic, protected areas around the world received roughly 8 billion visits per year and generated approximately USD600 billion per year in direct in-country expenditures and USD250 billion per year in consumer surplus.

For many marine protected areas, the negative impacts of the pandemic are particularly severe for the local communities. Most of their livelihoods are dependent on the tourism industry and as the industry came to a near standstill, they have had to rely on the government for their livelihoods and well-being.

In some cases, communities are forced to fish illegally for subsistence or undertake other forms of illegal activities to get by.

At a time when the public is understandably preoccupied and unable to participate in decision-making processes, some governments may (and in some cases already) undermine, weaken, or re-interpret environmental regulations and their implementation, and reduce conservation funding to realise short-term economic gains.

Reduced budgets and revenue translate to weakened management capacity including monitoring and enforcement activities. This leads to increased illegal activities, as seen recently when more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels with suspected records of IUU fishing were spotted just outside of Galapagos Islands territorial waters.

In light of the pandemic, the need for equitable governance for marine protected areas (MPAs) and fair benefit-sharing are critical more than ever, yet many MPAs lack inclusive governance processes. Formal governing agencies and institutions often operate independently from those responsible for social development, leading to a silo approach. Equitable forms of governance require that power be decentralised to local levels, which can be met with resistance from those in authority. However, studies found that in the face of the reduced capacity of management authorities caused by the pandemic, some sites had to decentralise their authority. This involved the transfer of some monitoring and enforcement power to local communities through increased community surveillance and collaboration, and information-sharing with state-led enforcement agencies.

“Building back better”.

In a recent paper published by PARKS, case studies show at least four main areas where marine protected areas illustrate either vulnerability or resilience to the pandemic:

(i)               sustainable financing

(ii)              devolved and equitable management

(iii)             adaptive monitoring and enforcement

(iv)             communications capacity.

All of which are addressed and built into the IUCN’s Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas Standard (the IUCN Green List Standard) and have been practised (though in limited scope) by NGOs such as Reef Check Malaysia in its Tioman Island and Mantanani project sites.

Mantanani Island. Photo credit: Adzmin

Sustainable Financing for management and livelihood

Experience taught us to diversity our products. Virtual tourism can be further expanded beyond videos and photographs, to virtual dives – bringing the ocean experience to museums, community centres, schools, live feed applications etc. Other options that have the potential for expansion includes blue finance programmes and crowdfunding. “Blue carbon credits” are gaining interest to fund the protection and restoration of mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass.

Substantial costs incurred through government funding can be reduced by giving communities responsibility for management in exchange for secure access to resources. Microfinance, such as community-led savings and loan schemes, which allow people to save money and access credit in exchange for playing an active role in the management of the area, have proven useful during the pandemic.

Other alternative sources of funds include community-based commercial activities such as those started by Reef Check Malaysia in Mantanani Island to improve the socio-economic status and social well-being of the community.

Kebun Komuniti / Community Garden - One of the economic recovery projects set up for the local community of Mantanani Island to support their livelihoods. Photo Credit: Adzmin

Devolved (Decentralised) and equitable management

In many places, communities and community-based or co-managed governance system have shown some resilience and capacity to adapt to unexpected circumstances, in this case, the pandemic. For example, the loss of international tourism in the Galapagos led to the emergence of new commerce enabled by local production and trade. Studies have shown that areas with strong local community governance structures are often able to weather crisis events and secure support from partner organisations and governmental services. It is critical to mainstream equity and benefit-sharing through empowerment and reinforcement of local institutions.

In Malaysia, the Department of Fisheries Malaysia established a program called “Reef Care” – a programme that would give local communities some responsibility in managing marine resources within the MPAs of Peninsular Malaysia. Two of the 11 Reef Care partners are Reef Check Malaysia and the Tioman Marine Conservation Group (TMCG) managing an area off Kg Tekek on Tioman Island. Though small in scale, the Reef Care program has the potential for expansion in light of the many challenges facing the government during the pandemic.

RCM & TMCG members conducting reef surveys around the reefs of Tioman Island. Photo credit: Alvin Chelliah

Adaptive Monitoring and Enforcement

Understandably, the pandemic has slowed, and in some placed stopped, activities in protected areas especially research, monitoring, and enforcement. Programmes that rely heavily on data collection by individuals or groups living outside of MPAs and their adjacent communities have been badly impacted. Some areas adapted using emerging technologies such as mobile software, drones, and remote sensing technologies. Post-Covid-19 sees a continued need to build capacity for locally based monitoring that also provides employment and opportunities to engage local communities in park management.

