A network of Southeast Asian fisheries organizations criticized the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) for its top-down approach which disregards the participation and rights of tens of millions of small fishers and fish farmers who depend on the marine resources found in the Coral Triangle, the richest center of marine biodiversity in the world.
In a statement, the Southeast Asia Fish for Justice (SEAFish) called on the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other implementors to replace CTI with a community-based coastal resource management (CBCRM) approach which will ensure not only the conservation of the marine resources in the Coral Triangle, but also respect the participation of small fishers and fish farmers in fisheries management together with their right to livelihood and development.
CTI is an international marine conservation project implemented since 2007 in the Coral Triangle. It is a partnership between the six countries found in the Coral Triangle, international funding agencies and international NGOs. The six countries are Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands. The Asian Development Bank is one of several major funding agencies of CTI.
Ruperto Aleroza, leader of a SEAFish member-organization, noted that preparations are underway for the 45th ADB Annual Meeting on May 2-5 at the Philippine International Convention Center, with the theme “Inclusive Growth through Better Governance and Partnerships”.
“But contrary to ADB’s theme of better governance, CTI uses a top-down or even technocratic approach to fisheries management. Thus there is very little or no participation of small fishers and other stakeholders in the coastal communities, especially in program planning and implementation. Civil society participation in CTI is limited to big international NGOs, namely the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy,” he said.
Aleroza expressed concern about CTI’s top-down approach which he said is responsible for the lack of consultation with fishers on the establishment of large-scale Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) where fishing is prohibited.
“SEAFish has received reports from its member-fisher organizations in the Coral Triangle that MPAs are being set up in traditional fishing grounds, thus causing economic dislocation in small fishers,” he said.
Aleroza also blamed CTI for “excluding small fishers and fish farmers in the development process, quite contrary to ADB’s theme of inclusive growth”. He explained that CTI’s Plan of Action and its sub-projects with an initial total amount of US$443 million are limited to the conservation of marine resources and prioritize the establishment of large-scale MPAs.
“The CTI sub-projects do not provide assistance for livelihoods development to small fishers and fish farmers who play a significant role in ensuring the food security of coastal and rural communities across the Coral Triangle. In other words, CTI misses out on the chance for real inclusive growth by enhancing the livelihoods of tens of millions of small producers based on the sustainable utilization of the marine resources,” Aleroza said.
On top of these issues, SEAFish is concerned about CTI’s silence on industrial and commercial investments that harm the marine environment.
Aleroza said government policies that open up coastal areas to industrial and commercial investments have produced worsening social and environmental costs, especially in Indonesia and the Philippines.
“For example, the massive conversion of coastal areas in Bali, which has been driven by tourism, has not only displaced coastal communities from their homes and livelihoods, but also caused a worsening water crisis on the island. Further, mining corporations from the US, Australian and European countries have increased their operations in Indonesia and the Philippines, resulting in the degradation of marine ecosystems in both countries due to pollution from mine tailing,” he noted.
Aleroza said CTI’s silence on these policies, even as they are critical to the success or failure of its sub-projects, is disturbing.
“We therefore urge the ADB to replace CTI with the community-based coastal resource management (CBCRM) approach in the Coral Triangle. The CBCRM approach is anchored on the rights and participation of fishers and other stakeholders in coastal communities. Thus they have a key role in the crafting, planning and implementation of fisheries management activities,” he added.