A review of fisheries conservation measures by the University of York concluded that “only complete and permanent protection from fishing can protect the most sensitive habitats and vulnerable species,” and that “Fishery management measures outside protected areas are necessary to complement the protection offered by marine reserves, but cannot substitute for it.”
Historically in Myanmar, fishing rights were awarded to businesses with little if any community benefit. Under the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, new fisheries laws were introduced in several regions and states that provide the legal basis for community-managed fisheries, including fish conservation zones (FCZs), which are small but strategically located areas that protect fish during important stages of their life cycle.
The Gulf of Mottama Project, which is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and led by HELVETAS with IUCN and Network Activities Group (NAG) as partners, intervenes in one of the world’s most dynamic coastal environments where huge mud flats are being constantly eroded and deposited by powerful tides and currents. The ever-changing physical landscape makes establishing FCZs particularly challenging.
The most valuable fish by weight in the Gulf of Mottama is the hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha), which is anadromous, meaning that it is born in fresh water, spends its adulthood in salt water, and returns to its natal rivers to spawn. Preserving hilsa stocks therefore requires protecting its habitat along its migration routes. To better understand these critical habitats, IUCN commissioned FFI to do a study on hilsa fisheries in the Sittaung River in 2021 (IIED has done similar work on the hilsa populations in the Ayeyarwaddy Delta).
Based on the FFI study, consultations were done in six villages to determine their interest in establishing FCZs. Four villages were selected for more intensive consultations, which were based on the FPIC principle so that every household had the opportunity to express their opinion and to decide whether to participate. As a result, instead of one very large FCZ with seasonal closures that would be hard to monitor and enforce, fishers recommended establishing two small FCZs, each with a permanent no-take zone. Between 60% to 75% of fishing households voted in favor of participating in the FCZs.
The two FCZs each cover 10 hectares and are located next to each other under a bridge to facilitate access and monitoring (see FCZ1 and FCZ 2 on the map). The FCZs will be managed by 41 households in Ta Naw Kyun Village Tract in Waw Township comprising three villages, and 39 households in Thein Za Yat Village in Kyaikhto Township. The two groups of households will work together on three objectives: fish stock recovery, particularly of hilsa; livelihood development; and local governance.
Both groups have established FCZ management committees, which will take the lead on the legal establishment and management of the FCZs. The draft FCZ management plans include FCZ regulations, management interventions, roles and responsibilities of committee members, and patrolling and enforcing FCZ regulations.
In September 2023, the two management committees submitted applications to their respective Township Departments of Fisheries (DoF) to establish FCZs. Upon receiving official approval, the committees will start to actively manage the FCZs through FCZ demarcation, community outreach, organizing patrols, reporting incidents to DoF, and monitoring FCZ effectiveness in terms of fish catch. Partial financing for these activities will come from a small trust fund deposited in a local bank. In 2024, IUCN will start community consultations on the possibility of establishing FCZ3 and FCZ4.
Linking FCZ management and a trust fund to generate a modest but guaranteed income stream, builds on IUCN’s work on establishing FCZs in the Tonle Sap in Cambodia where significant improvements have been made in the capacity and self-confidence of the fisheries management committees, as well as increases in fish catch and value