Communications, coordination, and collaboration capacity

The pandemic situation led to the extensive use of mobile and virtual communication technology. The reliance on technology for virtual meetings and remote education has demonstrated the potential for a wider adoption for public engagement in remote or large-scale MPAs - though many countries would need to invest in network infrastructure, especially for areas inaccessible to normal communication platforms. Encouragingly, Community Cellular Networks – low-cost cellular radios managed locally - have been deployed in countries such as Mexico, the Philippines and Indonesia with much success. This has enabled communities to share experiences and learning with communities beyond their MPAs and is proving very useful for income generation activities; e.g., online commerce selling local products.

In a nutshell, the pandemic proves that management, especially in protected areas, must be adaptive to change through the building of social-ecological resilience. Extended exposure requires that more attention must be given to resilience, and meaningful integration with the social, cultural, political, and economic context of each site.

The pandemic opened a window of opportunity for us to rethink and rebuild human and natural relationships and create MPAs that are locally and collaboratively driven, supported by innovative technologies, tools, and ethical financing mechanisms. An adaptable and integrated island and MPA management plan are critical for all sites if we are to meet all of the international goals and targets that we set ourselves.  

Why should we care and where do marine protected areas fit in?

This article is the third of a six-part bi-weekly series culminating in an editorial piece advocating for an integrated ocean policy for Malaysia.

PART 3: FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AND MARINE PROTECTED AREAS

The hunt for fish escalates as global consumption climbs risking the collapse of fisheries

The UN SOFIA 2020 Report published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) revealed that the yearly growth rate (between the period of 1961-2017) of global fish consumption is 3.1%, far outpacing both the world population expansion rate of 1.6%  and the 1.1% for meat consumption.

In per capita terms, global food fish consumption rose from 9.0kg in 1961 to 20.3kg in 2017; and has risen to an estimated 20.5kg in 2018.

However, people in developing countries have a larger share of fish protein in their diets, with the highest per capita fish consumption found in small island developing states (SIDs), particularly in Oceania. In Southeast Asia, Malaysia’s per capita consumption is double in comparison to the global average at 40.9 kg, the second-highest after Cambodia at 63.2kg per year.

As the world surpassed the 7 billion people mark and heading towards 8.5 billion in 10 years, a sustainable supply of seafood is critical to global food security.

Already, due to overfishing and rampant illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, over a third of global fisheries (34.2%) are operating at biologically unsustainable levels. Without proper management, it is courting potential collapse of fisheries that will expose those working throughout the fisheries supply chain to serious socio-economic risk.

The collapse of the Atlantic Northwest cod fishery

We hope to learn from the collapse of the Atlantic Northwest cod fishery when in 1992, the cod biomass fell to 1% of the 1980s level. It forced the Canadian Government to declare a total shut-down (moratorium) on the fishery, until now. The collapse was due to simply poor fishery management. The technological advances allowed vessels to trawl in bigger areas, more in-depth and for a longer time. Electronic tracking systems enabled crews to locate fish with unparalleled success. The Canadian catches peaked in the late-1970s and early-1980s.

Predictably, rampant overfishing means cod stocks were depleted at a much faster rate than they could be replenished. The government had overestimated how many cod there were and did not act when it first became clear the fish were disappearing. Overnight, 38,000 people found themselves out of work. It was the single largest layoff in Canada’s history.

Closer to home, in the Eastern Indian Ocean, Indian mackerels and anchovies stocks are either fully exploited or overexploited.

If we are to learn from past mistakes and meet future demands, we must accelerate sustainable fisheries management and consistently explore effective conservation approaches on a global scale without sidelining the local communities.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and sustainable fisheries management

Coupled with fisheries management, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is a proven approach towards sustainable use of the oceans, increasing long-term production of fisheries.

In a published article by Nature, researchers observed that to provide benefits to fisheries, successful MPAs across the globe must share all or most of the following five key conditions: whether or not the zones were fully protected, enforced, old (more than 10 years), large (more than 100 km2) and isolated (for example, a remote island or a patch of reef surrounded by large sandy areas). They further observed that conservation value was nearly absent in MPAs with fewer than three of these factors, and then increased exponentially when it meets three to five factors.

The correlation of these factors with the proposed increase of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) current 10% coastal and ocean protection target (by 2020), to 30% of the planet by 2030 shows that the international commitments made by governments are now based on good science.

With the current rate of ocean protection hovering at 7% of the total ocean, the call to meet the 30% protection target is a tall order, nonetheless, vital to ensure significant transformation.

