Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) Network. Use of Evaluation Results for Adaptive Management: Case study: Veratavou district Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) Project in Fiji. Alifereti Tawake, Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) Network.

What is a Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) What is a Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA)? LMMA is a Strategy that advocates active participation of communities and other local stakeholders in developing, implementing and evaluating their marine area management plans through adaptive management approaches: Categories Community-based marine area management initiatives. Collaborative management (national, NOGs, institutions and resource owners/users) of marine resources LMMA Tools (3 types): No take areas, MPA, marine reserves, sanctuaries. Species specific harvest refugia Restriction of Fishing or harvesting effort. For more information: www.Lmmanetwork.org

Adaptive management Cycle Develop a Monitoring Plan D B Implement Develop a Management & The Management Plan: Monitoring Goals, Objectives, Plans Project & Activities Cycle E E A Develop Analyze Conceptual Data and Model Based Communicate on Local Site Results Conditions Start Iterate Clarify Group's Use Results to Mission Adapt & Learn

Presentation Overview 1. Brief site description 2. History of project activity implementation and evaluation of monitoring results leading to Adaptive Management 3. Lessons learned on Challenges Opportunities for applying evaluation results to improve the management of a protected area (LMMA) and replication beyond boundaries of specific sites 4. Recommendations

Veratavou Project, Fiji Islands Veratavou project Source: FAO Review of the State of World Fishery Resources: Marine Fisheries (1997) Veratavou project

Project Site Description Verata is a district with 8 villages and approx. 2500 resident population Fishing ground that they have customary tenural control over and access to is 95sq km. Protected or tabu areas is not an alien concept as it is part of our traditional management practices but only for a short period of time.

History of the Project Implementation Initiation Implement monitoring plan Request Assess interest/expectation and awareness raising Collect and analyze data to evaluate management plan effectiveness and communicate results Monitoring plan Developed and training on monitoring skills Marine Resource management Planning workshop Implement management plan (review and discuss how to improve the plan) Ongoing management

Adaptive management Cycle Develop a Monitoring Plan D B Implement Develop a Management & The Management Plan: Monitoring Goals, Objectives, Plans Project & Activities Cycle E E A Develop Analyze Conceptual Data and Model Based Communicate on Local Site Results Conditions Start Iterate Clarify Group's Use Results to Mission Adapt & Learn

Veratavou’s mission To rehabilitate and improve degraded habitats and depleted economically important species to improve the livelihood of the Verata people that heavily depended on them.

Adaptive management Cycle Develop a Monitoring Plan D B Implement Develop a Management & The Management Plan: Monitoring Goals, Objectives, Plans Project & Activities Cycle E E A Develop Analyze Conceptual Data and Model Based Communicate on Local Site Results Conditions Start Iterate Clarify Group's Use Results to Mission Adapt & Learn

Management Plan Identified Threats Key Interventions Over harvesting or overfishing of resources A lot of commercial fishing license given to outside fishers and using undersize gilnets More people are fishing and harvesting resources and selling to the market than before A lot of cash demand and lack of other income generation opportunities apart from exploiting marine resources. Poison and destructive fishing Fishing Delineate species-specific reserves via refuge areas or tabu. Stop the issue of commercial fishing license and the use of gillnets. Alternative income source arranged by USP through bioprospecting enterprise to offset short-term losses in income from actions taken. Encourage farming as an alternative to fishing Ban the use of Derris sp plant and other killing agents. Mangrove and coral extraction Banned Siltation Mangrove replanting, Practice sustainable farming practices, Ban logging and burning

Adaptive management Cycle Develop a Monitoring Plan D B Implement Develop a Management & The Management Plan: Monitoring Goals, Objectives, Plans Project & Activities Cycle E E A Develop Analyze Conceptual Data and Model Based Communicate on Local Site Results Conditions Start Iterate Clarify Group's Use Results to Mission Adapt & Learn

Monitoring and Evaluation Step Community Monitoring and analysis Training Monitoring and evaluation plan implemented Biological surveys socio-economic surveys Implementation of a Learning Framework

Adaptive management Cycle Develop a Monitoring Plan D B Implement Develop a Management & The Management Plan: Monitoring Goals, Objectives, Plans Project & Activities Cycle E E A Develop Analyze Conceptual Data and Model Based Communicate on Local Site Results Conditions Start Iterate Clarify Group's Use Results to Mission Adapt & Learn

Socialize information Collect data –community monitoring Analyse data and information Present results Socialize information

Adaptive management Cycle Develop a Monitoring Plan D B Implement Develop a Management & The Management Plan: Monitoring Goals, Objectives, Plans Project & Activities Cycle E E A Develop Analyze Conceptual Data and Model Based Communicate on Local Site Results Conditions Start Iterate Clarify Group's Use Results to Mission Adapt & Learn

RESULTS and Learning. Results of clam species (indicator) at tabu site. 90 June, 2003 Survey area: 50 x 1 m2 quadrats = 50 m2 80 70 60 April 1997 Clam Frequency 50 30 Lomo (tabu site) 20 10 <2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 >6 Size Class (cm)

Matanaiverata (harvest site) RESULTS AND LEARNING. Results of clam species (indicator) at harvest site 90 Survey area: 50 x 1 m2 quadrats = 50 m2 80 June, 2003 70 60 April 1997 Clam Frequency 50 40 30 Matanaiverata (harvest site) 20 10 <2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 >6 Size Class (cm)

Results Tracking, Reporting and Learning Results Tracking, Reporting and Learning. Effectiveness of refuge area application Village Status of monitored sites Indicator species Years % stock change Ucunivanua Permanent Tabu Clams 6 2393 harvest clams 833 Kumi rotational Tabu 4 -500 166 Sawa mudlobster 500 200 Naivuruvuru 2 425 1 156 Naloto 525 233

Use of Results to adapt and learn Shift from Temporary tabu area or rotational closure to Permanent Protection. Shift from single species protection to total protection of species

Use of Results to adapt and learn Commercial Fishing license 1996-6 tons/year of fish/invertebrate stocks worth US$125,000 are extracted from their fishing ground by commercial fishermen After banning it for 5 yrs, fish catches have tripled and are allowing 1 license/yr again High Dependence on marine resources Action: Encourage farming Result : Household depending on fishing decreased from 54% to 27% Household depending on farming increased from 46% to 73% 35% increase in household income from 1998 to 2002 AM: Encourage fishing outside protected area

Iteration and Replication. Increasing scale reflects their awareness of the benefits.

Replication and Adaptation at Fiji Network Level: - 1997- 3 LMMA sites, 2 districts 2001- 20 LMMA sites, 6 districts 2003- over 70 known LMMA sites in 36 of the 187 districts in Fiji and covering approx. 11 % of Fiji’s inshore area

Ongoing (adaptive) management ∞

Lessons learned Challenges Opportunities A lot of investment and commitments is required to train communities in AM Not to lose the objectivity of the evaluation Need to continuously and systematically evaluate management actions Simplify and standardize evaluation methods Opportunities Engage communities in monitoring, evaluating and communicating results Continuous follow-up of management plans and evaluation results Learning Framework as a guide to systematically evaluate LMMA projects Encourage communities to tell their own success stories and mistakes

Recommendations Encourage scientific community to trial and test the credibility of local communities to judge and communicate themselves the effectiveness of their management actions. Evaluation results to be periodically communicated to communities in a simplified and “user friendly” way in order for adaptive management and learning to occur