LowIncomeCountries

Challenges Related to Management in Low Income Countries

Current Reef Management

Low-income countries

Marine Protected Areas and Reserves

• When a portion of coral reef is set aside for protection, there is a doubly positive effect. The particular area recovers and areas surrounding or associated with MPA mirror that recovery.
  • Studies show that protecting reefs in such a way not only increases biomass, but also species diversity and fish size, as on Apo Island in the Philippines.
• The no take reserve and sanctuary were established in the 1970’s after destructive fishing methods wreaked havoc on Apo and throughout the Philippines.
  • This was so successful that it has been used as a model for research and for demonstration of long-term benefits of such protection.

Foreseable Issues

Economic decline due to misuse

Overfishing and Destructive Fishing Practices in the Philippines

• Many countries have municipal areas solely for local fisherman.
  • However, commercial fisheries encroach on the outskirts of these areas because a lack of protection and enforcement.
• Commercial fisheries not only use methods that are damaging to reefs, such as trawling, but also use methods that are more effective at catching large numbers of fish.
  • In turn, fisherfolk who depend on fishing for a living must turn to destructive fishing practices.
    • They use dynamite and cyanide fishing which can irreversibly decimate coral and fish populations.

Barriers to Successful Reef Management

• Despite rampant overfishing to the point of being unprofitable, governments continue to subsidize harmful fishing practices.
• There continue to be political barriers to regulations on fishing techniques, catch limit, and illegal fishing.
• Additionally, there is so little area covered by Marine Protected Areas. Less than 4% of oceans are declared as MPAs with 90% of those areas being open to fishing.

Success in Reef Management

What makes reef management successful?

• An engaged and tight-knit community dedicated to upkeep.
• Dedicated supervision and enforcement by local people.
• A plan for sustainability made by inhabitants of the island that includes education of local populations.

References

"Acidification." The Coral Digest. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. <http://coraldigest.org/index.php?title=Acidification>.