Implementation must secure serious commitments from all parties, akin to the level of commitment shown to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

When the world came to a standstill due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it highlighted the fragility of the MPA funding model. The majority of the MPAs are almost fully dependent on tourism-related fees and taxes as a primary source of funding. With the loss of this income, management capacity has taken a huge hit with many conservation programs, infrastructure and personnel expenses kept at a minimum. Critically, the collapse of tourism severely affected the livelihoods and food security of the local communities.

In several countries, government funds are diverted to funding pandemic emergency-related expenses. This translates to a declining capacity for monitoring, enforcement and other management activities and has left MPAs vulnerable to illegal fishing, poaching and other prohibited activities.

Moving Forward

On a positive note, the pandemic has created opportunities to revisit and improve current approaches through good and proven practices, that will also meet local needs. It is creating a space for needed local leadership in marine conservation and scientific efforts. Innovations in conservation, good models, and a shift in global economic investments are emerging.

From a fisheries resource management perspective, the current Ecosystem-based Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) approach must improve and embrace the full extent of integration for co-management and other forms of shared governance approach with all stakeholders, especially the local and indigenous communities.

Co-management and participatory approach are also at the heart of any successful MPA management. The IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas is a standard of best practice for area-based conservation.  It is a certification program aimed to increase the number of protected and conserved areas around the world that deliver successful conservation outcomes, including the sustainability of fisheries resources. One of the requirements of the Standard that reflects the importance of a participatory approach is that management plans must take into account information on natural values and associated ecosystems services and cultural values provided by the local and indigenous communities when developing spatial restriction areas.

As the main economic driver in MPAs, tourism industry players must evaluate their business development models factoring in the impact of the industry on the surrounding environment. We strongly recommend the tourism industry players, particularly the public policy-managers and destination managers; and hotels (and tour operators) to explore the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria. It provides for minimum requirements that any tourism business or destination should aim for while maintaining the sustainability of the world’s natural and cultural resources and supporting tourism to meet its potential as a tool for conservation and poverty alleviation.

Coral reefs at Tioman Island, Malaysia. Photo by Alvin Chelliah.

Ocean resources have long been taken for granted. They are natural assets from which humans derive a wide range of goods and services. However, this value has not been factored in through the traditional economic indicators. Fortunately, there is a growing case for why investing in nature should be a viable proposition for the private sector. In November 2020, the IUCN launched the Nature+ Accelerator Fund, a private sector-focused nature conservation fund offering investment capital for nature-based solutions (NbS) projects.

In essence, all of these solutions can be implemented now.

What is missing, at least for Malaysia, is the acceptance of the fact that decisive action in the form of a cohesive national ocean resources policy is required to resolve many cross-cutting issues and challenges. This will require cooperation from multiple authorities and stakeholders. We also must meet the international commitments that have been made. Leaders must demonstrate strong political will for change and the tenacity to see it through despite any political changes for the sake of the future generation.

Islander Partners Improve Resource Management

(Photo: All together now: Tioman islanders and NGO members remove reef-smothering ghost nets. Pic by Reef Check Malaysia)

Locals must be involved in managing their own islands and island resources, says Julian Hyde. It is better for community empowerment and for nature.

“CO-MANAGEMENT of natural resources”: It is in the National Policy on Biological Diversity; it is in the Convention on Biodiversity (of which Malaysia is a signatory); it is in the Sustainable Development Goals. It is everywhere, except in the communities where it matters most.

I have been in the conservation field since 2006 when I helped to set up Reef Check Malaysia to realise sustainable management of coral reefs.

I know that traditional or hierarchical management of natural resources has worked in the past, but it has its limitations.

I am increasingly convinced that stakeholder participation in the co-management of natural resources is the way to go.

Having a say

Examples from around the world show the benefits of giving people who live in natural areas (particularly protected areas) a meaningful voice in decisions that will affect their lives and livelihoods.

The principles of stakeholder participation are well understood and the benefits are numerous.

When stakeholders get involved, they tend to comply with regulations, engage local communities in problem solving, all of which lead to stronger resource protection!

But for marine parks in Malaysia, I still see opportunities to make participation in management by local communities more meaningful.

Already policy

The Malaysian National Policy on Biological Diversity states that “planning and management of biodiversity must be carried out in a participatory manner.”

But our marine parks have no effective mechanism to allow community participation in decision-making and management.

As a result, multi-stakeholder partnerships – which are emphasised in the UN Sustainable Development Goal 17 – are rare in our marine parks.

But there are a few places where co-management of coastal resources happens. There, we see how the benefits of partnerships make the effort worthwhile.

