Proceedings of the 6th International Coral Reef Symposium, Australia, 1988, Vol. 2 A VILLAGE-LEVEL APPROACH TO COASTAL ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE ASSESSMENT (CAKRA) J.W. MCMANUS~ I * , E.M. FERRER~, and W.L. CAMPOS~ l~arine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Q.C. 11 01 Philippines 2~~~~~ University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA, 02881 j~ollege of Social Work & Community Development, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Q.C. 1101 Philippines ABSTRACT Success with village-based marine reserves in the Philippines indicates that local coastal management may be more realistic than that based solely on national regulations. A village-based adaptive management system i s proposed wherein environmental community organizers (ECO1s) are assigned to villages to evaluate the fishery, environmental, sociological and economic factors, educate villagers in appropriate management options, organize for the formulation of local regulations, and network with national agencies for assistance with particular problems. The fact that many fisheries may be evaluated in a two-year period indicates that a 2 to 3 year cycle of implementation and adaptation may be usefully incorporated into local management strategies. INTRODUCTION The past decade has seen a rapidly accelerating rate of degradation in coral reefs and associated ecosystems. Destructive activities affecting a coastal community include those of individuals or groups within the community, and those of individuals or corporations from outside the community. The success of a community i n protecting i t s resources often depends upon a knowledge of the causes, consequences and management alternatives associated with specific environmental problems, and upon having the internal organization and external political support to implement a management strategy. We propose that a major emphasis of coastal management programs be directed towards providing coastal villages with the information and organizational support which would facilitate local resource management. One promising approach would involve the introduction of community organizers that have been cross-trained in fisheries and environmental assessment to assist villages in formulating adaptive management strategies specific to local situations. MANAGMENT APPROACHES: MP-DOWN OR BOTTOM-UP? The general concept of a fishery regulation i s one which has been imposed hy the national government and intended to be enforced a t the local level. An example of an effective application of this approach would be the current trawling ban in Indonesia. This regulation was designed to be unambiguous and therefore relatively easy to enforce. Much of i t s apparent success, however, i s undoubtedly related to the strong support for the ban which came from coastal villagers who were convinced that the trawlers were depriving artisanal fishermen of their catch (Sardjono 1980). More typical of nationa1,fishing regulations are the bans on blast fishing in most areas of Southeast Asia. These regulations often carry strict penalties and occasionally are listed among national enforcement priorities. However, it is questionable whether these regulations have substantially deterred the proliferation of this practice in the region. The situation is similar with fish poisoning, coastal deforestation, and many other problems threatening coastal zones in Southeast Asia and many other regions. In fact, while some isolated successes may be cited, it is difficult to identify any national regulation which have had a net beneficial effect on coastal and coral reef conservation over large areas. Village-level management, however, has been relatively successful in the few areas into which it has been introduced. Of nearly one hundred marine parks set up in Southeast Asia, the handful which appear to have been the most successful have been those set up in coastal villages in the Central Philippines. In each case, one or more field workers assumed the roles of community organizers and assisted the villagers in developing local regulations and enforcement procedures. Notable among the success stories are the parks at Balicasag, Apo Island, and several other nearby areas (White 1984, White 1986, Castaneda and Pliclat 1981, McManus 1988). The Sumilon Island Marine Sanctuary suffered from a lapse into destructive exploitation during a change in local politics (Maclean 19861, but it i s reportedly returning to a protected state again. During this lapse, a dramatic drop in fish production was seen in the protected areas, as well as in adjacent areas which appear to have been receiving recruits from the protected "seed" area (Alcala pers comm.) This information has been used to convince local fishermen of the importance of the reserve, and thereby strengthen the local conservation drive. The need for local coastal environmental and fishery monitors has long been recognized. One significant experiment in this regard was the fishery monitoring program set up by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Philippines in collaboration with ICLARM in 1984. Approximately LO graduates of fishery colleges were assigned in pairs to monitor catch and effort along selected areas of the Central Philippine coastline. Wherever possible, the monitors were assigned to their home areas, to take advantage of their familiarity with local leaders, dialects, and practices. Although the project was terminated after only a year and a half of operation, the data obtained i s among the most instructive available in Southeast Asia, and has provided general guidelines concerning the densities of local populations and the probable state of over- or underfishing across the Philippines (Fox 1985; Fox 1986).