Beach cleaning is an island activity which Mantanani residents have taken ownership of (Reef Check Malaysia)

Mantanani is a group of three islands off the west coast of Sabah, about 80km north of Kota Kinabalu. The largest island, Mantanani Besar, is home to about 1,000 people in two villages.

Traditionally, the islanders are fishers. However, harvests have declined in recent years due to overfishing and degradation of the marine ecosystem.

At the same time, tourism in Mantanani has soared from about 100 tourists daily in 2013 to as many as 3,000 daily in 2019, according to figures collected from tourism operators running trips to the island.

While this might sound like a boon for the local economy, in reality, the islanders’ have benefited little.

Left out

They have been mostly excluded by the business models used by tour agents operating out of Kota Kinabalu.

Mainland operators employ their own transport and staff and bring their own food for guests. Tourism money did not stay in Mantanani until 2019, when our homestay and other tourism-related programmes kicked in.

Mantanani needs a management system for its marine resources, but it does not have one because it is not a Marine Protected Area.

Reef Check Malaysia has been working on a management system there for several years now. And we have involved the local community at all stages of the process.

Mantanani locals describing their island’s marine resources, emerging issues and how they might design a marine protected area. (Reef Check Malaysia)

It quickly became clear that the islanders can understand the concept of protected areas and their value. We have helped them to prepare a management plan and continue to discuss ways to gazette the island as a managed area.

It also became clear that discounting local stakeholders’ views can create huge problems.

The islanders had proposed a certain approach to management strategy, but when that changed partway through the process, it upset them.

Disregard at your peril

There was anger, disengagement, and a strong push-back against managed area solutions. Discussion broke down amidst a stalemate.

One group launched a petition to have government agencies and ourselves removed from the island; another group refused to talk to our team on the island; at its most extreme, islanders were pitted against islanders because there was no independent forum for debate.

We are still dealing with the fallout.

Reef ecosystem health is monitored regularly by members of the local Tioman Marine Conservation Group, TMCG. (Reef Check Malaysia)

In the Peninsula, Tioman Island provides a good example of how the management of an existing protected area can be made more participatory.

In September 2019, the Department of Fisheries (DoF) launched the Reef Care programme to give communities a limited role in managing and conserving the marine resources near their villages.

DoF appointed 11 Reef Care partners on the Marine Park islands around Peninsular Malaysia. On Tioman, DoF partnered with the Tioman Marine Conservation Group (a local group we set up) and ourselves.

The Reef Care programme’s objectives, as described by the DoF, were to enhance cooperation between fishery officers and local communities in the management of coral reefs and to improve the socio-economic condition of the communities.

Model programme

The programme in Tioman has been a great success and provides a model for promoting community participation in other areas.

To date, Reef Check Malaysia and the Tioman Marine Conservation Group have conducted activities such as coral reef monitoring surveys, reef restoration, and ghost net removal.

We have also run best-practice programmes for tourism operators, education programmes in the school, and awareness programmes for tourists.

These activities engaged the islanders and empowered them. Encouragingly, locals are launching their own initiatives.

Taking ownership

In Kg Air Batang, the community has established a giant clam management programme to reduce poaching by other villagers and to create a new tourist attraction.

In Kg Salang, the ketua kampung (village head) is working on a turtle hatchery that will conserve turtle populations and attract tourists.

And in the south of the island, Kg Mukut wants to cast away its image as a traditional fishing community without tourism attractions. The village is re-branding itself as the best destination for trekking into the island’s interior.

Building capacity

Co-management has its benefits, but it also has challenges on the ground.

For one, islanders do not do meetings! So, there must be capacity-building programmes to help them develop skills that are necessary for effective participation – such as conflict management, communication, and so on.

Government agencies must also change their mindsets. If they want meaningful participation from the locals, agencies must give some of their power away to local stakeholders.

And finally, we need new mechanisms to facilitate co-management in marine park systems and give all stakeholders an equal say in how the islands are managed.

Local power

Local communities are interested in participating in resource management. They are keen, knowledgeable, and motivated.

We’ve shown it can work in Tioman, but there is nothing unique there – co-management can be a success anywhere.

Let’s implement all those policies on co-management and develop a more robust mechanism to empower local participation.

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[Edited by Law Yao Hua] .

Julian Hyde helped to establish Reef Check Malaysia which he now leads. A Brit who has lived in Malaysia for over 20 years, he also used to own a dive centre in Tioman.

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This article appeared on macanranga.org on 4th February 2021 (https://www.macaranga.org/islander-partners-improve-resource-management/ )